Isaiah 28
28
1Woe to the crown of pride of the drunkards of Ephraim, and to the fading flower of his glorious beauty, which is on the head of the fat valley of them that are overcome with wine! 2Behold, the Lord hath a mighty and strong one; as a tempest of hail, a destroying storm, as a tempest of mighty waters overflowing, shall he cast down to the earth with the hand. 3The crown of pride of the drunkards of Ephraim shall be trodden under foot: 4and the fading flower of his glorious beauty, which is on the head of the fat valley, shall be as the firstripe fig before the summer; which when he that looketh upon it seeth, while it is yet in his hand he eateth it up. 5In that day shall the LORD of hosts be for a crown of glory, and for a diadem of beauty, unto the residue of his people: 6and for a spirit of judgement to him that sitteth in judgement, and for strength to them that turn back the battle at the gate. 7But these also have erred through wine, and through strong drink are gone astray; the priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink, they are swallowed up of wine, they are gone astray through strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgement. 8For all tables are full of vomit and filthiness, so that there is no place clean.
9Whom will he teach knowledge? and whom will he make to understand the message? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts? 10For it is precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, there a little. 11Nay, but by men of strange lips and with another tongue will he speak to this people: 12to whom he said, This is the rest, give ye rest to him that is weary; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear. 13Therefore shall the word of the LORD be unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, there a little; that they may go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.
14Wherefore hear the word of the LORD, ye scornful men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem: 15Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us; for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves: 16therefore thus saith the Lord GOD Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone of sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste. 17And I will make judgement the line, and righteousness the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place. 18And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it. 19As often as it passeth through, it shall take you; for morning by morning shall it pass through, by day and by night: and it shall be nought but terror to understand the message. 20For the bed is shorter than that a man can stretch himself on it; and the covering narrower than that he can wrap himself in it. 21For the LORD shall rise up as in mount Perazim, he shall be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon; that he may do his work, his strange work, and bring to pass his act, his strange act. 22Now therefore be ye not scorners, lest your bands be made strong: for a consummation, and that determined, have I heard from the Lord, the LORD of hosts, upon the whole earth.
23Give ye ear, and hear my voice; hearken, and hear my speech. 24Doth the plowman plow continually to sow? doth he continually open and break the clods of his ground? 25When he hath made plain the face thereof, doth he not cast abroad the fitches, and scatter the cummin, and put in the wheat in rows and the barley in the appointed place and the spelt in the border thereof? 26For his God doth instruct him aright, and doth teach him. 27For the fitches are not threshed with a sharp threshing instrument, neither is a cart wheel turned about upon the cummin; but the fitches are beaten out with a staff, and the cummin with a rod. 28Bread corn is ground; for he will not ever be threshing it: and though the wheel of his cart and his horses scatter it, he doth not grind it. 29This also cometh forth from the LORD of hosts, which is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in wisdom.
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Isaiah 28: RV1885
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maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society
Isaiah 28
28
Ephraim’s False Hope
1Woe to the pride of Israel’s # 28:1 Or “Ephraim,” a likely metonymy for the northern kingdom of Israel (Samaria). Read through this chapter to see the vivid contrast between the fading glory of mankind and the greater glory of God. drunkards,
worn like a garland on their heads!
Their glory is but wilted flowers,
worn like a crown on the heads of those
bloated with rich food and overcome by wine.
2Behold! The Lord has one who is strong and mighty,
and he will come like a hailstorm and like a destroying wind!
With a storm of massive, flooding waters,
his mighty power will knock it to the ground. # 28:2 There are three fulfillments to this prophecy: (1) The immediate fulfillment of this was the Assyrian army beginning to invade the northern kingdom of Israel in 740 BC (see 1 Chron. 5:26). The tribes located east of the Jordan River were the first ones conquered by Assyria. (2) The distant fulfillment was the advent of Jesus, the Mighty One, whom the Father sent with the sword of truth to demolish the lies and pride of man. (3) The future fulfillment will be the appearing of the overcomers (see Rev. 2–3) who follow the Lamb as dread champions and who overturn the tables of religion and the arrogance of man.
3That proud crown of the drunkards of Ephraim
will be trampled underfoot,
4and the glory of these proud leaders will fade and disappear
like the first figs of the season, which are picked and eaten
as soon as they are ripe.
5In that day, Lord Yahweh, Commander of Angel Armies,
will be a crown of glory # 28:5 God himself is to be our “crown,” not human pride. See Heb. 2:9. and a diadem of beauty
for the remnant of his people.
6He will be a Spirit of justice
for judges to render right decisions.
And he will be strength and bravery
for those who turn back the battle at the gate.
Judah’s Drunken Prophets
7Moreover, the prophets and priests are drunk.
They stagger because of wine
and stumble around because of strong drink.
They are confused with wine, # 28:7 This is a play on words, for the word bala’ is a homophone for “confused” and “to swallow [wine].” It could be translated “The wine they swallow swallows them.”
stumbling because of strong drink.
They’re too drunk to understand their prophetic visions.
They’re too drunk to render right decisions in judgment.
8All of their banqueting tables are covered with filthy vomit;
vomit is everywhere!
9They say,
“Who does this prophet # 28:9 Or “he.” think he is to try to teach us?
Who really cares about his message?
It’s only good for babies just learning to talk. # 28:9 Or “babies just weaned.”
10Do, do this, and do, do that,
a rule about this and a rule about that,
here a little, there a little.” # 28:10 The meaning of the Hebrew text of this verse is uncertain. The Septuagint reads “You expect trouble upon trouble, hope upon hope; yet a little and yet a little.”
11Since they won’t listen to me,
God # 28:11 Or “he.” will use another mouthpiece to speak to them.
With stammering lips
and in a foreign language, # 28:11 That is, the foreign language of the Assyrians, which was Aramaic. See Deut. 28:49; 1 Cor. 14:21–22. he will speak to this people.
12For he has said to them,
“This is your rest, so let the weary rest; # 28:12 See Matt. 11:28–30; Heb. 4:9.
this is your comfort”—but they would not listen.
13Therefore, the word of Yahweh will be to them
“Do, do this, and do, do that,
a rule about this and a rule about that,
here a little, there a little,” # 28:13 The meaning of the Hebrew text of this verse is uncertain. The Septuagint reads “You expect trouble upon trouble, hope upon hope; yet a little and yet a little.”
in order that they will stumble backward
and be broken and captured.
A False Covenant with Death
14Therefore, listen to the word of Yahweh,
you scornful jesters—rulers of Jerusalem. # 28:14 Starting with this verse and going through Isa. 31:9, Isaiah spoke warnings to Judah and Jerusalem.
15For you have said,
“We have made a covenant with death
and a pact with the underworld, # 28:15 Or “Sheol.” Some scholars conclude that death and the underworld are metaphors for an alliance with Egypt and its false gods. However, it is more likely that they had made an actual pact with evil spirits, such as Death (Mot) and the Underworld (Resheph), to protect them from the plague. Christ has broken the covenant with death, for we are crucified with him (see Gal. 2:20). Now death “belongs” to the believer, for we have been given a life that triumphs over man’s covenant with death (see Rom. 8:38–39; 1 Cor. 3:21–22).
so when the overwhelming scourge sweeps over us,
it will not harm us.
For we have made lies our refuge # 28:15 Many today still hide behind lies, refusing to come to the truth in Christ.
and found our shelter in falsehood.” # 28:15 Or “false gods.”
Zion’s Foundation Stone
16Here’s what the Lord God says:
“Behold, I set in place in Zion a Foundation Stone, # 28:16 The “Foundation Stone” is Christ, set in place in the councils of eternity. The Hebrew word for “stone” is taken from the root word for “son” (ben). God’s Foundation Stone is his Son, Jesus Christ. See Rom. 9:33. Now the Son/Stone has become many (see 1 Peter 2:5–7). From these stones/sons, the Father is building us into his holy temple.
fully tested and proven to be faithful and secure. # 28:16 The promised one, Jesus Christ, is the chief cornerstone on which we rest our faith, because we are those who dwell in the Zion-realm (see Heb. 12:22). Believers throughout all time have proven that he is faithful. See Ps. 118:22; Acts 4:11; Eph. 2:20; Rev. 21:19–20.
And written upon this precious cornerstone is this:
‘Those who trust in him will not act in haste.’ # 28:16 Or “will never run away [in fear].” Faith, firmly set upon Christ, is patient and never rushes, for faith leaves the timing of all things in God’s hands. Peter quotes this verse, saying, “Whoever believes in him will certainly not be disappointed” (1 Peter 2:6).
17I will set justice as the true measurement
and integrity as its plumb line.
My hailstorm # 28:17 Hail is a biblical metaphor for divine judgment. See v. 2; Ex. 9:13–35; Josh. 10:11; Pss. 18:12–13; 148:8; Isa. 32:19; Rev. 8:7; 11:19; 16:21. will sweep away your refuge of lies,
and my floodwaters will overwhelm your hiding place.
18Then your covenant with death will be annulled
and your pact with the underworld will not stand.
And when the overwhelming scourge sweeps over you,
it will sweep you away! # 28:18 Or “it will trample you down.”
19As often as disaster passes by, it will carry you away;
morning by morning, day after day, it will sweep you away!”
When you fully understand this message,
it will bring nothing but terror to you!
20Your bed is too short to stretch yourself out on,
and your covering is too narrow to wrap yourself in. # 28:20 The bed is a metaphor for their confidence in lies—resting in illusions, not the truth. Those who trust in lies will not be comfortable. The covering being too narrow means their nakedness will still be exposed (like Adam’s and Eve’s hiding behind fig leaves). They will be too cramped and too cold. Every resting place and shelter will fail them.
21The Lord Yahweh will suddenly arise
as on Mount Perazim # 28:21 This mountain is also called Baal-Perazim (“lord of the breakthrough”), the place where the Lord broke through, enabling David to conquer the Philistines. See 2 Sam. 5:20. and in the valley of Gibeon. # 28:21 In this valley, Yahweh rained down hailstones on the Amorites. See Josh. 10:8–14.
He arises to accomplish his strange work—peculiar as it is—
his strange work of judgment. # 28:21 The prophet described God’s work of judgment as strange or foreign to what he delights in doing. God is love and longs to pour out his love upon his people, those he has chosen and established as his own. Yet God is holy, and although in mercy he may delay judgment, he will judge his people. To see God’s work of judgment as strange (alien) is to understand that heaven’s default is always mercy. See James 2:13.
22So do not mock, or your bonds will grow tighter.
For I have heard the decree from my Lord Yahweh,
Commander of Angel Armies.
He spoke a decree of destruction against the whole land.
The Wonderful Ways of God
23Hear my voice, listen to my words,
and pay close attention to my parable. # 28:23 Or “to my speech.” Isaiah used the parable of a farmer preparing his field to sow seed as a description of God’s ways within us. He begins by essentially saying, “If your ears are opened by my Spirit, then hear what I have to say.”
24Does a farmer plow continually at planting time
and never plant a crop? # 28:24 The sharp teeth and cutting edge of God’s Word as it plows through the soil of our hearts will result in his planting the life and glory of Jesus within us. God knows the purpose of his painful plowing in our hearts is to prepare them for the beautiful Jesus to come forth from within. The outward shell, the hardened clods of soil, must be broken open so that Christ may be our true life. See Hos. 10:12.
Does he continually break open the clods of the ground # 28:24 “The clods of the ground” are an apt metaphor for human nature, for we have been taken from the dust of the ground.
and never sow his seed?
25Once he has leveled its surface, does he not sow dill and cumin,
planting his wheat in rows, his barley in its proper place,
and his rye in a patch?
26Yes, his God has instructed him
and taught him the right way of farming the land.
27Dill, a small seed, is not threshed with a threshing sledge,
nor is a wagon wheel rolled over cumin. # 28:27 God knows how fragile we are as “seeds” of the kingdom. He will thresh us, but only according to what is needed to lay bare our hearts and cause the seed to grow. See 1 Cor. 10:13.
Dill is beaten with a rod and cumin with a stick.
28Grain is crushed # 28:28 God does not crush the grain but only frees it from the chaff. and milled for bread,
but it is not threshed endlessly.
One drives the wagon’s wheels over it,
but his horses’ hooves do not pulverize it.
29This counsel also comes from Lord Yahweh,
Commander of Angel Armies.
For his guidance is unfathomable,
and the heavenly wisdom he imparts is magnificent. # 28:29 Or “He makes counsel wonderful; he makes wisdom great.” See Rom. 11:33.
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