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

Isaiah 28:21 declares that the LORD will act against His own people in a manner that is strikingly unexpected and profoundly severe, likened to His powerful victories over enemies in the past. His upcoming "work" and "task" of judgment are described as "strange" and "alien" because they are directed against His chosen nation, which they considered unimaginable. This verse underscores God's absolute sovereignty and righteousness, demonstrating that He will fulfill His declared will, even when it involves meting out deserved judgment on those who were once the recipients of His unique favor and protection.

Isaiah 28 21 Context

Isaiah chapter 28, often termed "The Woe to Ephraim," begins with a scathing indictment against the proud and decadent leaders of the Northern Kingdom (Ephraim/Israel), whom the prophet sarcastically refers to as "drunkards." Their spiritual dullness and reliance on their own wisdom and alliances rather than the LORD are sharply condemned. They scoff at God's clear, simple instructions (Is 28:9-10). The prophet warns of an impending foreign invasion (Assyria) as God's instrument of judgment. Following this, the focus shifts to Judah's similar errors—their false sense of security derived from political pacts, depicted as a "covenant with death and a treaty with Sheol" (Is 28:15). In contrast to their folly, God promises a true, tested Cornerstone in Zion for those who believe (Is 28:16). However, the verse immediately preceding 28:21 (Is 28:20) describes a bed too short and a blanket too narrow—an apt metaphor for the utter inadequacy of their self-made refuge. Verse 21 then reveals the ultimate divine response: a reversal of historical precedent where God's saving power for Israel will now be turned against them in judgment. Historically, Israel understood God's intervention to be for their deliverance; thus, His act of judgment on them for their sins would be an utterly "strange" and "alien" departure from their expectations, though entirely consistent with His righteous character.

Isaiah 28 21 Word analysis

• For the LORD (וַיִּקּוֹם יְהוָה - vayyiqqōm Yahweh): The divine name YHWH (Yahweh) signifies God's personal, covenantal, and self-existent nature. The verb "to rise up" (קוּם - qum) indicates active, deliberate action, a powerful intervention rather than passive observation.

• will rise up as at Mount Perazim (כְּהַר פְּרָצִים - kehar perātsîm): Mount Perazim refers to David's decisive victory over the Philistines (2 Sam 5:20, 1 Chr 14:11), where God "broke through" (פּרץ - parats) the enemies. This sets a precedent of Yahweh powerfully intervening to secure victory for His people. Its inclusion here foreshadows an analogous, yet reversed, divine action.

• he will be wroth as in the Valley of Gibeon (כְּבִקְעַת גִּבְעוֹן - keviq'at giv'ôn): The Valley of Gibeon is another historical site of a significant divine intervention. Here, Yahweh brought a miraculous victory for Joshua against the Amorites with large hailstones and the sun standing still (Josh 10:10-14). The term "wroth" (יִרְגַּז - yirgaz) implies strong indignation, a trembling or violent agitation that leads to decisive action.

• to do his work, his strange work (לַעֲשׂוֹת מַעֲשֵׂהוּ מַעֲשֵׂהוּ זָר - la'asot ma'asehu ma'asehu zar):

  • "his work" (מַעֲשֵׂהוּ - ma'asehu): Refers to God's act or deed.
  • "his strange work" (מַעֲשֵׂהוּ זָר - ma'asehu zar): The Hebrew zar means "foreign, alien, strange, unfamiliar." This implies that while the work is God's, its nature or target is utterly unexpected. For God to fight against His chosen people with such ferocity, rather than for them, is "strange" from the perspective of their prior covenant expectations, highlighting a reversal of typical divine favor.

• and to perform his task, his alien task (וְלַעֲבוֹד עֲבֹדָתוֹ עֲבֹדָתוֹ נָכְרִיָּה - vela'avod avodato avodato nokhriyya):

  • "his task" (עֲבֹדָתוֹ - avodato): Refers to His service, ministry, or task.
  • "his alien task" (עֲבֹדָתוֹ נָכְרִיָּה - avodato nokhriyya): The Hebrew nokriyyah (related to nokri) similarly means "foreign, alien, estranged." This is a reiteration and intensification of "strange work," emphasizing the unexpected, outside-the-norm quality of God's impending judgment upon Israel. It conveys that this is a "foreign" mode of operation against those whom He had called His own.

• Words-group by words-group analysis:

  • "For the LORD will rise up as at Mount Perazim, he will be wroth as in the Valley of Gibeon": This phrase highlights God's historical pattern of powerful intervention, yet reorients its purpose. Previously, these were instances of triumphant deliverance for Israel; now, they become metaphors for severe judgment on Israel. The parallelism of "rise up" and "be wroth" intensifies the portrayal of divine, active indignation.
  • "to do his work, his strange work, and to perform his task, his alien task": This repeated couplet emphasizes the perplexing nature of God's actions from Israel's perspective. It highlights a painful paradox: God, who acts to save His people, is now compelled by their sin to act against them. The "strangeness" does not imply a deviation from God's character but rather from their comfortable (and mistaken) expectations of unearned favor. It suggests that such a judgment, though just, brings Him sorrow and is not His desired end, making it an "unusual" or "alien" aspect of His divine service.

Isaiah 28 21 Bonus section

The profound irony within Isaiah 28:21 lies in God employing metaphors of past salvation to predict future judgment. This is a rhetorical shock to the audience, demonstrating that God is not bound by their presumptions of His unending favoritism. The very power they witnessed saving them can also be wielded in holy wrath. Furthermore, the "strangeness" also subtly hints at the depth of Israel's transgression; it had become so grievous that it necessitated a divine response that was outside the expected norms of their covenant relationship. This passage is also prophetic of later judgments, like the Babylonian exile and even the eventual destruction of Jerusalem, demonstrating a consistent principle that God's people, though chosen, are not immune to divine judgment when they stubbornly rebel against His commands and reject His grace. It's a testament to the universality of His moral law and the accountability of all who claim Him.

Isaiah 28 21 Commentary

Isaiah 28:21 is a powerful and sobering declaration of God's righteous judgment against His wayward people, Judah and Israel. The verse's impact lies in its dramatic reversal of expectations. God recalls two instances—Mount Perazim and the Valley of Gibeon—where His divine power was unleashed to grant miraculous victories to Israel against overwhelming foes. These were peak moments of His faithfulness and strength for their deliverance. However, the prophet declares that the LORD will now employ this same terrifying power against His own covenant people due to their profound unfaithfulness, pride, and spiritual apathy, as outlined in the preceding verses.

The repetition of "his strange work" and "his alien task" underscores the extraordinary and painful nature of this judgment. It is not "strange" because it is contrary to God's nature (He is perfectly just), but because it is contrary to Israel's conventional understanding of His relationship with them and His typical modus operandi. They expected unending favor and protection, even amidst their sin. Yet, God's holiness demands accountability, and His love necessitates correction. Thus, His judgment on His cherished people feels "alien," indicating both the target (His own people) and the means (often through foreign, pagan nations like Assyria and Babylon) are deeply unsettling. It’s an action God takes not with delight, but out of necessity for His righteousness and the ultimate (often delayed) purification or preservation of a remnant of His people. This verse reveals that even God's actions can appear bewildering to human understanding when they contradict self-serving expectations, yet they remain perfectly aligned with His ultimate purpose.