Isaiah 28:22 kjv
Now therefore be ye not mockers, lest your bands be made strong: for I have heard from the Lord GOD of hosts a consumption, even determined upon the whole earth.
Isaiah 28:22 nkjv
Now therefore, do not be mockers, Lest your bonds be made strong; For I have heard from the Lord GOD of hosts, A destruction determined even upon the whole earth.
Isaiah 28:22 niv
Now stop your mocking, or your chains will become heavier; the Lord, the LORD Almighty, has told me of the destruction decreed against the whole land.
Isaiah 28:22 esv
Now therefore do not scoff, lest your bonds be made strong; for I have heard a decree of destruction from the Lord GOD of hosts against the whole land.
Isaiah 28:22 nlt
For the Lord, the LORD of Heaven's Armies,
has plainly said that he is determined to crush the whole land.
So scoff no more,
or your punishment will be even greater.
Isaiah 28 22 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Warning Against Mockery/Stubbornness | ||
| Pro 29:1 | He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy. | Hardening heart brings sudden destruction. |
| Ps 1:1 | Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. | Warning against association with scorners. |
| Isa 5:19 | That say, Let him make speed, and hasten his work, that we may see it: and let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw nigh and come, that we may know it! | Mocking God's patience and warnings. |
| 2 Chr 36:16 | But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against his people, till there was no remedy. | Rejection of prophets leads to wrath. |
| Luke 14:11 | For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. | Pride precedes abasement. |
| Heb 10:26-27 | For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment... | Willful sin brings fearful judgment. |
| Inevitable Judgment/Decreed Consumption | ||
| Isa 10:22-23 | For though thy people Israel be as the sand of the sea, yet a remnant of them shall return: the consumption decreed shall overflow with righteousness. For the Lord GOD of hosts will make a consumption... | Decreed judgment and remnant theology. |
| Dan 9:27 | And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. | A determined "consummation" (decreed judgment). |
| Joel 1:15 | Alas for the day! for the day of the LORD is at hand, and as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come. | The "Day of the Lord" brings destruction. |
| Zep 1:18 | Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD's wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land. | Complete consumption of the land. |
| Nah 1:5-6 | The mountains quake at him, and the hills melt, and the earth is burned at his presence... Who can stand before his indignation? and who can abide in the fierceness of his anger? | God's power and wrath are inescapable. |
| Rom 9:27-28 | Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved: For he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth. | Paul quotes Isaiah on the swift, determined judgment. |
| Rev 6:17 | For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand? | Universal recognition of divine wrath. |
| Bonds/Feters of Iniquity | ||
| Pro 5:22 | His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins. | Sins act as binding cords/bands. |
| Isa 59:1-2 | Behold, the LORD's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you... | Iniquities separate and bind. |
| Acts 8:23 | For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity. | Bondage of iniquity. |
| God's Sovereign Purpose/Plan | ||
| Job 23:13-14 | But he is in one mind, and who can turn him? and what his soul desireth, even that he doeth. For he performeth the thing that is appointed for me: and many such things are with him. | God's unwavering decree and purpose. |
| Ps 33:10-11 | The LORD bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought: he maketh the devices of the people of none effect. The counsel of the LORD standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations. | God's counsel is eternal and prevails. |
| Isa 46:10 | Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure: | God's absolute sovereignty and foreknowledge. |
| Rom 11:32 | For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all. | God's sovereign plan to bring mercy. |
Isaiah 28 verses
Isaiah 28 22 Meaning
Isaiah 28:22 serves as a stern warning against spiritual arrogance and mockery of God's divine counsel. It declares that continued scoffing will not prevent, but rather intensify, the divinely decreed judgment that is already determined to sweep over the land. The "bands" of oppression or punishment, which might seem distant, will be made strong and inescapable due to their continued defiance, leading to a complete and final "consumption." It emphasizes the unwavering certainty and comprehensiveness of God's judicial decree against a rebellious people.
Isaiah 28 22 Context
Isaiah 28, preceding verse 22, pronounces a "Woe" to the drunken leaders of Ephraim (Northern Kingdom of Israel) and the scoffers in Jerusalem (Judah). Chapters 28-33 are a series of "Woes" against various nations and Jerusalem. The specific context for Isaiah 28:22 begins around verse 14, where God addresses the "scoffers" in Jerusalem who "rule this people." These leaders boasted of having made "a covenant with death and with hell are we at agreement" (v. 15), believing they had secured immunity from the impending Assyrian judgment through political alliances or spiritual rebellion.
God directly counters their false sense of security, announcing that their "covenant with death shall be disannulled" and their "agreement with hell shall not stand." He then speaks of laying a precious cornerstone in Zion (Christ, though initially unrecognized by them), which will be a sure foundation, while those who scoff at it will stumble. Verse 22 acts as the culmination of this immediate judgment warning to the defiant leaders, highlighting that their continued mockery of God's word and warnings will not prevent judgment but hasten and intensify it, leading to a complete and determined destruction. It is set in the period leading up to the Assyrian crisis, where Judah's leaders preferred human alliances and spiritual compromise over trusting in God.
Isaiah 28 22 Word analysis
- Now therefore (וְעַתָּה, wə‘attâ): This serves as a strong transitional conjunction. It shifts from God's proclamation of judgment and laying of the Cornerstone in the previous verses (28:16-21) to a direct, urgent appeal and final warning to the "scoffers." It signifies a conclusive summation of the impending consequence based on their current actions.
- be not (לֹא תִתְלוֹצָצוּ, lo’ tiṯəlotzatzu): A strong negative imperative. The verb comes from the root לָצַץ (latzatz), meaning to scoff, mock, deride, or show contempt. It is in the hitpael (reflexive-reciprocal) stem, emphasizing a continuous, active engagement in mockery, often implying a habitual, ingrained attitude of arrogance towards divine truth and God's messengers. It highlights the internal disposition of those being warned.
- mockers: As explained above, refers to those who are scornful, contemptuous, and openly deride divine warnings and spiritual truth. Their scoffing indicates a deep-seated spiritual rebellion and pride. This attitude is actively engaging with folly, often to one's own detriment.
- lest (פֶּן, pen): Introduces a negative purpose clause, indicating a potential consequence or something to be avoided. It highlights the danger and purpose of the warning: act now to avoid what follows.
- your bands (מוֹסְרֵיכֶם, mōsərêḵem): Derived from מוֹסֵר (moser), meaning bonds, fetters, chains, or restraints. In this context, it refers to whatever is binding or restraining them. It could mean literal bonds of captivity (Assyrian invasion), or metaphorical bonds of their own making – the very covenants and agreements (like their "covenant with death") they relied on, or even the consequences of their sins which would ensnare them further. Their current spiritual state of being bound by sin would be intensified.
- be made strong (וְלֹא יֶחֱזְקוּ, wə-lo' yeḥezqū): This translates from the root חָזַק (chazaq), meaning to be strong, firm, hardened, prevail. The negative construction with lo plus the imperfect form of chazaq means "lest they be made stronger" or "lest they become even stronger." It indicates that the very bonds, which may currently seem tolerable, will become unbreakable and severely oppressive. Their self-made snares would become impossibly tight.
- For (כִּי, ki): Introduces a causal or explanatory clause, explaining why they should not be mockers and why their bands will be made strong. It connects their defiance to God's predetermined action.
- a consumption (כָּלָה, kālâ): From כָּלָה (kālāh), meaning completeness, finish, destruction, annihilation, an end. It denotes a full, decisive, and irreversible ending or devastation. It's not a partial judgment, but one that will totally sweep away. This word often appears in the context of divine judgment.
- even determined (וְנֶחֱרָצָה, wə-neḥĕrāṣāh): From חָרַץ (charats), meaning to cut, determine, decree, decide. The form is a Piel participle, feminine singular, indicating something that is definitively settled, carved out, or unalterably decreed. It signifies that this "consumption" is not accidental or arbitrary but a divinely ordained, unchangeable, and resolute decree from God Himself.
- upon the whole earth (עַל־כָּל־הָאָרֶץ, ‘al-kol-hā’āreṣ): This can refer to the entire land of Judah, or a more universal scope indicating the decree's breadth. Given Isaiah's prophecies often include international judgments, it can imply a wider reach, or certainly a complete judgment throughout their own nation, leaving no escape within its borders.
Words-Group Analysis:
- "Now therefore, be not mockers, lest your bands be made strong": This phrase directly links their arrogant, scornful attitude to their impending heightened oppression. Their refusal to listen to God's word and their mockery of His messengers and warnings are precisely the behaviors that will cause their current state of bondage (whether spiritual or literal) to tighten and become unbearable. Their freedom from trouble relies on their spiritual humility, not on their human agreements.
- "For a consumption, even determined, upon the whole earth": This emphatically underscores the absolute certainty and comprehensive nature of the coming judgment. It is not merely a threat but a fixed decree (determined) from God that will bring complete ruin (consumption) throughout the land (upon the whole earth). This divine resolve reveals the seriousness of their rebellion; God's will is irresistible.
Isaiah 28 22 Bonus section
The broader theological implication of Isaiah 28:22 is God's reluctance to judge but His ultimate commitment to His holy character. The previous verse (28:21) speaks of God's "strange work" (עֲשׂוֹת מַעֲשֵׂהוּ, ‘asot ma‘ăsehū) and "strange act" (עֲבוֹדָתוֹ זָרָה, ‘abōdāṯō zārāh) of bringing judgment. This implies that judgment is not God's primary delight, but a necessary act to uphold His righteousness and justice. It is "strange" because His nature is gracious and redemptive, yet when His grace is spurned and His warnings mocked, judgment becomes His "work." Isaiah 28:22 solidifies this by reiterating that this painful but necessary judgment is "determined." This shows the profound tension between God's desire for restoration and His unwavering commitment to righteousness, where persistent rebellion leaves no other recourse.
Isaiah 28 22 Commentary
Isaiah 28:22 serves as the pinnacle warning to the leaders of Jerusalem who have made a "covenant with death" (v. 15), trusting in human strategies and cynical contempt for divine truth. The prophet exhorts them to cease their mocking attitude, not because their scoffing prevents judgment, but because it actively strengthens the very "bands" that will ultimately bind and consume them. Their continued rebellion is like tightening the noose around their own necks.
The phrase "a consumption, even determined" (כָּלָה וְנֶחֱרָצָה, kālāh wə-neḥĕrāṣāh) is powerful. Kālāh speaks of utter, devastating completeness, while neḥĕrāṣāh signifies an irreversible, divinely ordained decree. This isn't a tentative plan or a possible outcome, but a settled judgment of God that will certainly unfold. It's a "short work," swift and decisive, not a lingering affliction. The scope is "upon the whole earth," referring here primarily to the land of Judah, emphasizing its pervasive and inescapable nature. God, in His sovereign power, has made up His mind, and human mockery or resistance will not alter His decree. Instead, such defiance will only exacerbate their demise. This verse highlights the danger of spiritual stubbornness and the inexorable nature of God's holy justice when continually rejected. It is a grim reminder that one cannot escape the consequences of defying the Most High.