Isaiah 28
Study sheet, King James Version, with the original-language words this chapter turns on.
The text
1Woe 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!
2Behold, 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.
3The crown of pride, the drunkards of Ephraim, shall be trodden under feet:
4And 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.
5In 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,
6And for a spirit of judgment to him that sitteth in judgment, and for strength to them that turn the battle to the gate.
7But 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.
8For all tables are full of vomit and filthiness, so that there is no place clean.
9Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.
10For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:
11For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people.
12To 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.
13But 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.
14Wherefore hear the word of the LORD, ye scornful men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem.
15Because 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:
16Therefore 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.
17Judgment 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.
18And 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.
19From 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.
20For 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.
21For 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.
22Now 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.
23Give ye ear, and hear my voice; hearken, and hear my speech.
24Doth the plowman plow all day to sow? doth he open and break the clods of his ground?
25When 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?
26For his God doth instruct him to discretion, and doth teach him.
27For 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.
28Bread 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.
29This also cometh forth from the LORD of hosts, which is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in working.
Words in this chapter
Definitions are Strong's own wording from his Exhaustive Concordance (1890). Counts are how often each word appears in this chapter, from the tagged text.
- כִּיkîyH358814× in this chapter
(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed
- קַוqavH69579× in this chapter
a cord (as connecting), especially formeasuring; figuratively, a rule; also a rim, a musical string or accord
- לֹאlôʼH38088× in this chapter
not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles
- צַוtsavH66738× in this chapter
an injunction
- הָיָהhâyâhH19615× in this chapter
to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)
- יְהֹוָהYᵉhôvâhH30685× in this chapter
Jehovah, Jewish national name of God
- עַלʻalH59215× in this chapter
above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications
- שָׁמַעshâmaʻH80855× in this chapter
to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to tell, etc.)
- אֲשֶׁרʼăsherH8345× in this chapter
who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.
- זְעֵירzᵉʻêyrH21914× in this chapter
small
- מִשְׁפָּטmishpâṭH49414× in this chapter
properly, a verdict (favorable or unfavorable) pronounced judicially, especially a sentence or formal decree (human or (participant's) divine law, individual or collective), including the act, the place, the suit, the crime, and the penalty; abstractly, justice, including a participant's right or privilege (statutory or customary), or even a style
- עָבַרʻâbarH56744× in this chapter
to cross over; used very widely of any transition (literal or figurative; transitive, intransitive, intensive, causative); specifically, to cover (in copulation)
- שָׁטַףshâṭaphH78574× in this chapter
to gush; by implication, to inundate, cleanse; by analogy, to gallop, conquer
- שָׁםshâmH80334× in this chapter
there (transferring to time) then; often thither, or thence
- אֵתʼêthH8534× in this chapter
properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)
- אֵתʼêthH8544× in this chapter
properly, nearness (used only as a preposition or an adverb), near; hence, generally, with, by, at, among, etc.
- אֲדֹנָיʼĂdônâyH1363× in this chapter
the Lord (used as a proper name of God only)
- דּוּשׁdûwshH17583× in this chapter
to trample or thresh
- זֹאתzôʼthH20633× in this chapter
this (often used adverb)
- יוֹםyôwmH31173× in this chapter
a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an associated term), (often used adverb)
- יַיִןyayinH31963× in this chapter
wine (as fermented); by implication, intoxication
- כֹּלkôlH36053× in this chapter
properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)
- כַּמֹּןkammônH36463× in this chapter
'cummin' (from its use as a condiment)
- אָמַרʼâmarH5593× in this chapter
to say (used with great latitude)
- עֲטָרָהʻăṭârâhH58503× in this chapter
a crown
- עַםʻamH59713× in this chapter
a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a tribe (as those of Israel); hence (collectively) troops or attendants; figuratively, a flock
- צָבָאtsâbâʼH66353× in this chapter
a mass of persons (or figuratively, things), especially reg. organized forwar (an army); by implication, a campaign, literally or figuratively (specifically, hardship, worship)
- צְבִיtsᵉbîyH66433× in this chapter
splendor (as conspicuous); also a gazelle (as beautiful)
- קֶצַחqetsachH71003× in this chapter
fennelflower (from its pungency)
- שָׁגָהshâgâhH76863× in this chapter
to stray (causatively, mislead), usually (figuratively) to mistake, especially (morally) to transgress; by extension (through the idea of intoxication) to reel, (figuratively) be enraptured
- שׂוּםsûwmH77603× in this chapter
to put (used in a great variety of applications, literal, figurative, inferentially, and elliptically)
- שֵׁכָרshêkârH79413× in this chapter
an intoxicant, i.e. intensely alcoholic liquor
- תִּפְאָרָהtiphʼârâhH85973× in this chapter
ornament (abstractly or concretely, literally or figuratively)
- בָּלַעbâlaʻH11042× in this chapter
to make away with (specifically by swallowing); generally, to destroy
- בֹּקֶרbôqerH12422× in this chapter
properly, dawn (as the break of day); generally, morning
- בָּרָדbârâdH12592× in this chapter
hail
- בְּרִיתbᵉrîythH12852× in this chapter
a compact (because made by passing between pieces of flesh)
- גֵּאוּתgêʼûwthH13482× in this chapter
{arrogance or majesty; by implication, (concretely) ornament}
- גַּיְאgayʼH15162× in this chapter
a gorge (from its lofty sides; hence, narrow, but not a gully or winter-torrent)
- גַּםgamH15712× in this chapter
properly, assemblage; used only adverbially also, even, yea, though; often repeated as correl. both...and