Isaiah 28:18 kjv
And 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.
Isaiah 28:18 nkjv
Your covenant with death will be annulled, And your agreement with Sheol will not stand; When the overflowing scourge passes through, Then you will be trampled down by it.
Isaiah 28:18 niv
Your covenant with death will be annulled; your agreement with the realm of the dead will not stand. When the overwhelming scourge sweeps by, you will be beaten down by it.
Isaiah 28:18 esv
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.
Isaiah 28:18 nlt
I will cancel the bargain you made to cheat death,
and I will overturn your deal to dodge the grave.
When the terrible enemy sweeps through,
you will be trampled into the ground.
Isaiah 28 18 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isa 28:18 | "And your covenant with death shall be annulled, and your agreement with Sheol shall not stand..." | Isa 28:15 |
| Isa 28:17 | "I will put your covenant with death to an end..." | Isa 28:18 |
| Isa 5:20 | "Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil..." | Isa 28:15,Isa 28:17 |
| Ezek 13:10 | "Because, yes because they have led my people astray, saying, 'Peace,' when there is no peace..." | Isa 28:15 |
| Jer 6:14 | "They have healed the wound of my people lightly, saying, 'Peace, peace,' when there is no peace." | Isa 28:15 |
| Prov 1:32 | "For the wilful ignorance of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them." | Isa 28:15 |
| John 8:44 | "You are of your father the devil..." | Isa 28:15 |
| 2 Thess 2:10 | "...with all the deception of wickedness for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved." | Isa 28:15 |
| Rev 18:7 | "To the same degree that she glorified herself and indulged in such debauchery, give her a like measure of torment and mourning..." | Isa 28:15 |
| Rom 9:28 | "...for the Lord will carry out his sentence on the earth with all its finality." | Isa 28:22 |
| Hab 2:6 | "Shall not all these also lift high their taunt against him, and jeer at him over their enigmas of riddles?" | Isa 28:23 |
| Amos 6:7 | "Therefore you shall now be the first to go into exile, and the feast of the lounging shall be ended." | Isa 28:14,Isa 28:16,Isa 28:17,Isa 28:18,Isa 28:22 |
| Amos 6:8 | "The Lord God has sworn by himself; the Lord, the God of hosts, declares: 'I loathe Jacob’s pride and detest his palaces, and I will hand over the city with all that is in it.'" | Isa 28:1 |
| Zech 11:10 | "So I took my staff, called it Favor, and cut it in two to break the covenant I had made with all the peoples." | Isa 28:18 |
| Matt 12:30 | "Whoever is not with me is against me..." | Isa 28:16 |
| Luke 10:18 | "He said to them, 'I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.'" | Isa 28:18 |
| Acts 17:30 | "The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent..." | Isa 28:15 |
| Rom 1:18 | "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men..." | Isa 28:21,Isa 28:22 |
| Gal 5:23 | "...love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness..." | Isa 28:15 |
| Eph 5:11 | "Take no part in the fruitful deeds of darkness, but rather expose them." | Isa 28:15 |
Isaiah 28 verses
Isaiah 28 18 Meaning
The destruction decreed for those who scorn and deceive will be overwhelming, surpassing ordinary human intervention, indicating divine judgment. Their binding agreement, or covenant, will be voided.
Isaiah 28 18 Context
Isaiah 28:18 is situated within a broader prophetic message concerning Judah's spiritual and political state. The preceding verses (Isaiah 28:7-13) address the moral and spiritual corruption of the religious leaders, the priests and prophets of Samaria and Jerusalem. They are depicted as being drunk, stumbling, and deceived, unable to offer sound judgment or counsel. They have corrupted God's covenant and misrepresented His word, creating a false sense of security. Isaiah prophesies against them for their reliance on deceptive alliances (implied by the "covenant with death") rather than on God's deliverance. This verse serves as a powerful conclusion to this condemnation, foretelling the inevitable failure of these deceptive pacts and the ultimate judgment that will fall upon those who have trusted in lies.
Isaiah 28 18 Word analysis
- And: (Hebrew: וְ - ve) Conjunction connecting clauses, signifying continuation or consequence.
- your covenant: (Hebrew: בְּרִיתְכֶם - beritkhem) Your sworn agreement or compact. In this context, it refers to their unholy alliances and the false security they derived from them, perhaps with other nations or even a perverted relationship with sin and death itself.
- with death: (Hebrew: מִמָוֶת - mimawet) From death. This is a striking metaphor, suggesting an agreement or alliance whose ultimate consequence is death, either physical or spiritual, implying a relationship with forces opposed to God's life-giving power.
- shall be annulled: (Hebrew: תֻּפַר - tuppar) Shall be made void, broken, or abolished. This indicates the complete ineffectiveness and nullification of their trust and agreements.
- and your agreement: (Hebrew: וּבִיהּוֹשֻׁעַ - uv'yohoshu'a) And your arrangement/compact. Another term for a formal agreement.
- with Sheol: (Hebrew: בִּשְׁאוֹל - bish'ol) With the grave, the underworld, or the realm of the dead. Sheol represents the ultimate destination of the ungodly, the place of the lost. Their "agreement" here signifies a disposition and preparation for eternal death due to their sin.
- shall not stand: (Hebrew: לֹא־יַעֲמֹד - lo ya'amod) Shall not endure, or remain firm. It highlights the instability and ultimate failure of their plans and defenses which are not founded on God.
- for when the overwhelming tempest of punishment passes: (Hebrew: כִּי־גַם־שׁוֹט־צְדָקָה יעֲבֹר - ki gam-shot tz'daqah ya'avor) Indeed, when the scourge of righteousness passes by. This phrase uses a double "gam" (also/indeed) for emphasis. The "scourge of righteousness" refers to God's divinely appointed, just, and severe judgment, likened to a devastating flood or lash that will sweep away their false security and expose their sin. The term "tz'daqah" (righteousness) here indicates that the judgment itself is an act of divine justice.
- you shall be beaten down by it: (Hebrew: בּוֹ תִרְמָסוּ - bo tirm'su) By it you shall be trodden down. This illustrates the utter defeat and subjugation the ungodly will face under the force of God's judgment. The imagery is one of being crushed underfoot.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "covenant with death" and "agreement with Sheol": These parallel phrases strongly link the corrupt leadership's actions to a predetermined path of destruction. They are so entrenched in their sinful ways and reliance on human schemes that they are metaphorically in league with death and the grave.
- "shall be annulled" and "shall not stand": The repetition of negation emphasizes the absolute failure of their agreements. There is no recourse, no escape, when God decides to act.
- "overwhelming tempest of punishment" and "beaten down by it": The judgment is portrayed as an uncontrollable, powerful force – a tempest. This highlights its inevitability and the complete helplessness of those who face it without divine protection. The act of being "beaten down" underscores the severity and thoroughness of this judgment.
Isaiah 28 18 Bonus section
The concept of "covenant with death" can be seen as a theological pointer towards the enslavement of sin. By making agreements that involve spiritual dishonesty, the people were essentially entering into a contract where the terms were dictated by forces opposed to God. This highlights the serious nature of unfaithfulness to God's covenant. Furthermore, the imagery of a "tempest of punishment" echoes other biblical passages describing divine judgment as an overwhelming flood or storm (e.g., Noah's flood, judgment on Babylon). The mention of "righteousness" in the description of the tempest ("scourge of righteousness") is significant, indicating that God's judgment is not arbitrary but is a manifestation of His justice against sin.
Isaiah 28 18 Commentary
This verse is a stark pronouncement of judgment upon those who trust in earthly alliances and deceit instead of the Lord. Their so-called "covenants" and "agreements," made with powers that ultimately lead to spiritual death and separation from God (personified as Sheol), are revealed as utterly worthless. When God's righteous judgment, like a devastating flood or tempest, arrives, these flimsy alliances will crumble, leaving them utterly crushed. This theme of false security and the ensuing judgment is a recurring motif in Isaiah. It serves as a warning to trust implicitly in God alone for deliverance and protection, as any reliance on man-made schemes or compromise with sin will ultimately fail.
Practical usage:
- Do not seek security in worldly possessions or powerful alliances that compromise your faith.
- Recognize that sin, even if temporarily advantageous, always leads to destruction.
- Place your complete trust in God's promises and His divine protection.