Focused Passage

Isaiah 28:7-13

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

7 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.

8 For all their tables are covered with vomit; there is not a place without filth.

9 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?

10 For they hear: “Order on order, order on order, line on line, line on line; a little here, a little there.”

11 Indeed, with mocking lips and foreign tongues, He will speak to this people

12 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.

13 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.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 7

Original words

These אֵ֙לֶּה֙ H428 Pronoun - common plural also וְגַם־ H1571 Conjunction stagger שָׁג֔וּ H7686 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural from wine בַּיַּ֣יִן H3196 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular and stumble תָּע֑וּ H8582 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural from strong drink וּבַשֵּׁכָ֖ר H7941 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular Priests כֹּהֵ֣ן H3548 Noun - masculine singular and prophets וְנָבִיא֩ H5030 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular reel שָׁג֨וּ H7686 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural from strong drink בַשֵּׁכָ֜ר H7941 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular and are befuddled נִבְלְע֣וּ H1104 Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person common plural by מִן־ H4480 Preposition wine הַיַּ֗יִן H3196 Article | Noun - masculine singular They stumble תָּעוּ֙ H8582 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural because of מִן־ H4480 Preposition strong drink הַשֵּׁכָ֔ר H7941 Article | Noun - masculine singular muddled שָׁגוּ֙ H7686 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural in their visions בָּֽרֹאֶ֔ה H7203 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular and stumbling פָּק֖וּ H6328 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural in their judgments פְּלִילִיָּֽה׃ H6417 Noun - feminine singular
Verse 8

Original words

For כִּ֚י H3588 Conjunction all כָּל־ H3605 Noun - masculine singular construct their tables שֻׁלְחָנ֔וֹת H7979 Noun - masculine plural are covered מָלְא֖וּ H4390 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural with vomit קִ֣יא H6892 Noun - masculine singular there is not a place מָקֽוֹם׃ס H4725 Noun - masculine singular without בְּלִ֖י H1097 Adverb filth צֹאָ֑ה H6675 Noun - feminine singular
Verse 9

Original words

- אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker Whom מִי֙ H4310 Interrogative is He trying to teach יוֹרֶ֣ה H3384 Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular . . . דֵעָ֔ה H1844 Noun - feminine singular - וְאֶת־ H853 Conjunctive waw | Direct object marker To whom מִ֖י H4310 Interrogative is He explaining יָבִ֣ין H995 Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular His message שְׁמוּעָ֑ה H8052 Noun - feminine singular To infants just weaned גְּמוּלֵי֙ H1580 Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine plural construct from milk מֵֽחָלָ֔ב H2461 Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular To babies removed עַתִּיקֵ֖י H6267 Adjective - masculine plural construct from the breast מִשָּׁדָֽיִם׃ H7699 Preposition-m | Noun - md
Verse 10

Original words

For [they hear] כִּ֣י H3588 Conjunction Order צַ֤ו H6673 Noun - masculine singular on order לָצָו֙ H6673 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular order צַ֣ו H6673 Noun - masculine singular on order לָצָ֔ו H6673 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular line קַ֥ו H6957 Noun - masculine singular on line לָקָ֖ו H6957 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular line קַ֣ו H6957 Noun - masculine singular on line לָקָ֑ו H6957 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular a little זְעֵ֥יר H2191 Noun - masculine singular here שָׁ֖ם H8033 Adverb a little זְעֵ֥יר H2191 Noun - masculine singular there שָֽׁם׃ H8033 Adverb

BSB notes

  • Or For He says or For it is; literally For
  • Or Do this, do that, a rule for this, a rule for that; Hebrew sav lasav sav lasav kav lakav kav lakav (possibly meaningless sounds to demonstrate an inability to understand); also in verse 13
Verse 11

Original words

Indeed כִּ֚י H3588 Conjunction with mocking בְּלַעֲגֵ֣י H3934 Preposition-b | Adjective - masculine plural construct lips שָׂפָ֔ה H8193 Noun - feminine singular and foreign אַחֶ֑רֶת H312 Adjective - feminine singular tongues וּבְלָשׁ֖וֹן H3956 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Noun - common singular He will speak יְדַבֵּ֖ר H1696 Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine singular to אֶל־ H413 Preposition this הַזֶּֽה׃ H2088 Article | Pronoun - masculine singular people הָעָ֥ם H5971 Article | Noun - masculine singular

BSB notes

  • Cited in 1 Corinthians 14:21
Verse 12

Original words

to whom אֲשֶׁ֣ר׀ H834 Pronoun - relative He has said אָמַ֣ר H559 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular - אֲלֵיהֶ֗ם H413 Preposition | third person masculine plural This זֹ֤את H2063 Pronoun - feminine singular is the place of rest הַמְּנוּחָה֙ H4496 Article | Noun - feminine singular let the weary לֶֽעָיֵ֔ף H5889 Preposition-l, Article | Adjective - masculine singular rest הָנִ֣יחוּ H5117 Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine plural this וְזֹ֖את H2063 Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - feminine singular is the place of repose הַמַּרְגֵּעָ֑ה H4774 Article | Noun - feminine singular But they would אָב֖וּא H14 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural not וְלֹ֥א H3808 Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle listen שְׁמֽוֹעַ׃ H8085 Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Verse 13

Original words

Then the word דְּבַר־ H1697 Noun - masculine singular construct of the LORD יְהוָ֗ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular to them לָהֶ֜ם Preposition-l | Pronoun - third person masculine plural will become וְהָיָ֨ה H1961 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular Order צַ֣ו H6673 Noun - masculine singular on order לָצָ֞ו H6673 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular order צַ֤ו H6673 Noun - masculine singular on order לָצָו֙ H6673 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular line קַ֤ו H6957 Noun - masculine singular on line לָקָו֙ H6957 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular line קַ֣ו H6957 Noun - masculine singular on line לָקָ֔ו H6957 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular a little זְעֵ֥יר H2191 Noun - masculine singular here שָׁ֖ם H8033 Adverb a little זְעֵ֣יר H2191 Noun - masculine singular there שָׁ֑ם H8033 Adverb so that לְמַ֨עַן H4616 Conjunction they will go יֵלְכ֜וּ H1980 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural stumbling וְכָשְׁל֤וּ H3782 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural backward אָחוֹר֙ H268 Noun - masculine singular and will be injured וְנִשְׁבָּ֔רוּ H7665 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural ensnared וְנוֹקְשׁ֖וּ H3369 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural and captured וְנִלְכָּֽדוּ׃פ H3920 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural

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.