Isaiah 28:1-13

Woe to Samaria

1 Woe to the majestic crown of Ephraim's drunkards, and to the fading flower of its beautiful splendor, which is on the summit above the rich valley. [Woe] to those overcome with wine.

2 Look, the Lord has a strong and mighty one- like a devastating hail storm, like a storm with strong flooding waters. He will bring it across the land with [His] hand.

3 The majestic crown of Ephraim's drunkards will be trampled underfoot.

4 The fading flower of his beautiful splendor, which is on the summit above the rich valley, will be like a ripe fig before the summer harvest. Whoever sees it will swallow it while it is still in his hand.

5 On that day the Lord of Hosts will become a crown of beauty and a diadem of splendor to the remnant of His people,

6 a spirit of justice to the one who sits in judgment, and strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate.

7 These also stagger because of wine and stumble under the influence of beer: priest and prophet stagger because of beer, they are confused by wine. They stumble because of beer, they are muddled in [their] visions, they stumble in [their] judgments.

8 Indeed, all their tables are covered with vomit; there is no place without a stench.

9 Who is he^[a] trying to teach? Who is he^[b] trying to instruct? Infants^[c] [just] weaned from milk? Babies^[d] removed from the breast?

10 For [he says]: "Law after law, law after law, line after line, line after line, a little here, a little there."^[e]

11 So He will speak to this people with stammering speech and in a foreign language.

12 He had said to them: "This is the place of rest, let the weary rest; this is the place of repose." But they would not listen.

13 Then the word of the Lord came to them: "Law after law, law after law, line after line, line after line, a little here, a little there,"^[f] so they go stumbling backwards, to be broken, trapped, 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]. Or He
• [b]. Or He
• [c]. Lit Those
• [d]. Lit Those
• [e]. Hb obscure; perhaps the mockers of v. 9 are mimicking the prophet's words as baby talk.
• [f]. Hb obscure; the Lord quotes the mockers' words in v. 10 to represent the unintelligible language of the Assyrian invaders.