Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

28:1 Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim, whose glorious beauty is a fading flower, which are on the head of the fat valleys of them that are overcome with wine! 28:2 Behold, the Lord hath a mighty and strong one, which as a tempest of hail and a destroying storm, as a flood of mighty waters overflowing, shall cast down to the earth with the hand.
28:3 The crown of pride, the drunkards of Ephraim, shall be trodden under feet: 28:4 And the glorious beauty, which is on the head of the fat valley, shall be a fading flower, and as the hasty fruit before the summer; which when he that looketh upon it seeth, while it is yet in his hand he eateth it up.
28:5 In that day shall the LORD of hosts be for a crown of glory, and for a diadem of beauty, unto the residue of his people, 28:6 And for a spirit of judgment to him that sitteth in judgment, and for strength to them that turn the battle to the gate.
28:7 But they also have erred through wine, and through strong drink are out of the way; the priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink, they are swallowed up of wine, they are out of the way through strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment.
28:8 For all tables are full of vomit and filthiness, so that there is no place clean.
28:9 Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.
28:10 For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little: 28:11 For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people.
28:12 To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.
28:13 But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.
28:14 Wherefore hear the word of the LORD, ye scornful men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem.
28:15 Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves: 28:16 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.
28:17 Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place.
28:18 And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it.
28:19 From the time that it goeth forth it shall take you: for morning by morning shall it pass over, by day and by night: and it shall be a vexation only to understand the report.
28:20 For the bed is shorter than that a man can stretch himself on it: and the covering narrower than that he can wrap himself in it.
28:21 For the LORD shall rise up as in mount Perazim, he shall be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon, that he may do his work, his strange work; and bring to pass his act, his strange act.
28:22 Now therefore be ye not mockers, lest your bands be made strong: for I have heard from the Lord GOD of hosts a consumption, even determined upon the whole earth.
28:23 Give ye ear, and hear my voice; hearken, and hear my speech.
28:24 Doth the plowman plow all day to sow? doth he open and break the clods of his ground? 28:25 When he hath made plain the face thereof, doth he not cast abroad the fitches, and scatter the cummin, and cast in the principal wheat and the appointed barley and the rie in their place? 28:26 For his God doth instruct him to discretion, and doth teach him.
28:27 For the fitches are not threshed with a threshing instrument, neither is a cart wheel turned about upon the cummin; but the fitches are beaten out with a staff, and the cummin with a rod.
28:28 Bread corn is bruised; because he will not ever be threshing it, nor break it with the wheel of his cart, nor bruise it with his horsemen.
28:29 This also cometh forth from the LORD of hosts, which is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in working.


Previous Chapter | Next Chapter
Everything King James Bible:Isaiah
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
back to: Isaiah
Book: Isaiah
Chapter: 28

Overview:
The desolations of Samaria. (1-4) The prosperity of Judah;
with reproofs for sinfulness and unbelief. (5-15) Christ is
pointed out as the sure Foundation for all believers. (16-22)
God's dealings with his people. (23-29)

1-4 What men are proud of, be it ever So mean, is to them as a
Crown; but pride is the Forerunner of Destruction. How foolishly
drunkards act! Those who are overcome with Wine are overcome By
Satan; and there is not greater drudgery in the world than hard
drinking. Their health is ruined; men are broken in their
callings and estates, and their families are ruined By it. Their
souls are in danger of being undone for ever, and all merely to
gratify a base Lust. In God's professing people, like Israel, it
is worse than in any other. And he is just in taking away the
plenty they thus abuse. The plenty they were proud of, is but a
fading flower. Like the early Fruit, which, as soon as
discovered, is plucked and eaten.

5-15 The Prophet next turns to Judah, whom he calls the residue
of his people. Happy are those alone, who Glory in the Lord of
hosts himself. Hence his people get Wisdom and strength for
every service and every conflict. But it is only in Christ Jesus
that the holy God communicates with sinful Man. And whether
those that teach are Drunk with Wine, or intoxicated with false
doctrines and notions concerning the kingdom and Salvation of
the Messiah, they not only err themselves, but lead multitudes
astray. All places where such persons have taught are filled
with errors. For our instruction in the things of God, it is
needful that the same precept and the same line should be often
repeated to us, that we may the better understand them. God, By
his Word, calls us to what is really for our advantage; the
service of God is the only true Rest for those weary of the
service of Sin, and there is No refreshment but under the easy
Yoke of the Lord Jesus. All this had little effect upon the
people. Those who will not understand what is Plain, but scorn
and despise it as mean and trifling, are justly punished. If we
are at peace with God, we have, in effect, made a Covenant with
Death; whenever it comes, it cannot do us any real damage, if we
are Christ's. But to think of making Death our friend, while By
Sin we are making God our enemy, is absurd. And do not they make
lies their Refuge who trust in their own Righteousness, or to a
Death-Bed Repentance? which is a resolution to Sin No more, when
it is No longer in their power to do So.

16-22 Here is a promise of Christ, as the only foundation of
Hope for escaping the wrath to come. This foundation was laid in
Zion, in the eternal counsels of God. This foundation is a
Stone, firm and able to support his Church. It is a tried Stone,
a Chosen Stone, approved of God, and never failed any who made
trial of it. A Corner Stone, binding together the whole
Building, and bearing the whole weight; precious in the sight of
the Lord, and of every believer; a sure foundation On which to
build. And he who in any Age or nation shall believe this
Testimony, and Rest all his hopes, and his never-dying soul On
this foundation, shall never be confounded. The right effect of
Faith in Christ is, to quiet and calm the soul, till events
shall be timed By Him, who has all times in his own Hand and
power. Whatever men trust to for Justification, except the
Righteousness of Christ; or for Wisdom, strength, and Holiness,
except the influences of the Holy Ghost; or for happiness,
except the favour of God; that protection in which they thought
to shelter themselves, will prove not enough to answer the
intention. Those who Rest in a Righteousness of their own, will
have deceived themselves: the Bed is too short, the covering too
narrow. God will be glorified in the fulfilling of his counsels.
If those that profess to be members of God's Church, make
themselves like Philistines and Canaanites, they must expect to
be dealt with as such. Then dare not to ridicule the reproofs of
God's Word, or the approaches of judgements.

23-29 The Husbandman applies to his Calling with pains and
prudence, in all the Works of it according to their nature. Thus
the Lord, who has given men this Wisdom, is wonderful in
counsel, and excellent in his working. As the occasion requires,
he threatens, corrects, spares, shows Mercy, or executes
vengeance. Afflictions are God's Threshing instruments, to
loosen us from the world, to part between us and our Chaff, and
to prepare us for use. God will proportion them to our strength;
they shall be No heavier than there is need. When his End is
answered, the trials and sufferings of his people shall cease;
his Wheat shall be gathered into the Garner, but the Chaff shall
be burned with unquenchable Fire.

Log in or register to write something here or to contact authors.