Isaiah 28:14 kjv
Wherefore hear the word of the LORD, ye scornful men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem.
Isaiah 28:14 nkjv
Therefore hear the word of the LORD, you scornful men, Who rule this people who are in Jerusalem,
Isaiah 28:14 niv
Therefore hear the word of the LORD, you scoffers who rule this people in Jerusalem.
Isaiah 28:14 esv
Therefore hear the word of the LORD, you scoffers, who rule this people in Jerusalem!
Isaiah 28:14 nlt
Therefore, listen to this message from the LORD,
you scoffing rulers in Jerusalem.
Isaiah 28 14 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isa 28:9-10 | Whom will he teach knowledge?... For with stammering lips... | Leaders' inability to understand simple truth |
| Isa 28:15 | For you have said, "We have made a covenant with death..." | Their false sense of security/alliance |
| Isa 28:16 | Therefore thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone..." | God's true, reliable foundation |
| Ps 1:1 | Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands... | Contrast with the seat of scoffers |
| Prov 1:22 | "How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple? Scoffers delight..." | Definition/warning about scoffers |
| Prov 3:34 | Toward the scoffers he is scornful, but to the humble he gives favor. | God's response to scoffing |
| Prov 19:29 | Condemnations are for scoffers... | Judgment for mockers |
| Prov 21:24 | "Haughty," "Arrogant," "Scoffer," are the names of him who acts with... | Description of the scoffer's character |
| Prov 29:8 | Scoffers set a city ablaze, but wise men turn away wrath. | Harmful influence of scoffers |
| Jer 5:21 | "Hear this, O foolish and senseless people, who have eyes, but see not..." | Spiritual blindness/deafness of leaders |
| Jer 7:23-24 | But this command I gave them: ‘Obey my voice... But they did not obey...’ | Rejection of God's word |
| Hos 4:6 | My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge... you have rejected knowledge | Consequences of rejecting divine instruction |
| Amos 8:11-12 | "...a famine of hearing the words of the LORD." | Spiritual drought/absence of God's word |
| Zech 11:4-6 | "Shepherd the flock doomed to slaughter... their shepherds have no pity..." | Condemnation of corrupt leaders |
| Matt 23:1-4 | Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, "The scribes and..." | Warning against hypocritical religious leaders |
| Jn 3:19-20 | And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people... | Preference for darkness over truth |
| Rom 1:28 | And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to... | Divine consequence for rejection of truth |
| Rom 10:17 | So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. | Importance of hearing God's word |
| Heb 3:7-8 | Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, "Today, if you hear his voice, do not..." | Warning against hardening hearts |
| 2 Pet 3:3-4 | knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days... | Prophecy of future scoffers |
| Jude 1:18 | They said to you, "In the last time there will be scoffers, following..." | Confirmation of scoffers in end times |
Isaiah 28 verses
Isaiah 28 14 Meaning
Isaiah 28:14 declares a direct divine pronouncement to the arrogant and scornful leaders of Jerusalem. It emphasizes their defiance against God's instruction, branding them as "scoffers" who have turned away from divine truth and trusted in their own corrupted wisdom and alliances. The verse serves as an indictment of their moral and spiritual blindness, preceding a declaration of judgment and God's true foundation.
Isaiah 28 14 Context
Isaiah chapter 28 initiates with a "Woe" pronounced upon Ephraim, the Northern Kingdom, due to their drunken pride and spiritual confusion. However, it quickly shifts focus to Judah, specifically the leadership in Jerusalem, accusing their prophets and priests of similar spiritual intoxication and intellectual dullness (vv. 7-8). These leaders mock Isaiah's simple, repetitive teachings, comparing them to elementary lessons given to infants ("precept upon precept, line upon line," vv. 9-10, 13). They disdain the clear, simple revelation of God's word, preferring their own complex and humanistic strategies. Verse 14 is a direct response to this profound disrespect and scorn. The historical setting is the time leading up to and during the Assyrian threat, where Judah's leaders sought security through political alliances, particularly with Egypt, rather than trusting in the LORD. This constituted a direct polemic against reliance on human power, strategic maneuvering, and international covenants over faith in God's covenant promises and protective power. Their scoffing attitude was a deep spiritual rebellion, setting themselves in opposition to divine authority and foresight.
Isaiah 28 14 Word analysis
- Therefore (
לָכֵן- lā·ḵēn): A consequential conjunction. It signifies that what follows is a direct result or emphatic response to the preceding declarations, specifically their mockery and spiritual drunkenness. It highlights divine judgment or a divine rebuttal to their actions. - hear (
שִׁמְעוּ- šim·‘ū): An imperative verb, "listen," "obey." This is a forceful command, a summons for attention. It's not a mere passive hearing but a call to attentive understanding and, implicitly, a challenge to their current rejection of hearing. - the word (
דְּבַר- də·ḇar): Refers to the divine utterance, a specific message from God. It carries ultimate authority and truth, distinguishing it from human opinion or advice. - of the LORD (
יְהוָה- YHWH): Emphasizes the covenant name of God, Yahweh. This indicates that the message comes from the sovereign, unchanging God of Israel, highlighting the absolute authority and seriousness of the declaration directed towards those who have scorned Him. - you scoffers (
אַנְשֵׁי לָצוֹן- ’an·šê lā·ṣôn): This crucial phrase literally means "men of scorn" or "men of mockery."lā·ṣôn(scoffing, ridiculing) describes their core attitude: a deliberate contempt for divine wisdom and prophetic warnings. They are characterized by cynical pride and irreverence. - who rule (
הַמֹּשְׁלִים- hām·mə·šə·lîm): A present participle, indicating ongoing action. These "men of scorn" are also the reigning leaders, those in positions of authority and power, which magnifies their sin and culpability given their influence over "this people." - this people (
הָעָם הַזֶּה- hā·‘ām haz·zeh): Refers specifically to the people of Judah or Jerusalem. The phrase underscores that their destructive scoffing and misguidance are actively harming the very populace they are meant to lead and protect. - in Jerusalem (
בִּירוּשָׁלִַם- bî·rū·šā·lim): The capital city, both the political and spiritual center of Judah. This specific mention emphasizes the magnitude of their hypocrisy; their scorn originates from the very heart of the holy nation.
Words-Group Analysis:
- "Therefore hear the word of the LORD": This powerful opening juxtaposes divine authority with human rebellion. God, the ultimate authority, demands an audience from those who have actively chosen not to hear. It sets the stage for a pronouncement that demands attention and obedience.
- "you scoffers, who rule this people in Jerusalem!": This scathing address directly identifies and indicts the leadership. Their scoffing is not a private matter but a public posture of rebellion that negatively impacts the entire nation under their governance. The mention of Jerusalem adds a layer of spiritual treason to their political failure.
Isaiah 28 14 Bonus section
The Hebrew word lā·ṣôn for "scoffers" has a strong moral connotation throughout the Old Testament, particularly in wisdom literature (e.g., Proverbs). It denotes not just lighthearted derision but a deep-seated antagonism toward wisdom, correction, and especially divine truth. A "scoffer" is one who fundamentally rejects guidance and cannot be taught, as their heart is set on mocking what is sacred or wise. Thus, God's address to them as ’an·šê lā·ṣôn is a direct indictment of their character and their unrepentant attitude, implying that divine judgment is not arbitrary but a righteous response to their willful rejection of wisdom and reverence for the LORD. The very leaders who should have been guarding the nation's spiritual purity were themselves sources of pollution and rebellion.
Isaiah 28 14 Commentary
Isaiah 28:14 serves as a pivot point in a passage that excoriates the leadership of Judah for their spiritual and moral decay. The verse forcefully exposes the arrogance and contempt with which these leaders, responsible for the nation's well-being, dismissed God's simple and consistent instruction. Their "scoffing" was not mere disagreement but an entrenched posture of ridicule and irreverence toward divine truth and the warnings conveyed through Isaiah. This defiance was born of a misplaced confidence in their own political strategies, exemplified by their illicit "covenant with death" mentioned in subsequent verses (v.15). The divine call to "hear the word of the LORD" highlights God's continued efforts to reach His rebellious people, even amidst their hardened hearts. Yet, it also underscores the imminence of judgment, as rejecting God's clear revelation invariably leads to destruction. This verse reveals a fundamental spiritual truth: the rejection of God's authority, particularly from those in positions of influence, incurs severe consequences, as it leads others astray and hastens divine judgment upon the whole society. The message serves as a perpetual warning against intellectual and spiritual pride that disdains divine simplicity for human sophistication.