Isaiah 28 21

Isaiah 28:21 kjv

For 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.

Isaiah 28:21 nkjv

For the LORD will rise up as at Mount Perazim, He will be angry as in the Valley of Gibeon? That He may do His work, His awesome work, And bring to pass His act, His unusual act.

Isaiah 28:21 niv

The LORD will rise up as he did at Mount Perazim, he will rouse himself as in the Valley of Gibeon? to do his work, his strange work, and perform his task, his alien task.

Isaiah 28:21 esv

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!

Isaiah 28:21 nlt

The LORD will come as he did against the Philistines at Mount Perazim
and against the Amorites at Gibeon.
He will come to do a strange thing;
he will come to do an unusual deed:

Isaiah 28 verses

Isaiah 28 21 Meaning

The verse describes the LORD's divine action as unexpected and startling, akin to a soldier performing an unusual military act. His intervention will bring about His purposes, surprising those who do not expect it.

Isaiah 28 21 Context

This verse is part of Isaiah's prophecy addressing the kings of Judah and the people of Jerusalem, particularly in light of their reliance on political alliances (Egypt) and false security, rather than on the LORD. The surrounding context criticizes their leaders and their shallow reliance on a "covenant with death." They trusted in their own schemes and dismissed Isaiah's warnings. This particular verse highlights the impending judgment from the Assyrians, which God will use as His means of discipline. It also points forward to future divine interventions and judgments throughout redemptive history, including the coming of Christ and His eventual victory over sin and death.

Isaiah 28 21 Word Analysis

• For: Indicates the reason or cause for the preceding statements or the following pronouncement.
• the LORD: Refers to Yahweh, the covenant God of Israel, emphasizing His personal and sovereign authority.
• will rise up: Denotes a sudden and decisive action or emergence.
  • The verb translated "rise up" (Hebrew: qum) signifies standing, arising, or being set up. It implies an active and purposeful commencement of an action, often associated with God's active intervention in history.
  • Qum is used in various contexts, from resurrection (Josh 1:2; Ps 7:6) to divine judgment and action.
• as at Mount Perazim: Compares God's impending action to a historical event.
  • Mount Perazim (Hebrew: Har Parasiym) is a geographical location mentioned in 2 Samuel 5:20 where David struck down the Philistines, whom the LORD had “broken through” (parats). This event signified a significant military victory and a demonstration of God's power on behalf of David.
  • The comparison highlights the unexpected, overwhelming, and decisive nature of God's intervention.
• He will stir with indignation: Describes God's aroused anger and intense emotion against sin and rebellion.
  • "Stir with indignation" (Hebrew: ya'ir ka'alpeh-rah) conveys the sense of waking up or rousing oneself with wrath. The preposition "ka-" meaning "like" or "as," connects this stirring to the following location.
• as in the Valley of Gibeon: Further emphasizes the nature of God's intervention by referencing another significant military event.
  • The Valley of Gibeon (Hebrew: Emek Giv'on) is where God rained down great stones from heaven upon the Amorites to defeat Joshua's enemies (Joshua 10:10-11). This event also demonstrated God's direct and supernatural intervention in battle, causing confusion and destruction among His enemies.
  • This signifies a powerful and effective divine action leading to the destruction of the enemy.
• to do His work: Refers to God's planned activities and purposes.
  • The word "work" (Hebrew: mela'ka or po'al) encompasses God's deeds, actions, and His sovereign execution of His plans, whether for judgment or salvation.
• His strange work: Highlights that God's actions can be unusual and unexpected from a human perspective, not because they are out of character for God, but because they deviate from human expectations or norms.
  • "Strange work" (Hebrew: po'alo zar) uses the adjective "zar" (foreign, strange, alien). It suggests a work that is unusual, foreign to normal divine operations as understood by people, or something God does not typically do, thus startling. It might refer to judgments through an unlikely agent or in an unexpected manner.
• and to bring about His act: Emphasizes the completion or culmination of His divine activity.
  • "Act" (Hebrew: pe'ulah) signifies a deed, action, or the result of an action. It stresses the outcome or the finished task.
• His alien act: Reinforces the concept of God's unconventional or surprising intervention.
  • "Alien act" (Hebrew: pe'ulato zar) is similar to "strange work," employing the adjective "zar" again. It underscores the unusualness and alien nature of this specific divine intervention compared to what might be anticipated. It could refer to using an unlikely nation or method.

Isaiah 28 21 Bonus Section

The concept of God's "strange work" or "alien act" highlights the paradox of divine sovereignty. God is both entirely good and entirely powerful. When He brings judgment, especially on His own people, it is a departure from His usual posture of blessing and protection, thus appearing "strange." Yet, it is still His work and His act, originating from His righteous decree to discipline and refine His people. This doesn't imply capriciousness; rather, it points to the depth and breadth of His covenant faithfulness, which includes punitive measures for sin to restore His people to Himself. Scholars note that this verse connects directly to the immediate context of judgment against the idolatrous and presumptuous leaders of Judah who had made a pact with death, believing they were secure. God's response is to unleash a fierce, overwhelming force—the Assyrian empire—that will shatter their false confidence. The verse’s application extends to future divine interventions, where God's ultimate plan of redemption, including the judgment on sin through the cross and the eventual judgment of the unrighteous, demonstrates the ultimate "strange" and "alien" acts from a worldly perspective. The cross itself, where God's justice and love met in a seemingly paradoxical manner, is the greatest instance of God's "strange work."

Isaiah 28 21 Commentary

Isaiah 28:21 reveals that the LORD will intervene in history with a surprising and potent force, much like He did in the battles at Mount Perazim and the Valley of Gibeon. These historical references were to times when God directly acted on behalf of His people, causing overwhelming defeat to their enemies in ways that astonished onlookers. The verse states this intervention is "His work," but calls it "His strange work" and "His alien act." This indicates that while these are divine actions originating from God's purposes, they will be executed in ways that humans would not anticipate, perhaps using unexpected agents or methods that appear foreign or unusual to them. For Israel, this referred to God using the Assyrians as instruments of judgment when they turned away from Him, an action that was not their usual course of protection but a means of chastisement. It underscores God's sovereignty in using even ungodly nations to fulfill His purposes. This principle is echoed throughout scripture, where God's ways are often incomprehensible and surprising to humanity, demonstrating that His wisdom and power transcend human understanding. His judgment and deliverance are both divine works, capable of being executed in unexpected ways, often to humble human pride and redirect reliance back to Himself.