Focused Passage

Isaiah 28:23-29

The Woe Against Proud Leaders and the Tested Cornerstone

Isaiah 28 moves from a woe against drunken Ephraim, to a rebuke of Judah’s mocking leaders, to the LORD’s promise of a sure foundation stone in Zion, and finally to a wisdom parable showing that God’s judgment is measured, purposeful, and perfectly governed.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

23Listen and hear my voice. Pay attention and hear what I say.

24Does the plowman plow for planting every day? Does he continuously loosen and harrow the soil?

25When 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.

26For his God instructs and teaches him properly.

27Surely 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.

28Grain 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.

29This also comes from the LORD of Hosts, who is wonderful in counsel and excellent in wisdom.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 23

Original words

Listenהַאֲזִ֥ינוּH238Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine pluraland hearוְשִׁמְע֖וּH8085Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine pluralmy voiceקוֹלִ֑יH6963Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singularPay attentionהַקְשִׁ֥יבוּH7181Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine pluraland hearוְשִׁמְע֖וּH8085Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine pluralwhat I sayאִמְרָתִֽי׃H565Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular
Verse 24

Original words

Does the plowmanיַחֲרֹ֥שׁH2790Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singularplowהַחֹרֵ֖שׁH2790Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singularfor plantingלִזְרֹ֑עַH2232Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive constructeveryהֲכֹ֣לH3605Article | Noun - masculine singular constructdayהַיּ֔וֹםH3117Article | Noun - masculine singularDoes he continuously loosenיְפַתַּ֥חH6605Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine singularand harrowוִֽישַׂדֵּ֖דH7702Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine singularthe soilאַדְמָתֽוֹ׃H127Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Verse 25

Original words

Whenאִם־H518Conjunctionhe has leveledשִׁוָּ֣הH7737Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singularits surfaceפָנֶ֔יהָH6440Noun - masculine plural construct | third person feminine singulardoes he notהֲלוֹא֙H3808Adverb - Negative particlesowיִזְרֹ֑קH2236Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singularcarawayקֶ֖צַחH7100Noun - masculine singularand scatterוְהֵפִ֥יץH6327Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singularcuminוְכַמֹּ֣ןH3646Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singularHe plantsוְשָׂ֨םH7760Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singularwheatחִטָּ֤הH2406Noun - feminine singularin rowsשׂוֹרָה֙H7795Noun - feminine singularand barleyוּשְׂעֹרָ֣הH8184Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singularin plotsנִסְמָ֔ןH5567Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine singularand ryeוְכֻסֶּ֖מֶתH3698Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singularwithin its borderגְּבֻלָתֽוֹ׃H1367Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Verse 26

Original words

For his Godאֱלֹהָ֥יוH430Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singularinstructsוְיִסְּר֥וֹH3256Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine singularand teaches himיוֹרֶֽנּוּ׃H3384Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine singularproperlyלַמִּשְׁפָּ֖טH4941Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Verse 27

Original words

Surelyכִּ֣יH3588Conjunctioncarawayקֶ֔צַחH7100Noun - masculine singularis notלֹ֤אH3808Adverb - Negative particlethreshedי֣וּדַשׁH1758Verb - Hofal - Imperfect - third person masculine singularwith a sledgeבֶֽחָרוּץ֙H2742Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singularand the wheelוְאוֹפַ֣ןH212Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular constructof a cartעֲגָלָ֔הH5699Noun - feminine singularis not rolledיוּסָּ֑בH5437Verb - Hofal - Imperfect - third person masculine singularoverעַל־H5921Prepositionthe cuminכַּמֹּ֖ןH3646Noun - masculine singularButכִּ֧יH3588Conjunctioncarawayקֶ֖צַחH7100Noun - masculine singularis beaten outיֵחָ֥בֶטH2251Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine singularwith a stickבַמַּטֶּ֛הH4294Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singularand cuminוְכַמֹּ֥ןH3646Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singularwith a rodבַּשָּֽׁבֶט׃H7626Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Verse 28

Original words

Grain for breadלֶ֣חֶםH3899Noun - masculine singularmust be groundיוּדָ֔קH1854Verb - Hofal - Imperfect - third person masculine singularbutכִּ֛יH3588Conjunctionit is notלֹ֥אH3808Adverb - Negative particleendlessly threshedיְדוּשֶׁ֑נּוּH1758Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine singular. . .לָנֶ֖צַחH5331Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular. . .אָד֣וֹשׁH156Verb - Qal - Infinitive absoluteThough the wheelsגִּלְגַּ֧לH1536Noun - masculine singular constructof the cartעֶגְלָת֛וֹH5699Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singularroll over itוְ֠הָמַםH2000Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singularthe horsesוּפָרָשָׁ֖יוH6571Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singulardo notלֹֽא־H3808Adverb - Negative particlecrush itיְדֻקֶּֽנּוּ׃H1854Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine singular
Verse 29

Original words

Thisזֹ֕אתH2063Pronoun - feminine singularalsoגַּם־H1571Conjunctioncomesיָצָ֑אָהH3318Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singularfromמֵעִ֛םH5973Preposition-mthe LORDיְהוָ֥הH3068Noun - proper - masculine singularof Hostsצְבָא֖וֹתH6635Noun - common plural[who] is wonderfulהִפְלִ֣יאH6381Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person masculine singularin counselעֵצָ֔הH6098Noun - feminine singular[and] excellentהִגְדִּ֖ילH1431Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person masculine singularin wisdomתּוּשִׁיָּֽה׃סH8454Noun - feminine singular

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.