Logos Bible Study

Isaiah 28:13–16

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28:13So the Lord’s word to them will sound like

meaningless gibberish,

senseless babbling,

a syllable here, a syllable there.26

As a result, they will fall on their backsides when they try to walk,27

and be injured, ensnared, and captured.28

The Lord Will Judge Jerusalem

28:14Therefore, listen to the Lord’s word,

you who mock,

you rulers of these people

who reside in Jerusalem!29

28:15For you say,

“We have made a treaty with death,

with Sheol30 we have made an agreement.31

When the overwhelming judgment sweeps by32

it will not reach us.

For we have made a lie our refuge,

we have hidden ourselves in a deceitful word.”33

28:16Therefore, this is what the sovereign master, the Lord, says:

“Look, I am laying34 a stone in Zion,

an approved35 stone,

set in place as a precious cornerstone for the foundation.36

The one who maintains his faith will not panic.37

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Footnotes

  1. 26 Heb “And the word of the Lord will be to them, ‘tsahv latsahv,’ etc.” See the note at v. . In this case the “Lord’s word” is not the foreigner’s strange sounding words (as in v. 10), but the Lord’s repeated appeals to them (like the one quoted in v. 12). As time goes on, the Lord’s appeals through the prophets will have no impact on the people; they will regard prophetic preaching as gibberish.
  2. 27 Heb “as a result they will go and stumble backward.” Perhaps an infant falling as it attempts to learn to walk is the background image here (cf. v. 9b). The Hebrew term לְמַעַן (léma’an) could be taken as indicating purpose (“in order that”), rather than simple result. In this case the people’s insensitivity to the message is caused by the Lord as a means of expediting their downfall.
  3. 28 When divine warnings and appeals become gibberish to the spiritually insensitive, they have no guidance and are doomed to destruction.
  4. 29 For location see ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; .
  5. 30 Sheol is the underworld, land of the dead, according to the OT world view.
  6. 31 Elsewhere the noun חֹזֶה (khozeh) refers to a prophet who sees visions. In v. 18 the related term חָזוּת (khazut, “vision”) is used. The parallelism in both verses (note “treaty”) seems to demand a meaning “agreement” for both nouns. Perhaps חֹזֶה and חזוּת are used in a metonymic sense in vv. 15 and 18. Another option is to propose a homonymic root. See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (), 1:, and II חֹזֶה.
  7. 32 Heb “the overwhelming scourge, when it passes by” ( similar).
  8. 33 “Lie” and “deceitful word” would not be the terms used by the people. They would likely use the words “promise” and “reliable word,” but the prophet substitutes “lie” and “deceitful word” to emphasize that this treaty with death will really prove to be disappointing.
  9. 34 The Hebrew text has a third person verb form, which does not agree with the first person suffix that precedes. The form should be emended to יֹסֵד (yosed), a Qal active participle used in a present progressive or imminent future sense.
  10. 35 Traditionally “tested,” but the implication is that it has passed the test and stands approved.
  11. 36 The reality behind the metaphor is not entirely clear from the context. The stone appears to represent someone or something that gives Zion stability. Perhaps the ideal Davidic ruler is in view (see 32:1). Another option is that the image of beginning a building project by laying a precious cornerstone suggests that God is about to transform Zion through judgment and begin a new covenant community that will experience his protection (see 4:3–6; 31:5; 33:20–24; 35:10).
  12. 37 Heb “will not hurry,” i.e., act in panic.

The NET Bible First Edition, Copyright 1996-2005 by Biblical Studies Press

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

And the word of the Lord will be to them

precept upon precept, precept upon precept,

line upon line, line upon line,

here a little, there a little,

that they may go, and fall backward,

and be broken, and snared, and taken.

Therefore hear the word of the Lord, you scoffers,

who rule this people in Jerusalem!

Because you have said, “We have made a covenant with death,

and with Sheol we have an agreement,

when the overwhelming whip passes through

it will not come to us,

for we have made lies our refuge,

and in falsehood we have taken shelter”;

therefore thus says the Lord God,

“Behold, I am the one who has laid as a foundation in Zion,

a stone, a tested stone,

a precious cornerstone, of a sure foundation:

‘Whoever believes will not be in haste.’

Copyright 2001 Crossway Bibles

NIVNew International Version (2011)

So then, the word of the Lord to them will become:

Do this, do that,

a rule for this, a rule for that;

a little here, a little there—

so that as they go they will fall backward;

they will be injured and snared and captured.

Therefore hear the word of the Lord, you scoffers

who rule this people in Jerusalem.

You boast, “We have entered into a covenant with death,

with the realm of the dead we have made an agreement.

When an overwhelming scourge sweeps by,

it cannot touch us,

for we have made a lie our refuge

and falsehood our hiding place.”

So this is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone,

a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation;

the one who relies on it

will never be stricken with panic.

Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 Biblica, Inc.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

The word of the Lord will come to them:

“Law after law, law after law,

line after line, line after line,

a little here, a little there,”

so they go stumbling backward,

to be broken, trapped, and captured.

Therefore hear the word of the Lord, you scoffers

who rule this people in Jerusalem.

For you said, “We have made a covenant with Death,

and we have an agreement with Sheol;

when the overwhelming catastrophe passes through,

it will not touch us,

because we have made falsehood our refuge

and have hidden behind treachery.”

Therefore the Lord God said:

“Look, I have laid a stone in Zion,

a tested stone,

a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation;

the one who believes will be unshakable.

Copyright 2017 Holman Bible Publishers

NLTNew Living Translation

So the Lord will spell out his message for them again,

one line at a time,

one line at a time,

a little here,

and a little there,

so that they will stumble and fall.

They will be injured, trapped, and captured.

Therefore, listen to this message from the Lord,

you scoffing rulers in Jerusalem.

You boast, “We have struck a bargain to cheat death

and have made a deal to dodge the grave.

The coming destruction can never touch us,

for we have built a strong refuge made of lies and deception.”

Therefore, this is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“Look! I am placing a foundation stone in Jerusalem,

a firm and tested stone.

It is a precious cornerstone that is safe to build on.

Whoever believes need never be shaken.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

And to them the word of Yahweh will be

blah-blah upon blah-blah

blah-blah upon blah-blah

gah-gah upon gah-gah

gah-gah upon gah-gah,

a little here, a little there,

so that they may go and stumble backward

and be broken and ensnared and captured.

Therefore hear the word of Yahweh, men of mockery,

rulers of these people in Jerusalem:

Because you have said,

“We have made a covenant with death,

and we have made an agreement with Sheol.

The overwhelming flood, when it passes through, will not come to us,

for we have made lies our refuge,

and we have hidden ourselves in falsehood.”

Therefore the Lord Yahweh says this:

“Look! I am laying a stone in Zion,

a tested stone,

a precious cornerstone,

a founded foundation:

‘The one who trusts will not panic.’

Copyright 2012 Lexham Press

KJV 1900King James Version

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.

Wherefore hear the word of the Lord, ye scornful men,

That rule this people which is in Jerusalem.

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:

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.

Public Domain