Ésaïe 28:28

28 On bat le blé, mais on ne le foule pas sans fin, en y poussant la roue du chariot, et le pied des chevaux ne l'écrase pas.

Ésaïe 28:28 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 28:28

Bread [corn] is bruised
The corn which bread is made of is bruised and ground in a mill: because he will not always be threshing it;
for there is another way of bringing it to flour, that so it may be made bread, namely, by grinding it in a mill; and therefore the husbandman uses his discretion in threshing it; he will not thresh it too much, nor too long, no more than what is necessary to get out the grain, but will take care that he does not bruise and break it; as follows: nor break [it with] the wheel of his cart, nor bruise it [with] his
horsemen;
though he makes use of the above threshing instrument, drawn upon wheels by horses, or oxen, for the threshing out of wheat, barley, or rye, corn of which bread is made; yet he takes care that it is not crushed and spoiled by the wheels of the cart, or the feet of the horses, or oxen, going too often over it; by all which may be signified the tender regard of God in afflicting his own people; he will not always be chiding, striving, and contending with them, or be always angry, and ever afflicting, and, when he does afflict, it is in a tender and careful manner, ( Psalms 103:9 Psalms 103:13 ) ( 125:3 ) ( Isaiah 27:8 Isaiah 27:9 ) ( 57:16 ) .

Ésaïe 28:28 In-Context

26 Son Dieu lui enseigne la règle à suivre, et l'instruit.
27 Car l'anet ne se foule pas avec le rouleau; on ne fait pas tourner sur le cumin la roue du chariot; mais on bat l'anet avec une verge, et le cumin avec un fléau.
28 On bat le blé, mais on ne le foule pas sans fin, en y poussant la roue du chariot, et le pied des chevaux ne l'écrase pas.
29 Cela procède aussi de l'Éternel des armées, qui est admirable en conseil et magnifique en moyens.
The Ostervald translation is in the public domain.