Isaiah 28

Isaiah · Chapter 28

Isaiah 28:4

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.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
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.The fading flower of his beautiful splendor, set on the summit above the fertile valley, will be like a ripe fig before the summer harvest: Whoever sees it will take it in his hand and swallow it.and the fading flower of his glorious beauty, which is on the head of the fat valley, shall be as the first-ripe fig before the summer; which when he that looketh upon it seeth, while it is yet in his hand he eateth it up.

In context

Who is speaking and to whom, what is happening, when and where, and why it matters, each with its sources. Coming with the context cards.

Original Hebrew words

EnglishHebrewSay itStrong'sMeaning
and it will beוְֽהָ֨יְתָ֜הve-HA-ye-TAHH1961
to be

הָיָה (ha.yah) 1) to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out 1a) (Qal) 1a1) --- 1a1a) to happen, fall out, occur, take place, come about, come to pass 1a1b) to come about, come to pass 1a2) to come into being, become 1a2a) to arise, appear, come 1a2b) to become 1a2b1) to become 1a2b2) to become like 1a2b3) to be instituted, be established 1a3) to be 1a3a) to exist, be in existence 1a3b) to abide, remain, continue (with word of place or time) 1a3c) to stand, lie, be in, be at, be situated (with word of locality) 1a3d) to accompany, be with 1b) (Niphal) …

a flowerצִיצַ֤תtzi-TZATH6733
flower

צִיצָה (tsi.tsah) blossom, flower Another spelling of tsits (צִיץ "flower" H6731A)

of witheringנֹבֵל֙no-VELH5034B
to wither

נָבֵל (na.vel) 1) to sink or drop down, languish, wither and fall, fade 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to sink or drop down 1a2) to fall, wither and fall, fade 1a3) to droop

[the] beauty ofצְבִ֣יtze-VIH6643A
beauty

צְבִי (tse.vi) 1) beauty, glory, honour 1a) beauty, decoration 1b) honour

splendor itsתִפְאַרְתּ֔וֹtif-'ar-TOH8597
beauty

תִּפְאָרָה (tiph.a.rah) 1) beauty, splendour, glory 1a) beauty, finery (of garments, jewels) 1b) glory 1b1) of rank, renown 1b2) as attribute of God 1c) honour (or nation Israel) 1d) glorying, boasting (of individual)

whichאֲשֶׁ֥ר'a-SHERH0834A
which

אֲשֶׁר (a.sher) A: 1) (relative part.) 1a) which, who 1b) that which 2) (conj) 2a) that (in obj clause) 2b) when 2c) since 2d) as 2e) conditional if B: Beth+ 1) in (that) which 2) (adv) 2a) where 3) (conj) 3a) in that, inasmuch as 3b) on account of C: Mem+ 1) from (or than) that which 2) from (the place) where 3) from (the fact) that, since D: Kaph+ 1) (conj.), according as, as, when 1a) according to that which, according as, as 1b) with a causal force: in so far as, since 1c) with a temporal force: when

[is] onעַל־'al-H5921A
upon

עַל (al) prep 1) upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against 1a) upon, on the ground of, on the basis of, on account of, because of, therefore, on behalf of, for the sake of, for, with, in spite of, notwithstanding, concerning, in the matter of, as regards 1b) above, beyond, over (of excess) 1c) above, over (of elevation or pre-eminence) 1d) upon, to, over to, unto, in addition to, together with, with (of addition) 1e) over (of suspension or extension) …

[the] head ofרֹ֖אשׁroshH7218A
head

רֵאשׁ (resh) 1) chief, head 1a) head (of man) 1b) head (as seat of visions) 1c) chief 1d) sum (essential content)

a valley ofגֵּ֣יאgei'H1516R
valley

גַּיְא (gay) valley, a steep valley, narrow gorge

fatnessesשְׁמָנִ֑יםshe-ma-NIMH8081
oil

שֶׁ֫מֶן (she.men) 1) fat, oil 1a) fat, fatness 1b) oil, olive oil 1b1) as staple, medicament or unguent 1b2) for anointing 1c) fat (of fruitful land, valleys) (metaph)

like an early figכְּבִכּוּרָהּ֙ke-vi-ku-RAHH1063
early fig

בַּכֻּרוֹת (bik.ku.rah) 1) first-ripe fig, early fig 2) (TWOT) firstfruits Also means: bak.ku.rah (בִּכּוּרָה "firstfruit" H1073)

in beforeבְּטֶ֣רֶםbe-TE-remH2962
before

טֶ֫רֶם (te.rem) before, not yet, before that

summerקַ֔יִץKA-yitzH7019
summer

קַ֫יִט (qa.yit) summer Aramaic of qa.yits (קַ֫יִץ "summer" H7019)

whichאֲשֶׁ֨ר'a-SHERH0834A
which

אֲשֶׁר (a.sher) A: 1) (relative part.) 1a) which, who 1b) that which 2) (conj) 2a) that (in obj clause) 2b) when 2c) since 2d) as 2e) conditional if B: Beth+ 1) in (that) which 2) (adv) 2a) where 3) (conj) 3a) in that, inasmuch as 3b) on account of C: Mem+ 1) from (or than) that which 2) from (the place) where 3) from (the fact) that, since D: Kaph+ 1) (conj.), according as, as, when 1a) according to that which, according as, as 1b) with a causal force: in so far as, since 1c) with a temporal force: when

he will seeיִרְאֶ֤הyir-'EHH7200G
to see: see

רָאָה (ra.ah) : see/show 1) to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to see 1a2) to see, perceive 1a3) to see, have vision 1a4) to look at, see, regard, look after, see after, learn about, observe, watch, look upon, look out, find out 1a5) to see, observe, consider, look at, give attention to, discern, distinguish 1a6) to look at, gaze at 1a7) to provide, choose 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to appear, present oneself 1b2) to be seen 1b3) to be visible 1c) (Pual) to be seen 1d) (Hiphil) 1d1) to cause to see, show 1d2) to cause to look intently at, behold, cause to gaze at 1e) (Hophal) …

the [one who] seesהָֽרֹאֶה֙ha-ro-'EHH7200G
to see: see

רָאָה (ra.ah) : see/show 1) to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to see 1a2) to see, perceive 1a3) to see, have vision 1a4) to look at, see, regard, look after, see after, learn about, observe, watch, look upon, look out, find out 1a5) to see, observe, consider, look at, give attention to, discern, distinguish 1a6) to look at, gaze at 1a7) to provide, choose 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to appear, present oneself 1b2) to be seen 1b3) to be visible 1c) (Pual) to be seen 1d) (Hiphil) 1d1) to cause to see, show 1d2) to cause to look intently at, behold, cause to gaze at 1e) (Hophal) …

while still itבְּעוֹדָ֥הּbe-'o-DAHH5750
still

עוֹד (od) subst 1) a going round, continuance adv 2) still, yet, again, besides 2a) still, yet (of continuance or persistence) 2b) still, yet, more (of addition or repetition) 2c) again 2d) still, moreover, besides Aramaic equivalent: od (עוֹד "still" H5751)

[is] in hand hisבְּכַפּ֖וֹbe-kha-POH3709G
palm

כַּף (kaph) : palm/hand 1) palm, hand, sole, palm of the hand, hollow or flat of the hand 1a) palm, hollow or flat of the hand 1b) power 1c) sole (of the foot) 1d) hollow, objects, bending objects, bent objects 1d1) of thigh-joint 1d2) pan, vessel (as hollow) 1d3) hollow (of sling) 1d4) hand-shaped branches or fronds (of palm trees) 1d5) handles (as bent)

he will swallow itיִבְלָעֶֽנָּה׃ סyiv-la-'E-nahH1104
to swallow up

בָּלַע (ba.la) 1) to swallow down, swallow up, engulf, eat up 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to swallow down 1a2) to swallow up, engulf 1b) (Niphal) to be swallowed up 1c) (Piel) 1c1) to swallow 1c2) to swallow up, engulf 1c3) squandering (fig.) 1d) (Pual) to be swallowed up 1e) (Hithpael) to be ended

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.