Chapter Overview
Summary
Isaiah 28 opens THE WOES SECTION (chs. 28–33) — six woe-oracles. The chapter contains v. 11–12 cited at 1 Corinthians 14:21 (tongues as-sign-to-unbelievers) AND v. 16's CORNERSTONE-IN-ZION cited at Romans 9:33, 10:11, and 1 Peter 2:6. Verse 16 is the PRIMARY-CORNERSTONE Christological text alongside Psalm 118:22.
Notable Variants
28:11–12 'foreign tongues' → 1 Corinthians 14:21 (tongues-as-sign); 28:16 'BEHOLD, I AM LAYING IN ZION A CORNERSTONE' → Romans 9:33 + 10:11 + 1 Peter 2:6 cornerstone-Christology FOUNDATION; 28:21 'his strange work' divine-strange-deed.
Structural Notes
MT Isaiah 28 = LXX Isaiah 28. 29 verses. Opens THE-WOES section (chs. 28–33).
Woe to the proud crown of Ephraim's drunkards, to the fading blossom of its splendid beauty, set on the head of a rich valley — those hammered by wine!
'Ah, the proud crown of the drunkards of Ephraim, and the fading flower of its glorious beauty, which is on the head of the rich valley of those overcome with wine!' tracks MT. WOE-TO-EPHRAIM-DRUNKARDS. Northern-kingdom-elite indicted.
Look — the Lord has one who is mighty and strong. Like a storm of hail, a torrent of destruction, like a flood of mighty, overwhelming waters, he will hurl it down to the earth with force.
'Behold, the Lord has one who is mighty and strong; like a storm of hail, a destroying tempest, like a storm of mighty, overflowing waters, he casts down to the earth with his hand' tracks MT.
The proud crown of Ephraim's drunkards will be trampled underfoot.
'The proud crown of the drunkards of Ephraim will be trodden underfoot' tracks MT.
And the fading blossom of its splendid beauty, set on the head of a rich valley, will be like an early fig before summer — whoever sees it swallows it the moment it is in his hand.
'And the fading flower of its glorious beauty, which is on the head of the rich valley, will be like a first-ripe fig before the summer: when someone sees it, he swallows it as soon as it is in his hand' tracks MT.
On that day the LORD of Hosts Himself will become a crown of splendor and a diadem of beauty for the remnant of His people,
'In that day the LORD of hosts will be a crown of glory, and a diadem of beauty, to the remnant of his people' tracks MT. LORD-AS-CROWN-OF-GLORY. Christ Christologically-extends — the divine-glory-replaces human-vanity-glory.
a spirit of justice for the one who sits in judgment, and strength for those who turn back the battle at the gate.
'And a spirit of justice to him who sits in judgment, and strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate' tracks MT.
But these also stagger from wine and reel from strong drink: priest and prophet stagger from strong drink, swallowed up by wine, reeling from strong drink. They stagger in their visions; they stumble in their judgments.
'These also reel with wine and stagger with strong drink; the priest and the prophet reel with strong drink, they are swallowed by wine, they stagger with strong drink, they reel in vision, they stumble in giving judgment' tracks MT.
For every table is covered with vomit — filth with no clean place left.
'For all tables are full of filthy vomit, with no space left' tracks MT.
'Whom will he teach knowledge? Whom will he instruct in the message? Those just weaned from milk? Those just taken from the breast?'
'To whom will he teach knowledge, and to whom will he explain the message? Those who are weaned from the milk, those taken from the breast?' tracks MT.
'For it is command upon command, command upon command, line upon line, line upon line, a little here, a little there.'
'For it is precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little' tracks MT. TZAV-LA-TZAV / KAV-LA-KAV — onomatopoetic-mockery imitating-baby-talk. Drunkards-mock the prophet's-speech as-baby-talk.
Indeed, through foreign lips and an alien tongue the LORD will speak to this people.
Masoretic (WLC)
כִּי בְּלַעֲגֵי שָׂפָה וּבְלָשׁוֹן אַחֶרֶת יְדַבֵּר אֶל־הָעָם הַזֶּה
For by people of strange lips and with a foreign tongue the LORD will speak to this people
Septuagint (LXX)
διὰ φαυλισμὸν χειλέων διὰ γλώσσης ἑτέρας ὅτι λαλήσουσιν τῷ λαῷ τούτῳ
By contemptuous lips, by another tongue, they will speak to this people
1 CORINTHIANS 14:21 CITATION. Paul cites this verse at 1 Corinthians 14:21 in his TONGUES-AS-SIGN argument: 'In the Law it is written: BY PEOPLE OF STRANGE TONGUES AND BY THE LIPS OF FOREIGNERS WILL I SPEAK TO THIS PEOPLE, AND EVEN THEN THEY WILL NOT LISTEN TO ME, says the Lord.' Paul-uses-the-verse to-argue-that tongues-are-a-sign-not-for-believers but-for-unbelievers, building-on-the-Isaianic-context where-foreign-Assyrian-tongues were-judgment on-disobedient-Israel.
He had told them, 'This is the place of rest — give rest to the weary; this is the place of repose.' But they would not listen.
'To whom he has said: This is rest; give rest to the weary; and this is repose; yet they would not hear' tracks MT. THIS-IS-REST. Matthew 11:28 ('come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest') Christologically-extends. The rest-offered-and-rejected pattern.
So the word of the LORD will become for them command upon command, command upon command, line upon line, line upon line, a little here, a little there — so that they will go and stumble backward, be broken, ensnared, and captured.
'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' tracks MT.
Therefore hear the word of the LORD, you scoffers who rule this people in Jerusalem.
'Therefore hear the word of the LORD, you scoffers, who rule this people in Jerusalem!' tracks MT.
Because you have said, 'We have cut a covenant with death; with Sheol we have made a pact. When the overwhelming scourge sweeps through, it will not reach us, for we have made lies our refuge and hidden ourselves behind falsehood,'
'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' tracks MT. COVENANT-WITH-DEATH — perverse-treaty-with-mortality. Hebrews 2:14–15's Christ-defeating-the-power-of-death Christologically-overturns.
Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: 'Look — I am laying in Zion a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation. The one who trusts will never be shaken.'
Masoretic (WLC)
לָכֵן כֹּה אָמַר אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה הִנְנִי יִסַּד בְּצִיּוֹן אָבֶן אֶבֶן בֹּחַן פִּנַּת יִקְרַת מוּסָד מוּסָּד הַמַּאֲמִין לֹא יָחִישׁ
Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I am laying in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation: Whoever believes will not be in haste
Septuagint (LXX)
διὰ τοῦτο οὕτως λέγει κύριος ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἐμβαλῶ εἰς τὰ θεμέλια Σιων λίθον πολυτελῆ ἐκλεκτὸν ἀκρογωνιαῖον ἔντιμον εἰς τὰ θεμέλια αὐτῆς καὶ ὁ πιστεύων ἐπ᾽ αὐτῷ οὐ μὴ καταισχυνθῇ
Therefore thus says the Lord: Behold, I am laying for the foundations of Zion a costly, choice, precious cornerstone for her foundations; and whoever believes in him shall not be put to shame
THE PRIMARY CORNERSTONE-CHRISTOLOGY TEXT. The verse-foundation for cornerstone-Christology — cited THREE-NT-PLACES: (1) ROMANS 9:33 (combined-with-Isa 8:14): 'as it is written: Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense; AND WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE PUT TO SHAME (kai ho pisteuōn ep' autō ou kataischynthēsetai).' (2) ROMANS 10:11: 'For the Scripture says: Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.' (3) 1 PETER 2:6: 'For it stands in Scripture: Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, AND WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE PUT TO SHAME.'
LXX-vs-MT DIVERGENCE — PAUL FOLLOWS LXX. The MT reads 'will not be in haste' (lo' yachish); the LXX reads 'will not be put to shame' (ou kataischynthē). Paul-and-Peter both-follow-the-LXX, making 'not-put-to-shame' the salvation-formula. The eschatological-vindication promise.
CORNERSTONE FOUNDATION. Combined with Psalm 118:22 ('the stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone'), this verse forms-the-double-foundation of-cornerstone-Christology. Ephesians 2:20 ('Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone') extends ecclesiologically.
I will make justice the measuring line and righteousness the plumb line. Hail will sweep away the refuge of lies, and waters will flood the hiding place.
'And I will make justice the line, and righteousness the plumb line; and hail will sweep away the refuge of lies, and waters will overwhelm the shelter' tracks MT.
Your covenant with death will be annulled, and your pact with Sheol will not stand. When the overwhelming scourge sweeps through, you will be trampled by it.
'Then your covenant with death will be annulled, and your agreement with Sheol will not stand; when the overwhelming scourge passes through, you will be beaten down by it' tracks MT.
As often as it passes through, it will seize you — morning after morning it will sweep over, by day and by night. Sheer terror will be the only way to understand this message.
'As often as it passes through it will take you; for morning by morning it will pass through, by day and by night; and it will be sheer terror to understand the message' tracks MT.
For the bed is too short to stretch out on, and the blanket too narrow to wrap around you.
'For the bed is too short to stretch oneself on, and the covering too narrow to wrap oneself in' tracks MT.
For the LORD will rise as He did at Mount Perazim; He will storm as in the Valley of Gibeon — to do His work, His strange work, and perform His task, His alien task.
'For the LORD will rise up as on Mount Perazim; as in the Valley of Gibeon he will be roused; to do his deed — strange is his deed! and to work his work — alien is his work!' tracks MT. STRANGE-DEED. Divine-action that-baffles-theological-expectation. Acts 13:41 ('I am doing a work in your days, a work that you will not believe even if one tells it to you,' citing Hab 1:5) extends the strange-deed theology.
Now stop your scoffing, lest your chains grow even tighter, for I have heard from the Lord GOD of Hosts a decree of destruction determined against the whole land.
'Now therefore do not scoff, lest your bonds be made strong; for I have heard a decree of destruction from the Lord GOD of hosts against the whole land' tracks MT.
Listen and hear my voice; pay attention and hear my words.
'Give ear, and hear my voice; give attention, and hear my speech' tracks MT.
Does the farmer plow all day just to sow? Does he endlessly break and harrow his ground?
'Does he who plows for sowing plow continually? Does he continually open and harrow his ground?' tracks MT. AGRICULTURE-PARABLE begins (vv. 24–29) — variety-of-tasks-by-the-farmer.
When he has leveled its surface, does he not scatter black cumin and sow cumin, plant wheat in rows and barley in its place, and spelt along the border?
'When he has leveled its surface, does he not scatter dill, sow cumin, and put in wheat in rows and barley in its proper place, and emmer as the border?' tracks MT.
For his God instructs him and teaches him the right way.
'For he is rightly instructed; his God teaches him' tracks MT. GOD-TEACHES-FARMER. Even-agriculture is-divinely-taught.
Black cumin is not threshed with a sledge, nor is a cart wheel rolled over cumin. Black cumin is beaten out with a stick, and cumin with a rod.
'Dill is not threshed with a threshing sledge, nor is a cart wheel rolled over cumin, but dill is beaten out with a stick, and cumin with a rod' tracks MT.
Grain for bread is crushed, but not forever does the farmer thresh it. He drives the cart wheel over it but does not grind it to dust.
'Does one crush grain for bread? No, he does not thresh it forever; when he drives his cart wheel over it with his horses, he does not crush it' tracks MT.
This also comes from the LORD of Hosts — wonderful in counsel, magnificent in wisdom.
'This also comes from the LORD of hosts; he is wonderful in counsel and excellent in wisdom' tracks MT. WONDERFUL-IN-COUNSEL. // Isa 9:6 ('his name shall be called WONDERFUL COUNSELOR'). Closes the chapter affirming-divine-wisdom-in-discipline.