Isaiah 28:1-13

Judgment on Ephraim and Judah

1 Oh, the majestic garland of Ephraim's drunks and the fading flower of its splendid beauty on the head that flows with perfume of those hammered with wine.

2 Look! The Lord has someone who is powerful and strong; like a hailstorm, a disastrous tempest, like a downpour of mighty, overflowing waters, he can level them to the ground with his hand.

3 The majestic garland of Ephraim's drunks will be trampled underfoot.

4 The withered flower, which is a thing of beauty as it sits on the head of those bloated with fat, will be like an early fig before the summer harvest: whoever sees it swallows it as soon as it is in hand.

5 On that day, the LORD of heavenly forces will be a splendid garland and a beautiful wreath for the people who survive,

6 and a spirit of justice for the one who sits in judgment, and a strength for those who repel the assault at the gate.

7 These also stagger from wine and stumble from beer: priest and prophet stagger from beer; they are confused by wine; they stray on account of beer; they err when receiving visions; they stumble when making judgments.

8 All the tables are covered with vomit; filth overruns the place.

9 To whom will God teach knowledge? To whom will he explain the message? To those just weaned from milk? To those who have hardly outgrown the breast?

10 It is "tsav letsav, tsav lestav; qav leqav, qav leqav," a little of this, a little of that.

11 With derisive speech and a foreign tongue, he will speak to this people.

12 He has said to them, "This is the place of rest; give rest to the weary; this is the place of repose"; but they refused to listen.

13 So the LORD's word will be for them: "tsav letsav, tsav letsav; qav leqav, qav leqav," a little of this, a little of that. So that they will go and stagger backward, they will be broken, snared, and captured.

Isaiah 28:1-13 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO ISAIAH 28

In this chapter the ten tribes of Israel and the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin, are threatened with divine judgments, because of their sins and iniquities mentioned. The ten tribes, under the name of Ephraim, for their pride and drunkenness, Isa 28:1 the means of their destruction, the Assyrian monarch, compared to a hail storm, and a flood of mighty waters, Isa 28:2 which destruction, for their sins, is repeated, and represented as sudden and swift; when they would be like a fading flower and hasty fruit, Isa 28:3,4 and then, as for the two tribes, though they had a glorious prince at the head of them, who had a spirit of wisdom and judgment for government, and of valour and courage for war, Isa 28:5,6 yet the generality of the people, led on by the example of priest and prophet, went into the same sensual gratifications as they of the ten tribes did, Isa 28:7,8 and became sottish and unteachable, and were like children just taken from the breast, and to be used as such, Isa 28:9-11 and though the doctrine proposed to be taught them was such as, if received, would be of the greatest advantage to them, for their comfort and refreshment, yet it was refused by them with the utmost contempt; which was to be their ruin, Isa 28:12,13, wherefore the rulers of Jerusalem are threatened with the judgments of God, which should come upon them night and day, the report of which would be a vexation to them; and from which they should not be screened by their covenant with death and hell, or by their shelters and coverings with lies and falsehood, in which they placed their confidence, Isa 28:14,15 Isa 28:17-22 in the midst of which account, for the comfort of the Lord's people, stands a glorious prophecy, concerning the sure foundation laid in Zion, on which all that are built are safe and happy, Isa 28:16 and the certainty of these judgments is illustrated by the method which the ploughman takes in sowing his corn, and threshing it out; for which he has instruction and direction from the Lord of hosts, Isa 28:23-29.

Footnotes

• [a]. DSS (1QIsaa)
• [b]. Heb uncertain
• [c]. Or at the head of the fat valley
• [d]. A Hebrew version of baby talk or gibberish