Isaiah 28 15

Isaiah 28:15 kjv

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:

Isaiah 28:15 nkjv

Because you have said, "We have made a covenant with death, And with Sheol we are in agreement. When the overflowing scourge passes through, It will not come to us, For we have made lies our refuge, And under falsehood we have hidden ourselves."

Isaiah 28:15 niv

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."

Isaiah 28:15 esv

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";

Isaiah 28:15 nlt

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."

Isaiah 28 verses

Isaiah 28 15 meaning

Isaiah 28:15 reveals the proud and deluded confidence of the leaders in Judah who scoffed at divine instruction. They boasted of having forged an unbreakable "covenant with Death" and an "agreement with Sheol," believing these unholy pacts rendered them immune to any impending divine judgment, metaphorically represented as an "overflowing scourge." Their presumed security rested on deceit, as they admitted to making "lies their refuge" and hiding "under falsehood." This verse exposes their profound spiritual rebellion and their rejection of God's true protection in favor of human cunning and illicit, destructive alliances.

Isaiah 28 15 Context

Isaiah 28 begins by denouncing the Northern Kingdom of Ephraim (Israel) for its pride and spiritual drunkenness, foretelling their impending destruction by Assyria. The tone shifts abruptly in verse 14, targeting the "scornful men" who rule Jerusalem—the leaders of Judah. These leaders, rather than heeding God's prophetic warnings or seeking His divine protection, dismiss them with cynical pride. They engage in deceptive political maneuvering and ungodly alliances, potentially even with occult undertones, which Isaiah interprets as a 'covenant with Death and Sheol.'

Historically, this period (8th century BC) was marked by the escalating threat of the Neo-Assyrian Empire. Judah faced immense pressure to either resist or ally with regional powers like Egypt. Instead of trusting in the Lord as their stronghold, as exhorted by Isaiah, the leaders of Jerusalem sought security through their own cunning schemes and international pacts. Verse 15 highlights their misguided confidence in these strategies, believing their human ingenuity and deceit would exempt them from the "overflowing scourge" of Assyrian invasion, which Isaiah presents as God's judgment. This verse directly challenges their "wisdom," setting the stage for God's announcement of a true "cornerstone" in Zion in verse 16.

Isaiah 28 15 Word analysis

• Because you have said (יַעַן אֲמַרְתֶּם, ya'an amartem): This phrase immediately signals that the following statement is a direct quotation of the boast and rationale of Judah's leaders. It highlights their explicit defiance and confidence in their own plans, despite prophetic warnings. It reveals a determined will and vocal declaration of their false security.
• We have made a covenant (כָּרַתְנוּ בְרִית, karatnu berit): Karatnu (cut) signifies the ancient practice of cutting animals for covenant ratification. Berit means "covenant," a binding agreement. This is a profound misuse of a term traditionally reserved for solemn pacts, especially those with God. Here, it indicates a perversion of true faith and relationship with the divine.
• with Death (אֶת־מָוֶת, 'et-mavet): Mavet is the Hebrew personification of Death. The notion of covenanting with Death is deeply blasphemous, suggesting a pact with forces utterly opposed to God and life, possibly referring to practices of necromancy or spiritual alliances with destructive pagan deities.
• and with Sheol (וְעִם־שְׁאוֹל, wə'im-she'ol): Sheol refers to the underworld, the grave, the realm of the dead. Partnered with "Death," it reinforces the complete rejection of divine life and the embrace of ultimate destruction as their perceived ally.
• we have an agreement (עָשִׂינוּ חֹזֶה, 'asinu ḥozeh): 'asinu means "we have made/done." ḥozeh (agreement, compact, treaty). The parallelism with "covenant" emphasizes a binding pact, expressing their deep commitment to this unholy alliance. It is their carefully constructed delusion.
• when the overflowing scourge (שׁוֹט שׁוֹטֵף, shot shotef): Shot means "scourge" or "whip," implying a swift and severe punishment. Shotef means "overflowing" or "sweeping away." This vivid imagery describes an unstoppable, overwhelming torrent of destruction, referring directly to the Assyrian invasion, but also foreshadowing any future divine judgment. It’s a force they believe they can withstand.
• passes through (יַעֲבֹר, ya'avor): Conveys the unstoppable nature of the judgment; it moves across the land inevitably. Their boast is that it will pass around them.
• it will not come to us (לֹא־יָבוֹא בָנוּ, lo'-yavo' vanu): This is the core of their delusional confidence, a belief in their immunity. They assume their clever political strategies or pagan pacts provide impenetrable protection against God's wrath.
• for we have made lies (כִּי־שַׂמְנוּ כָזָב, ki-samnu kazav): Samnu means "we have set" or "appointed." Kazav means "lies," "deception," or "falsehood." This explicitly states the nature of their chosen security: not God, but deceit itself.
• our refuge (מַחְסֶה לָנוּ, maḥseh lanu): Maḥseh means "refuge" or "shelter." A refuge is where one seeks protection. To make lies a refuge is to abandon truth, integrity, and ultimately God (who is the true refuge, Ps 91:2), for deceptive human strategies.
• and under falsehood (וּבַשֶּׁקֶר, uvasheqer): Sheqer means "falsehood," "deception," "treachery," or "untruth." It intensifies and reinforces "lies."
• we have hidden ourselves (נִסְתָּרְנוּ, nistar'nu): From the verb satar, meaning "to hide." This emphasizes their intentional act of concealing themselves within a deceptive framework, thinking they are invisible or invulnerable to God's scrutiny and judgment.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "We have made a covenant with Death, and with Sheol we have an agreement": This phrase vividly portrays the profound spiritual depravity and hubris of Judah's leaders. It isn't just a political alliance; it implies seeking security from dark, anti-God forces, either through literal necromantic practices, aligning with pagan worldviews, or by pursuing utterly destructive and God-opposing paths. This boast turns the very nature of covenant (meant to bring life and blessing) on its head, into an alliance with death and destruction.
• "when the overflowing scourge passes through, it will not come to us": This is the arrogant and deluded declaration of immunity. They acknowledge the impending doom ("overflowing scourge") but believe their illicit pacts and human schemes place them above God's judgment. This reflects a complete denial of divine sovereignty and justice. Their perceived cleverness leads them to believe they are invulnerable.
• "for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood we have hidden ourselves": This climactic explanation reveals the source of their "security." Their confidence does not come from God's protection but from their reliance on political deception, ungodly treaties, spiritual compromise, and perhaps even idol worship which is intrinsically false. "Lies" and "falsehood" are their chosen shelter, demonstrating a profound moral and spiritual blindness where truth has been entirely abandoned for perceived temporal advantage.

Isaiah 28 15 Bonus section

The concept of a "covenant with Death and Sheol" is often seen as not only a metaphor for Judah's self-destructive foreign policy and spiritual rebellion but also possibly reflecting actual practices of syncretism or necromancy among some leaders, seeking counsel or protection from the dead or dark forces in desperate times. In ancient Near Eastern thought, making covenants involved deities. To covenant with Death and Sheol would be an inversion of worship and alliance, a direct affront to Yahweh, who alone holds the keys to death and Hades (Rev 1:18).

This passage carries immense polemical weight against the contemporary belief systems and religious practices prevalent around Judah. It directly challenged any notion that earthly kings or pagan deities (or the entities of the underworld) could offer true protection superior to Yahweh. Isaiah contrasts their hollow promises with the rock-solid promise of the "cornerstone" that God Himself would lay (Isa 28:16). Their "refuge of lies" stood in stark opposition to the Lord being a true refuge (Ps 91:2). Ultimately, God would demonstrate His authority over Death and Sheol, fulfilling the hope expressed in Hos 13:14 and later fully realized in Christ's resurrection (1 Cor 15:55).

Isaiah 28 15 Commentary

Isaiah 28:15 lays bare the essence of spiritual apostasy: the replacement of God's truth and protection with human cunning and destructive alliances. The leaders of Judah, scornful of divine warning, believed they could outsmart divine judgment by forging metaphorical (and possibly literal, through necromancy) pacts with "Death" and "Sheol." This demonstrates a complete perversion of the concept of covenant, traditionally a bond of faithfulness with God, into an agreement with the very forces of destruction He opposes.

Their boast was not merely an act of political expediency but a profound theological rebellion, founded upon the conviction that "lies" and "falsehood" could serve as their ultimate "refuge." They assumed their deception made them impervious to the "overflowing scourge" – God's imminent judgment via the Assyrians. However, Isaiah swiftly condemns this "refuge" as an illusion, foreshadowing its inevitable collapse. Their intellectual arrogance blinded them to the ultimate reality that no human pact, no lie, can stand against the righteous judgment of the sovereign God. This verse starkly contrasts the false security offered by the world with the true, unshakeable foundation found only in Christ, the Cornerstone (Isa 28:16).

Practically, this verse serves as a powerful warning against placing trust in anything other than God for security, whether it be wealth, power, human strategies, or deceit. Whenever individuals or nations abandon truth and integrity for perceived safety or advantage, they effectively make a "covenant with Death," embracing paths that ultimately lead to destruction, even if they initially appear clever or protective.