Isaiah 28:1-13

Judgment on Ephraim and Jerusalem

1 Ah, the proud crown of 1the drunkards of Ephraim, and the fading flower of its glorious beauty, which is on the head of the rich valley of those overcome with wine!
2 Behold, the Lord has 2one who is mighty and strong; like a storm of hail, a destroying tempest, like 3a storm of mighty, overflowing waters, he casts down to the earth with his hand.
3 4The proud crown of the drunkards of Ephraim will be trodden underfoot;
4 5and the fading flower of its glorious beauty, which is on the head of the rich valley, will be like 6a first-ripe fig before the summer: when someone sees it, he swallows it as soon as it is in his hand.
5 7In that day the LORD of hosts will be a crown of glory,[a] and a diadem of beauty, to the remnant of his people,
6 and 8a spirit of justice to him who sits in judgment, and 9strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate.
7 10These also reel with wine and 11stagger with strong drink; the priest and 12the prophet reel with strong drink, they are swallowed by[b] wine, they stagger with strong drink, they reel in vision, they stumble in giving judgment.
8 For all tables are full of filthy vomit, with no space left.
9 13"To whom will he teach knowledge, and to whom will he explain the message? Those who are weaned from the milk, those taken from the breast?
10 For it is precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little."
11 14For by people of strange lips and with a foreign tongue the LORD will speak to this people,
12 to whom he has said, 15"This is rest; give rest to the weary; and this is repose"; yet they would not hear.
13 And the word of the LORD will be to them precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little, 16that they may go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.

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.

Cross References 16

Footnotes 2

  • [a]. The Hebrew words for glory and hosts sound alike
  • [b]. Or confused by
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.