Isaiah 28 Study Notes: Woe to Ephraim and the Tested Cornerstone
Isaiah condemns the proud, drunken leaders of Ephraim and reeling priests and prophets, warning that God will speak through foreign invaders to those who refused rest. Against the scoffing rulers’ pact with death God lays a tested cornerstone in Zion, and a farming parable shows His judgment is wise and measured.
General
In place of their refuge of lies, what does the Lord GOD say He is laying in Zion in 28:16?
Answer: A tried and precious foundation stone
Over against the rulers’ false shelter, the Lord GOD announces that He is setting in Zion (Jerusalem) a proven, precious stone as a firm foundation, and whoever trusts it will stand firm (28:16). The New Testament identifies this stone with Jesus Christ. Paul says believers are built on the groundwork laid by apostles and prophets, and that Christ Jesus is the chief cornerstone (Ephesians 2:20). Psalm 118 speaks of the stone builders threw away becoming the cornerstone (Psalm 118:22), and Peter applied that psalm to Jesus before the council (Acts 4:11).
- Isaiah 28:16 (BSB)“So this is what the Lord GOD says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; the one who believes will never be shaken.”God lays in Zion a tested, precious cornerstone, a sure foundation for the one who believes.
- Ephesians 2:20 (BSB)“built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the cornerstone.”Paul names Christ Jesus as the cornerstone of the foundation on which believers are built.
- Psalm 118:22 (BSB)“The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.”The psalm speaks of a rejected stone that became the cornerstone.
- Acts 4:11 (BSB)“This Jesus is ‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’”Peter identifies Jesus as that rejected stone that has become the cornerstone.
Theological
What does God lay in Zion according to 28:16?
Answer: A tried and precious foundation stone
God’s answer to the rulers’ covenant with death is a foundation of His own making: a tested, precious cornerstone laid in Zion, on which whoever trusts will stand unshaken (28:16). The stone is God’s provision, not Judah’s achievement. The New Testament identifies it as Christ, the cornerstone of the church built on the apostolic and prophetic foundation (Ephesians 2:20), the rejected stone of Psalm 118:22 whom God vindicated, as Peter proclaimed to the council (Acts 4:11).
- Isaiah 28:16 (BSB)“So this is what the Lord GOD says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; the one who believes will never be shaken.”God lays in Zion a tested, precious cornerstone, a sure foundation for the one who believes.
- Ephesians 2:20 (BSB)“built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the cornerstone.”Paul names Christ Jesus as the cornerstone of the foundation on which believers are built.
- Psalm 118:22 (BSB)“The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.”The psalm speaks of a rejected stone that became the cornerstone.
- Acts 4:11 (BSB)“This Jesus is ‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’”Peter identifies Jesus as that rejected stone that has become the cornerstone.
General
What did the scoffing rulers in Jerusalem boast about in 28:15?
Answer: That a deal they had made would keep disaster away
Isaiah addresses the scoffers who rule Jerusalem (28:14). They boasted that they had a pact with death and a deal with Sheol (the realm of the dead), so that the sweeping disaster would not reach them; yet the same boast admits that lies and falsehood are their refuge (28:15). Isaiah frames their words so that their self-made security stands exposed as a lie. Jeremiah later warned Judah not to trust deceptive words about the temple (Jeremiah 7:4), and the psalmist contrasts trusting in chariots or horses with relying on the LORD’s name (Psalm 20:7) and calls God’s people to make God their refuge (Psalm 62:8).
- Isaiah 28:14-15 (BSB)“Therefore hear the word of the LORD, O scoffers who rule this people in Jerusalem. For you said, “We have made a covenant with death; we have fashioned an agreement with Sheol. When the overwhelming scourge passes through it will not touch us, because we have made lies our refuge and falsehood our hiding place.””The scoffing rulers boast of a covenant with death that will shield them, but their refuge is lies.
- Jeremiah 7:4 (BSB)“Do not trust in deceptive words, saying: ‘This is the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD.’”Jeremiah warned against trusting deceptive words that promised safety.
- Psalm 20:7 (BSB)“Some trust in chariots and others in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.”Some trust in chariots and horses, but God’s people trust in His name.
- Psalm 62:8 (BSB)“Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts before Him. God is our refuge. Selah”God, not any human arrangement, is the refuge of His people.
Theological
What false security do the rulers of 28:14-15 claim?
Answer: That a deal they had made would keep disaster away
The scoffing rulers of Jerusalem (28:14) claim a pact with death and Sheol that will exempt them when the scourge sweeps through, and the prophet exposes it: their refuge is lies and their hiding place falsehood (28:15). Whatever arrangement they trusted, it was a substitute for relying on the LORD. Jeremiah confronted the same false confidence (Jeremiah 7:4), and the psalms set trust in human strength against reliance on the LORD’s name (Psalm 20:7), calling God’s people to make Him alone their refuge (Psalm 62:8).
- Isaiah 28:14-15 (BSB)“Therefore hear the word of the LORD, O scoffers who rule this people in Jerusalem. For you said, “We have made a covenant with death; we have fashioned an agreement with Sheol. When the overwhelming scourge passes through it will not touch us, because we have made lies our refuge and falsehood our hiding place.””The scoffing rulers boast of a covenant with death that will shield them, but their refuge is lies.
- Jeremiah 7:4 (BSB)“Do not trust in deceptive words, saying: ‘This is the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD.’”Jeremiah warned against trusting deceptive words that promised safety.
- Psalm 20:7 (BSB)“Some trust in chariots and others in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.”Some trust in chariots and horses, but God’s people trust in His name.
- Psalm 62:8 (BSB)“Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts before Him. God is our refuge. Selah”God, not any human arrangement, is the refuge of His people.
General
What two faults of Ephraim’s leaders does 28:1-4 expose with the image of a fading crown?
Answer: Proud glory and drunken indulgence
Ephraim is the northern kingdom of Israel. Its proud splendor sits like a garland on a hill above a rich valley, but its leaders are overcome by wine, and its glory is a flower already fading (28:1). The Lord has a strong and mighty one who will come like hail and flood and hurl that crown down (28:2-3). Its splendor will vanish as quickly as an early ripe fig that someone picks and eats at once (28:4). Amos likewise condemned those who felt safe in Samaria and drank huge bowls of wine while showing no sorrow at Joseph’s collapse (Amos 6:1, 6), and 2 Kings records that Assyria later took Samaria and deported the Israelites (2 Kings 17:6). Pride comes before a fall (Proverbs 16:18).
- Isaiah 28:1-4 (BSB)“Woe to the majestic crown of Ephraim’s drunkards, to the fading flower of his glorious splendor, set on the summit above the fertile valley, the pride of those overcome by wine. Behold, the Lord has one who is strong and mighty. Like a hailstorm or destructive tempest, like a driving rain or flooding downpour, he will smash that crown to the ground. The majestic crown of Ephraim’s drunkards will be trampled underfoot. The fading flower of his beautiful splendor, set on the summit above the fertile valley, will be like a ripe fig before the summer harvest: Whoever sees it will take it in his hand and swallow it.”Woe is pronounced on the proud, drunken crown of Ephraim, which will be trampled and swallowed up.
- Amos 6:1 (BSB)“Woe to those at ease in Zion and those secure on Mount Samaria, the distinguished ones of the foremost nation, to whom the house of Israel comes.”Amos pronounces woe on the complacent leaders secure on Mount Samaria.
- Amos 6:6 (BSB)“You drink wine by the bowlful and anoint yourselves with the finest oils, but you fail to grieve over the ruin of Joseph.”Amos condemns leaders who drank wine by the bowlful but did not grieve over the nation’s ruin.
- 2 Kings 17:6 (BSB)“In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria and carried away the Israelites to Assyria, where he settled them in Halah, in Gozan by the Habor River, and in the cities of the Medes.”Scripture records the king of Assyria capturing Samaria and exiling Israel.
- Proverbs 16:18 (BSB)“Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.”Pride goes before destruction, as Ephraim’s fall shows.
Theological
What sins of Ephraim’s leadership does 28:1-4 condemn?
Answer: Proud glory and drunken indulgence
The woe falls on the northern kingdom’s leaders: their glory is a garland of pride, and they are overcome by wine (28:1). The Lord’s strong agent will come like a hailstorm and flood and trample that crown (28:2-3), and its beauty will be consumed as quickly as a first-ripe fig (28:4). Amos denounced the same complacent self-indulgence in Samaria (Amos 6:1, 6), the fall of Samaria to Assyria is recorded in 2 Kings 17:6, and the principle that pride precedes destruction is proverbial (Proverbs 16:18).
- Isaiah 28:1-4 (BSB)“Woe to the majestic crown of Ephraim’s drunkards, to the fading flower of his glorious splendor, set on the summit above the fertile valley, the pride of those overcome by wine. Behold, the Lord has one who is strong and mighty. Like a hailstorm or destructive tempest, like a driving rain or flooding downpour, he will smash that crown to the ground. The majestic crown of Ephraim’s drunkards will be trampled underfoot. The fading flower of his beautiful splendor, set on the summit above the fertile valley, will be like a ripe fig before the summer harvest: Whoever sees it will take it in his hand and swallow it.”Woe is pronounced on the proud, drunken crown of Ephraim, which will be trampled and swallowed up.
- Amos 6:1 (BSB)“Woe to those at ease in Zion and those secure on Mount Samaria, the distinguished ones of the foremost nation, to whom the house of Israel comes.”Amos pronounces woe on the complacent leaders secure on Mount Samaria.
- Amos 6:6 (BSB)“You drink wine by the bowlful and anoint yourselves with the finest oils, but you fail to grieve over the ruin of Joseph.”Amos condemns leaders who drank wine by the bowlful but did not grieve over the nation’s ruin.
- 2 Kings 17:6 (BSB)“In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria and carried away the Israelites to Assyria, where he settled them in Halah, in Gozan by the Habor River, and in the cities of the Medes.”Scripture records the king of Assyria capturing Samaria and exiling Israel.
- Proverbs 16:18 (BSB)“Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.”Pride goes before destruction, as Ephraim’s fall shows.
General
According to 28:11-13, how will God speak to the people who refused to listen?
Answer: Through the strange speech of foreign invaders
Because they mocked God’s plain words and refused His rest, God would speak to them through people with mocking speech and foreign languages, that is, through foreign invaders they could not understand (28:11-12). The word they had ridiculed would come back to them as the same baby-talk syllables, so that they would fall backward, be hurt, and be captured (28:13). Moses had warned of a distant nation whose language Israel would not understand (Deuteronomy 28:49), and Jeremiah gave the same warning (Jeremiah 5:15). Paul quotes this passage, noting that even then the people would not listen (1 Corinthians 14:21), and draws from it that tongues serve as a sign for unbelievers (1 Corinthians 14:22).
- Isaiah 28:11-13 (BSB)“Indeed, with mocking lips and foreign tongues, He will speak to this people to whom He has said: “This is the place of rest, let the weary rest; this is the place of repose.” But they would not listen. Then the word of the LORD to them will become: “Order on order, order on order, line on line, line on line; a little here, a little there,” so that they will go stumbling backward and will be injured, ensnared, and captured.”God will speak to the people through foreign tongues, and His word will make them stumble and be captured.
- Deuteronomy 28:49 (BSB)“The LORD will bring a nation from afar, from the ends of the earth, to swoop down upon you like an eagle—a nation whose language you will not understand,”Moses warned that God would bring a nation whose language Israel would not understand.
- Jeremiah 5:15 (BSB)“Behold, I am bringing a distant nation against you, O house of Israel,” declares the LORD. “It is an established nation, an ancient nation, a nation whose language you do not know and whose speech you do not understand.”Jeremiah repeated the warning of a nation whose speech Israel would not understand.
- 1 Corinthians 14:21 (BSB)“It is written in the Law: “By strange tongues and foreign lips I will speak to this people, but even then they will not listen to Me, says the Lord.””Paul quotes this passage, including that the people still would not listen.
- 1 Corinthians 14:22 (BSB)“Tongues, then, are a sign, not for believers, but for unbelievers. Prophecy, however, is for believers, not for unbelievers.”Paul draws from it that tongues are a sign for unbelievers.
Theological
Through what means does 28:11-13 say God will speak to those who rejected His offer of rest?
Answer: Through the strange speech of foreign invaders
Having refused intelligible prophetic speech and the rest it offered (28:12), the people will hear God speak through the unintelligible language of foreign conquerors (28:11), and the very word they parodied becomes the instrument of their stumbling and capture (28:13). Incomprehensible foreign speech is a covenant sign of judgment, as Moses warned (Deuteronomy 28:49) and Jeremiah repeated (Jeremiah 5:15). Paul cites the passage as part of the Law, noting that even then the people would not listen (1 Corinthians 14:21), and concludes that tongues are a sign for unbelievers (1 Corinthians 14:22).
- Isaiah 28:11-13 (BSB)“Indeed, with mocking lips and foreign tongues, He will speak to this people to whom He has said: “This is the place of rest, let the weary rest; this is the place of repose.” But they would not listen. Then the word of the LORD to them will become: “Order on order, order on order, line on line, line on line; a little here, a little there,” so that they will go stumbling backward and will be injured, ensnared, and captured.”God will speak to the people through foreign tongues, and His word will make them stumble and be captured.
- Deuteronomy 28:49 (BSB)“The LORD will bring a nation from afar, from the ends of the earth, to swoop down upon you like an eagle—a nation whose language you will not understand,”Moses warned that God would bring a nation whose language Israel would not understand.
- Jeremiah 5:15 (BSB)“Behold, I am bringing a distant nation against you, O house of Israel,” declares the LORD. “It is an established nation, an ancient nation, a nation whose language you do not know and whose speech you do not understand.”Jeremiah repeated the warning of a nation whose speech Israel would not understand.
- 1 Corinthians 14:21 (BSB)“It is written in the Law: “By strange tongues and foreign lips I will speak to this people, but even then they will not listen to Me, says the Lord.””Paul quotes this passage, including that the people still would not listen.
- 1 Corinthians 14:22 (BSB)“Tongues, then, are a sign, not for believers, but for unbelievers. Prophecy, however, is for believers, not for unbelievers.”Paul draws from it that tongues are a sign for unbelievers.
General
According to 28:7, what is the result of the priests and prophets being drunk?
Answer: Confused visions and faulty rulings
Verse 7 turns to others who are drunk as well: priests and prophets. As a result they are confused when they receive visions and stumble when they give judgments, and filth covers every table (28:7-8). The very people meant to speak God’s word and judge rightly could not see straight. God had forbidden priests to drink wine when they served at the sanctuary (Leviticus 10:9), and Proverbs warns that rulers who drink lose sight of the law and deny justice to the oppressed (Proverbs 31:4-5). Paul warns believers against drunkenness and calls them to be Spirit-filled instead (Ephesians 5:18).
- Isaiah 28:7-8 (BSB)“These also stagger from wine and stumble from strong drink: Priests and prophets reel from strong drink and are befuddled by wine. They stumble because of strong drink, muddled in their visions and stumbling in their judgments. For all their tables are covered with vomit; there is not a place without filth.”Priests and prophets reel from strong drink, muddled in their visions and stumbling in their judgments.
- Leviticus 10:9 (BSB)““You and your sons are not to drink wine or strong drink when you enter the Tent of Meeting, or else you will die; this is a permanent statute for the generations to come.”God forbade priests to drink wine or strong drink when they came to serve Him.
- Proverbs 31:4-5 (BSB)“It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, or for rulers to crave strong drink, lest they drink and forget what is decreed, depriving all the oppressed of justice.”Rulers who drink forget what is decreed and deprive the oppressed of justice.
- Ephesians 5:18 (BSB)“Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to reckless indiscretion. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.”Paul forbids drunkenness and calls believers to be filled with the Spirit.
Theological
What consequence of the drunkenness of priests and prophets does 28:7 emphasize?
Answer: Confused visions and faulty rulings
The religious leadership is as corrupt as Ephraim’s rulers: priests and prophets stagger with drink, so that the prophetic vision is muddled and priestly judgment stumbles (28:7), amid tables covered in filth (28:8). Those charged with mediating God’s word and justice are disqualified by their indulgence. The law barred priests from drink while ministering (Leviticus 10:9), wisdom literature warns that drink perverts rulers’ judgment (Proverbs 31:4-5), and Paul contrasts drunkenness with the Spirit’s filling (Ephesians 5:18).
- Isaiah 28:7-8 (BSB)“These also stagger from wine and stumble from strong drink: Priests and prophets reel from strong drink and are befuddled by wine. They stumble because of strong drink, muddled in their visions and stumbling in their judgments. For all their tables are covered with vomit; there is not a place without filth.”Priests and prophets reel from strong drink, muddled in their visions and stumbling in their judgments.
- Leviticus 10:9 (BSB)““You and your sons are not to drink wine or strong drink when you enter the Tent of Meeting, or else you will die; this is a permanent statute for the generations to come.”God forbade priests to drink wine or strong drink when they came to serve Him.
- Proverbs 31:4-5 (BSB)“It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, or for rulers to crave strong drink, lest they drink and forget what is decreed, depriving all the oppressed of justice.”Rulers who drink forget what is decreed and deprive the oppressed of justice.
- Ephesians 5:18 (BSB)“Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to reckless indiscretion. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.”Paul forbids drunkenness and calls believers to be filled with the Spirit.
General
According to 28:17-18, what will happen to the rulers’ refuge of lies?
Answer: Storm and flood will wash it away
God will measure with justice and check with righteousness, like a builder’s line and level, testing all they have built (28:17). Hail and floodwaters will wash away their refuge of lies, God will cancel their pact with death, and the disaster they thought would pass them by will trample them, coming again and again, day and night (28:17-19). Their arrangements are like a bed too short to lie in and a blanket too narrow to wrap up in: their self-made security cannot give rest (28:20). Amos saw God hold up a plumb line to His people (Amos 7:8), Ezekiel warned that a flimsy whitewashed wall would fall in torrents and hail (Ezekiel 13:10-11), and Jesus said the house on sand collapses when the storm comes (Matthew 7:26-27).
- Isaiah 28:17-18 (BSB)“I will make justice the measuring line and righteousness the level. Hail will sweep away your refuge of lies, and water will flood your hiding place. Your covenant with death will be dissolved, and your agreement with Sheol will not stand. When the overwhelming scourge passes through, you will be trampled by it.”God measures with justice, sweeps away the refuge of lies, and annuls the covenant with death.
- Isaiah 28:20 (BSB)“Indeed, the bed is too short to stretch out on, and the blanket too small to wrap around you.”The bed is too short and the blanket too small: their self-made provision fails them.
- Amos 7:8 (BSB)““Amos, what do you see?” asked the LORD. “A plumb line,” I replied. “Behold,” said the Lord, “I am setting a plumb line among My people Israel; I will no longer spare them:”God sets a plumb line among His people to test them, as He measures with justice here.
- Ezekiel 13:10-11 (BSB)“Because they have led My people astray, saying, ‘Peace,’ when there is no peace, and whitewashing any flimsy wall that is built, tell those whitewashing the wall that it will fall. Rain will come in torrents, I will send hailstones plunging down, and a windstorm will burst forth.”A flimsy whitewashed wall falls under torrents and hail, like the refuge of lies.
- Matthew 7:26-27 (BSB)“But everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain fell, the torrents raged, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell—and great was its collapse!””The house built on sand collapses when rain and floods strike it.
Theological
What becomes of the scoffers’ false refuge in 28:17-20?
Answer: Storm and flood will wash it away
God applies justice and righteousness as His measuring line and level (28:17), and the scoffers’ construction fails the test: hail sweeps away the refuge of lies, flood overwhelms the hiding place, the covenant with death is annulled, and the scourge tramples them repeatedly (28:17-19). The proverb of the short bed and narrow blanket (28:20) sums up the inadequacy of every refuge but God. Amos’s plumb line (Amos 7:8), Ezekiel’s whitewashed wall brought down by storm and hail (Ezekiel 13:10-11), and Jesus’ house on the sand (Matthew 7:26-27) make the same point.
- Isaiah 28:17-18 (BSB)“I will make justice the measuring line and righteousness the level. Hail will sweep away your refuge of lies, and water will flood your hiding place. Your covenant with death will be dissolved, and your agreement with Sheol will not stand. When the overwhelming scourge passes through, you will be trampled by it.”God measures with justice, sweeps away the refuge of lies, and annuls the covenant with death.
- Isaiah 28:20 (BSB)“Indeed, the bed is too short to stretch out on, and the blanket too small to wrap around you.”The bed is too short and the blanket too small: their self-made provision fails them.
- Amos 7:8 (BSB)““Amos, what do you see?” asked the LORD. “A plumb line,” I replied. “Behold,” said the Lord, “I am setting a plumb line among My people Israel; I will no longer spare them:”God sets a plumb line among His people to test them, as He measures with justice here.
- Ezekiel 13:10-11 (BSB)“Because they have led My people astray, saying, ‘Peace,’ when there is no peace, and whitewashing any flimsy wall that is built, tell those whitewashing the wall that it will fall. Rain will come in torrents, I will send hailstones plunging down, and a windstorm will burst forth.”A flimsy whitewashed wall falls under torrents and hail, like the refuge of lies.
- Matthew 7:26-27 (BSB)“But everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain fell, the torrents raged, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell—and great was its collapse!””The house built on sand collapses when rain and floods strike it.
General
True or False: According to 28:12, God had offered His people rest for the weary, but they refused to listen.
Answer: True
This is true. God had told them where rest and repose were to be found, inviting the weary to rest, but they refused to hear (28:12). Isaiah later records the same offer and refusal: in repentance and rest they would have been saved, but they were not willing (30:15). Jesus renews the invitation, promising rest to all the weary and heavily loaded who come to Him (Matthew 11:28-29), and Hebrews warns that God’s promised rest is still open, so no one should fall short of it (Hebrews 4:1).
- Isaiah 28:12 (BSB)“to whom He has said: “This is the place of rest, let the weary rest; this is the place of repose.” But they would not listen.”God had offered rest to the weary, but the people would not listen.
- Isaiah 30:15 (BSB)“For the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, has said: “By repentance and rest you would be saved; your strength would lie in quiet confidence—but you were not willing.””God offered salvation through repentance and rest, but His people were unwilling.
- Matthew 11:28-29 (BSB)“Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”Jesus invites the weary and burdened to come to Him for rest.
- Hebrews 4:1 (BSB)“Therefore, while the promise of entering His rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be deemed to have fallen short of it.”The promise of entering God’s rest still stands, so none should fall short of it.
Theological
True or False: In 28:11-13, judgment follows the people’s refusal of a rest God had offered them.
Answer: True
This is true. Before the judgment of 28:11-13, God had spoken plainly: here is rest, give rest to the weary, here is a place of quiet; yet they refused to hear (28:12). Their judgment follows their rejection of grace. Isaiah repeats the pattern in 30:15, where salvation in repentance and rest was refused. Christ offers the same rest to the weary (Matthew 11:28-29), and Hebrews urges that, since His promised rest remains open, none should fall short (Hebrews 4:1).
- Isaiah 28:12 (BSB)“to whom He has said: “This is the place of rest, let the weary rest; this is the place of repose.” But they would not listen.”God had offered rest to the weary, but the people would not listen.
- Isaiah 30:15 (BSB)“For the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, has said: “By repentance and rest you would be saved; your strength would lie in quiet confidence—but you were not willing.””God offered salvation through repentance and rest, but His people were unwilling.
- Matthew 11:28-29 (BSB)“Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”Jesus invites the weary and burdened to come to Him for rest.
- Hebrews 4:1 (BSB)“Therefore, while the promise of entering His rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be deemed to have fallen short of it.”The promise of entering God’s rest still stands, so none should fall short of it.
General
In 28:9-10, how does the message being taught sound to those who hear it?
Answer: Like simple lessons repeated for little children
Verse 9 asks whom He is trying to teach and wonders aloud whether it is babies only just taken off milk. To these leaders the message sounds like the short, repeated syllables of a lesson for toddlers (28:10). Many readers take these questions as the leaders’ scornful reply to the prophet; the chapter itself calls them scoffers and warns them to stop mocking (28:14, 22). Chronicles later sums up Judah’s history the same way: the people mocked God’s messengers and ridiculed His prophets until no remedy remained (2 Chronicles 36:16). Jesus praised the Father for hiding truth from the clever and educated and showing it to young children (Matthew 11:25), and Paul says the message of Christ crucified looks foolish to many yet is God’s power and wisdom to those He calls (1 Corinthians 1:23-24).
- Isaiah 28:9-10 (BSB)“Whom is He trying to teach? To whom is He explaining His message? To infants just weaned from milk? To babies removed from the breast? For they hear: “Order on order, order on order, line on line, line on line; a little here, a little there.””The questions picture the message as lessons for weaned infants, heard as short repeated syllables.
- 2 Chronicles 36:16 (BSB)“But they mocked the messengers of God, despising His words and scoffing at His prophets, until the wrath of the LORD against His people was stirred up beyond remedy.”Judah mocked God’s messengers and scoffed at His prophets until wrath came.
- Matthew 11:25 (BSB)“At that time Jesus declared, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.”Jesus praises the Father for revealing truth to little children rather than the self-wise.
- 1 Corinthians 1:23-24 (BSB)“but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.”The message of Christ crucified seems foolish to some but is God’s power and wisdom to the called.
Theological
According to 28:9-10, how does God’s message come across to the drunken priests and prophets who hear it?
Answer: Like simple lessons repeated for little children
The questions of 28:9 picture the message as instruction fit for babies newly taken from the breast, and 28:10 gives what the hearers hear: short, repeated syllables like a child’s lesson. Many interpreters take the questions as the leaders’ sneering parody of the prophet; the chapter openly names them scoffers and warns them against mocking (28:14, 22). Their contempt is finally for the word of God itself, and the Chronicler names such mockery of the prophets as the cause of Judah’s ruin (2 Chronicles 36:16). God hides His truth from the self-wise and reveals it to the childlike (Matthew 11:25), and the gospel looks like foolishness to those who reject it while it is God’s power and wisdom to the called (1 Corinthians 1:23-24).
- Isaiah 28:9-10 (BSB)“Whom is He trying to teach? To whom is He explaining His message? To infants just weaned from milk? To babies removed from the breast? For they hear: “Order on order, order on order, line on line, line on line; a little here, a little there.””The questions picture the message as lessons for weaned infants, heard as short repeated syllables.
- 2 Chronicles 36:16 (BSB)“But they mocked the messengers of God, despising His words and scoffing at His prophets, until the wrath of the LORD against His people was stirred up beyond remedy.”Judah mocked God’s messengers and scoffed at His prophets until wrath came.
- Matthew 11:25 (BSB)“At that time Jesus declared, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.”Jesus praises the Father for revealing truth to little children rather than the self-wise.
- 1 Corinthians 1:23-24 (BSB)“but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.”The message of Christ crucified seems foolish to some but is God’s power and wisdom to the called.
General
How do Romans 9:33 and 1 Peter 2:6 apply the promise attached to the stone in 28:16?
Answer: Everyone who trusts in Christ will not end in disgrace
Isaiah’s promise is that whoever believes, trusting the stone God lays, will stand firm and never be shaken (28:16). Paul and Peter both apply this verse to Jesus, and in their wording the promise is that the believer will never be disgraced. Paul joins it with Isaiah’s stone of stumbling (8:14) to explain that Israel stumbled because it pursued righteousness as if by works rather than by faith (Romans 9:32-33), and he repeats the promise for anyone who believes (Romans 10:11). Peter says God has laid in Zion a chosen, costly cornerstone, Christ (1 Peter 2:6). Standing on Christ by faith is the one refuge that cannot be swept away.
- Isaiah 28:16 (BSB)“So this is what the Lord GOD says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; the one who believes will never be shaken.”The one who believes in the stone God lays in Zion will never be shaken.
- Romans 9:32 (BSB)“Why not? Because their pursuit was not by faith, but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone,”Israel stumbled over the stumbling stone because it pursued righteousness by works, not faith.
- Romans 9:33 (BSB)“as it is written: “See, I lay in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense; and the one who believes in Him will never be put to shame.””Paul joins this verse with Isaiah 8:14: the one who believes in Him will never be put to shame.
- Romans 10:11 (BSB)“It is just as the Scripture says: “Anyone who believes in Him will never be put to shame.””Paul repeats the promise for anyone who believes in Christ.
- 1 Peter 2:6 (BSB)“For it stands in Scripture: “See, I lay in Zion a stone, a chosen and precious cornerstone; and the one who believes in Him will never be put to shame.””Peter applies this verse to Christ, the chosen and precious cornerstone.
Theological
How does the New Testament use the promise to the believer in 28:16?
Answer: Everyone who trusts in Christ will not end in disgrace
Isaiah promises that whoever trusts the stone God lays will not be shaken (28:16). The apostles apply the verse to Christ, and in their wording the promise is that the believer will never be disgraced. Paul fuses it with the stumbling stone of 8:14 to show that Israel stumbled by seeking righteousness by works instead of faith (Romans 9:32-33), then extends the promise to anyone who believes (Romans 10:11). Peter likewise presents Christ as the elect and precious cornerstone (1 Peter 2:6). Faith in Christ, not works, is the way to stand secure before God.
- Isaiah 28:16 (BSB)“So this is what the Lord GOD says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; the one who believes will never be shaken.”The one who believes in the stone God lays in Zion will never be shaken.
- Romans 9:32 (BSB)“Why not? Because their pursuit was not by faith, but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone,”Israel stumbled over the stumbling stone because it pursued righteousness by works, not faith.
- Romans 9:33 (BSB)“as it is written: “See, I lay in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense; and the one who believes in Him will never be put to shame.””Paul joins this verse with Isaiah 8:14: the one who believes in Him will never be put to shame.
- Romans 10:11 (BSB)“It is just as the Scripture says: “Anyone who believes in Him will never be put to shame.””Paul repeats the promise for anyone who believes in Christ.
- 1 Peter 2:6 (BSB)“For it stands in Scripture: “See, I lay in Zion a stone, a chosen and precious cornerstone; and the one who believes in Him will never be put to shame.””Peter applies this verse to Christ, the chosen and precious cornerstone.
General
What point does the farmer parable of 28:23-28 make about God’s dealings with His people?
Answer: God’s judgment is measured and purposeful, not endless
Isaiah closes with a parable. A farmer does not plow forever; he plows in order to plant, sowing each crop in its proper place (28:24-25). He beats out delicate seeds like caraway and cumin using a stick, not a heavy sledge, and though grain must be threshed, he does not crush it endlessly (28:27-28). So too God’s plowing and threshing of His people has a purpose and a limit: His judgment is fitted to its purpose and has an end; it is not endless crushing. The psalmist says God does not keep up His anger forever or deal with us as our sins deserve (Psalm 103:9-10), Hebrews says discipline later bears the fruit of righteous peace (Hebrews 12:11), and God promised to discipline His people justly without making a full end of them (Jeremiah 30:11).
- Isaiah 28:24-25 (BSB)“Does the plowman plow for planting every day? Does he continuously loosen and harrow the soil? When he has leveled its surface, does he not sow caraway and scatter cumin? He plants wheat in rows and barley in plots, and rye within its border.”The farmer does not plow forever but levels the ground and sows each crop in its place.
- Isaiah 28:27-28 (BSB)“Surely caraway is not threshed with a sledge, and the wheel of a cart is not rolled over the cumin. But caraway is beaten out with a stick, and cumin with a rod. Grain for bread must be ground, but it is not endlessly threshed. Though the wheels of the cart roll over it, the horses do not crush it.”Each crop is threshed in its proper way, and grain is not crushed endlessly.
- Psalm 103:9-10 (BSB)“He will not always accuse us, nor harbor His anger forever. He has not dealt with us according to our sins or repaid us according to our iniquities.”God does not stay angry forever or repay us according to our sins.
- Hebrews 12:11 (BSB)“No discipline seems enjoyable at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it yields a harvest of righteousness and peace to those who have been trained by it.”Painful discipline later yields a harvest of righteousness and peace.
- Jeremiah 30:11 (BSB)“For I am with you to save you, declares the LORD. Though I will completely destroy all the nations to which I have scattered you, I will not completely destroy you. Yet I will discipline you justly, and will by no means leave you unpunished.””God disciplines His people justly but will not completely destroy them.
Theological
What does the farming parable of 28:23-28 teach about the character of God’s judgments?
Answer: God’s judgment is measured and purposeful, not endless
The parable moves from plowing and sowing (28:24-25) to threshing (28:27-28): each operation is fitted to its crop and limited in duration, because its aim is a harvest. The application is God’s judgment on His people: it is proportioned, purposeful, and not endless. The psalmist confesses that God does not repay us as our sins deserve (Psalm 103:9-10), Hebrews teaches that the Father’s discipline yields righteousness and peace (Hebrews 12:11), and God pledges to discipline His people justly without destroying them (Jeremiah 30:11).
- Isaiah 28:24-25 (BSB)“Does the plowman plow for planting every day? Does he continuously loosen and harrow the soil? When he has leveled its surface, does he not sow caraway and scatter cumin? He plants wheat in rows and barley in plots, and rye within its border.”The farmer does not plow forever but levels the ground and sows each crop in its place.
- Isaiah 28:27-28 (BSB)“Surely caraway is not threshed with a sledge, and the wheel of a cart is not rolled over the cumin. But caraway is beaten out with a stick, and cumin with a rod. Grain for bread must be ground, but it is not endlessly threshed. Though the wheels of the cart roll over it, the horses do not crush it.”Each crop is threshed in its proper way, and grain is not crushed endlessly.
- Psalm 103:9-10 (BSB)“He will not always accuse us, nor harbor His anger forever. He has not dealt with us according to our sins or repaid us according to our iniquities.”God does not stay angry forever or repay us according to our sins.
- Hebrews 12:11 (BSB)“No discipline seems enjoyable at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it yields a harvest of righteousness and peace to those who have been trained by it.”Painful discipline later yields a harvest of righteousness and peace.
- Jeremiah 30:11 (BSB)“For I am with you to save you, declares the LORD. Though I will completely destroy all the nations to which I have scattered you, I will not completely destroy you. Yet I will discipline you justly, and will by no means leave you unpunished.””God disciplines His people justly but will not completely destroy them.
General
True or False: In 28:26-29, the farmer’s skill is credited to God, who teaches him.
Answer: True
This is true. The farmer knows how to plow, sow, and thresh because his God instructs him and teaches him rightly (28:26). The LORD is the source of this knowledge, whose counsel is marvelous and whose wisdom is great (28:29). If God teaches a farmer to treat each crop wisely, His own dealings with His people are wiser still. Isaiah earlier gave the promised Child the title Wonderful Counselor (9:6), and Paul marvels at the depth of God’s wisdom and knowledge (Romans 11:33). Proverbs urges wholehearted reliance on the LORD rather than leaning on one’s own understanding (Proverbs 3:5-6).
- Isaiah 28:26 (BSB)“For his God instructs and teaches him properly.”God instructs the farmer and teaches him the right way to work.
- Isaiah 28:29 (BSB)“This also comes from the LORD of Hosts, who is wonderful in counsel and excellent in wisdom.”This wisdom comes from the LORD, wonderful in counsel and excellent in wisdom.
- Isaiah 9:6 (BSB)“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government will be upon His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”Isaiah gives the promised Child the title Wonderful Counselor, the same divine quality.
- Romans 11:33 (BSB)“O, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments, and untraceable His ways!”Paul praises the depth of God’s wisdom and knowledge.
- Proverbs 3:5-6 (BSB)“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”Trust in the LORD is wiser than leaning on one’s own understanding.
Theological
True or False: 28:26-29 attributes the farmer’s practical wisdom to divine instruction.
Answer: True
This is true. The farmer’s skill is God-taught (28:26), and the parable ends by ascribing it to the LORD, whose counsel is marvelous and whose wisdom is great (28:29). If God’s wisdom governs ordinary agriculture, it certainly governs His judgments on His people. The same attributes belong to the promised Child, the Wonderful Counselor (9:6); Paul adores the unsearchable wisdom of God’s ways (Romans 11:33); and Proverbs calls for reliance on the LORD over one’s own understanding (Proverbs 3:5-6).
- Isaiah 28:26 (BSB)“For his God instructs and teaches him properly.”God instructs the farmer and teaches him the right way to work.
- Isaiah 28:29 (BSB)“This also comes from the LORD of Hosts, who is wonderful in counsel and excellent in wisdom.”This wisdom comes from the LORD, wonderful in counsel and excellent in wisdom.
- Isaiah 9:6 (BSB)“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government will be upon His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”Isaiah gives the promised Child the title Wonderful Counselor, the same divine quality.
- Romans 11:33 (BSB)“O, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments, and untraceable His ways!”Paul praises the depth of God’s wisdom and knowledge.
- Proverbs 3:5-6 (BSB)“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”Trust in the LORD is wiser than leaning on one’s own understanding.
General
In 28:5-6, what will the LORD Himself be to the surviving remnant?
Answer: A glorious crown that replaces the fading one
Against Ephraim’s fading, drunken crown stands a better crown: on that coming day the LORD Himself will be a glorious crown and a beautiful diadem for the remnant, the faithful few whom God preserves (28:5). He will give a sense of justice to the one who judges and strength for those driving back the enemy at the gate (28:6). Isaiah later says God’s people will be a royal crown held in His hand (62:3), and Peter promises faithful shepherds an unfading crown of glory when Christ, the Chief Shepherd, returns (1 Peter 5:4). Isaiah also foresees a remnant who will depend on the LORD faithfully rather than on the power that struck them (10:20-21).
- Isaiah 28:5-6 (BSB)“On that day the LORD of Hosts will be a crown of glory, a diadem of splendor to the remnant of His people, a spirit of justice to him who sits in judgment, and a strength to those who repel the onslaught at the gate.”The LORD Himself will be a crown of glory to the remnant and give justice and strength.
- Isaiah 62:3 (BSB)“You will be a crown of glory in the hand of the LORD, a royal diadem in the palm of your God.”God’s people are pictured as a crown of glory and royal diadem in the LORD’s hand.
- 1 Peter 5:4 (BSB)“And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.”Peter promises a crown of glory that will never fade when the Chief Shepherd appears.
- Isaiah 10:20-21 (BSB)“On that day the remnant of Israel and the survivors of the house of Jacob will no longer depend on him who struck them, but they will truly rely on the LORD, the Holy One of Israel. A remnant will return—a remnant of Jacob—to the Mighty God.”Isaiah foresees a remnant who will rely on the LORD alone.
Theological
What does the LORD become for the remnant in 28:5-6, in contrast to Ephraim’s crown?
Answer: A glorious crown that replaces the fading one
The proud, fading crown of 28:1-4 is replaced by the LORD Himself as the remnant’s crown of glory and diadem of beauty (28:5), and He supplies the justice and strength that Ephraim’s drunken leaders lacked (28:6). The remnant’s glory is God, not themselves. Isaiah’s later image of Zion as a crown in the LORD’s hand (62:3), Peter’s promise of an unfading crown at the Chief Shepherd’s appearing (1 Peter 5:4), and Isaiah’s earlier remnant who lean on the LORD in truth (10:20-21) all fill out the picture.
- Isaiah 28:5-6 (BSB)“On that day the LORD of Hosts will be a crown of glory, a diadem of splendor to the remnant of His people, a spirit of justice to him who sits in judgment, and a strength to those who repel the onslaught at the gate.”The LORD Himself will be a crown of glory to the remnant and give justice and strength.
- Isaiah 62:3 (BSB)“You will be a crown of glory in the hand of the LORD, a royal diadem in the palm of your God.”God’s people are pictured as a crown of glory and royal diadem in the LORD’s hand.
- 1 Peter 5:4 (BSB)“And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.”Peter promises a crown of glory that will never fade when the Chief Shepherd appears.
- Isaiah 10:20-21 (BSB)“On that day the remnant of Israel and the survivors of the house of Jacob will no longer depend on him who struck them, but they will truly rely on the LORD, the Holy One of Israel. A remnant will return—a remnant of Jacob—to the Mighty God.”Isaiah foresees a remnant who will rely on the LORD alone.
General
In 28:21, why is the LORD’s coming work called strange?
Answer: He will turn His power against His own people
Isaiah recalls Mount Perazim, where the LORD burst out against the Philistines for David (2 Samuel 5:20), and Gibeon, where God gave Israel victory in Joshua’s day and again in David’s (Joshua 10:10; 1 Chronicles 14:16). God will rise up again with the same power, but this time against His own rebellious people, which is why His work is called strange and disturbing (28:21). Judgment is not what God delights in; He does not afflict willingly (Lamentations 3:33). So the scoffers are warned to stop mocking, lest their chains grow heavier, because the Lord has decreed destruction on the whole land (28:22).
- Isaiah 28:21-22 (BSB)“For the LORD will rise up as at Mount Perazim. He will rouse Himself as in the Valley of Gibeon, to do His work, His strange work, and to perform His task, His disturbing task. So now, do not mock, or your shackles will become heavier. Indeed, I have heard from the Lord GOD of Hosts a decree of destruction against the whole land.”The LORD will rise as at Perazim and Gibeon to do His strange work, and the mockers are warned.
- 2 Samuel 5:20 (BSB)“So David went to Baal-perazim, where he defeated the Philistines and said, “Like a bursting flood, the LORD has burst out against my enemies before me.” So he called that place Baal-perazim.”At Baal-perazim the LORD burst out against David’s enemies, the Philistines.
- Joshua 10:10 (BSB)“And the LORD threw them into confusion before Israel, who defeated them in a great slaughter at Gibeon, pursued them along the ascent to Beth-horon, and struck them down as far as Azekah and Makkedah.”At Gibeon the LORD threw Israel’s enemies into confusion and gave Israel victory.
- 1 Chronicles 14:16 (BSB)“So David did as God had commanded him, and they struck down the army of the Philistines all the way from Gibeon to Gezer.”David struck down the Philistines from Gibeon onward, as God commanded.
- Lamentations 3:33 (BSB)“For He does not willingly afflict or grieve the sons of men.”God does not afflict or grieve people willingly.
Theological
What makes the work of 28:21 strange and disturbing?
Answer: He will turn His power against His own people
Perazim and Gibeon recall the LORD’s great victories for His people over the Philistines and the Amorite kings (2 Samuel 5:20; Joshua 10:10; 1 Chronicles 14:16). Now the Divine Warrior rises with the same power against Israel itself, and that reversal makes His work strange and disturbing (28:21). Judgment is His real work, yet not His delight (Lamentations 3:33). The warning follows: stop mocking, or the bonds will tighten, for destruction on the whole land has been decreed (28:22).
- Isaiah 28:21-22 (BSB)“For the LORD will rise up as at Mount Perazim. He will rouse Himself as in the Valley of Gibeon, to do His work, His strange work, and to perform His task, His disturbing task. So now, do not mock, or your shackles will become heavier. Indeed, I have heard from the Lord GOD of Hosts a decree of destruction against the whole land.”The LORD will rise as at Perazim and Gibeon to do His strange work, and the mockers are warned.
- 2 Samuel 5:20 (BSB)“So David went to Baal-perazim, where he defeated the Philistines and said, “Like a bursting flood, the LORD has burst out against my enemies before me.” So he called that place Baal-perazim.”At Baal-perazim the LORD burst out against David’s enemies, the Philistines.
- Joshua 10:10 (BSB)“And the LORD threw them into confusion before Israel, who defeated them in a great slaughter at Gibeon, pursued them along the ascent to Beth-horon, and struck them down as far as Azekah and Makkedah.”At Gibeon the LORD threw Israel’s enemies into confusion and gave Israel victory.
- 1 Chronicles 14:16 (BSB)“So David did as God had commanded him, and they struck down the army of the Philistines all the way from Gibeon to Gezer.”David struck down the Philistines from Gibeon onward, as God commanded.
- Lamentations 3:33 (BSB)“For He does not willingly afflict or grieve the sons of men.”God does not afflict or grieve people willingly.