Isaiah 28:24 kjv
Doth the plowman plow all day to sow? doth he open and break the clods of his ground?
Isaiah 28:24 nkjv
Does the plowman keep plowing all day to sow? Does he keep turning his soil and breaking the clods?
Isaiah 28:24 niv
When a farmer plows for planting, does he plow continually? Does he keep on breaking up and working the soil?
Isaiah 28:24 esv
Does he who plows for sowing plow continually? Does he continually open and harrow his ground?
Isaiah 28:24 nlt
Does a farmer always plow and never sow?
Is he forever cultivating the soil and never planting?
Isaiah 28 24 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 8:22 | "While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease." | God's ordained order in creation. |
| Deut 8:5 | "Know then in your heart that, as a man disciplines his son, the LORD your God disciplines you." | God's discipline is purposeful, like a father. |
| 2 Sam 7:14 | "I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men." | God's fatherly discipline. |
| Job 12:13 | "With God are wisdom and might; he has counsel and understanding." | God's inherent wisdom guiding His actions. |
| Ps 75:6-7 | "For not from the east or from the west...but it is God who executes judgment..." | God's sovereign hand in judgments and exaltations. |
| Ps 104:24 | "O LORD, how manifold are your works! In wisdom have you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures." | God's works demonstrate His profound wisdom. |
| Prov 3:19-20 | "The LORD by wisdom founded the earth; by understanding he established the heavens...the clouds drop down the dew." | God's creation guided by wisdom and understanding. |
| Prov 3:11-12 | "My son, do not despise the LORD’s discipline or be weary of his reproof, for the LORD reproves him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights." | God's loving and purposeful discipline. |
| Jer 4:3 | "For thus says the LORD to the men of Judah...Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns." | Spiritual preparation likened to farming. |
| Hos 10:11-12 | "Ephraim was a trained heifer that loved to thresh...Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap steadfast love; break up your fallow ground, for it is the time to seek the LORD..." | Farming analogy for spiritual transformation. |
| Joel 2:23-24 | "Be glad, O children of Zion...for he has given the early rain for your vindication; he has poured down for you abundant rain...The threshing floors shall be full of grain..." | God providing for His people's needs, agricultural blessings. |
| Zech 1:3 | "Therefore say to them, Thus declares the LORD of hosts: Return to me, says the LORD of hosts, and I will return to you..." | Call to repentance leading to divine favor. |
| Mal 3:3 | "He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver..." | God's purifying work, akin to refining, has a clear purpose. |
| Matt 13:3-8, 18-23 | "A sower went out to sow...other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain..." (Parable of Sower) | Parable emphasizing prepared soil for fruitful harvest. |
| Mark 4:3-9, 14-20 | Similar parable to Matthew 13. | Emphasis on receptivity of the "ground" (heart) to the word. |
| Luke 8:4-8, 11-15 | Similar parable to Matthew 13 and Mark 4. | Highlighted the "good soil" which understands and keeps the word, bearing fruit. |
| Luke 13:6-9 | "A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard... 'Let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put on manure.'" | Patience and preparation for bearing fruit. |
| 1 Cor 3:6-9 | "I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. We are God's field..." | Analogy of planting and watering in spiritual labor, God's sovereignty. |
| Gal 6:7 | "Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap." | Principle of sowing and reaping, applicable spiritually. |
| 2 Tim 2:6 | "It is the hard-working farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops." | Dignity and expected outcome of diligent labor. |
| Heb 12:5-11 | "And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? 'My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord...For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.'" | God's discipline as a Father, for righteousness. |
| Jas 5:7-8 | "Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains." | Farmer's patience as an example for waiting on the Lord. |
Isaiah 28 verses
Isaiah 28 24 Meaning
Isaiah 28:24 introduces an analogy of a farmer's diligent and purposeful work to illustrate the wisdom, order, and precise nature of God's dealings with His people, both in judgment and blessing. The rhetorical questions posed in the verse emphasize that a farmer does not perpetually plow but prepares the ground methodically for sowing, nor does he cease to work the soil, understanding the distinct phases required for a successful harvest. This highlights that God's actions, which might seem harsh or disruptive (like plowing), are not random or endless but are purposeful preparatory steps, leading to His ultimate gracious design for His people.
Isaiah 28 24 Context
Isaiah chapter 28, often referred to as "Woes to Ephraim and Jerusalem," transitions between sharp condemnation of Israel's spiritual blindness and arrogance (especially the northern kingdom, Ephraim, and then Judah) and prophecies of divine wisdom and eventual restoration. Verses 1-13 condemn the drunken revelry and corrupt leadership of Ephraim, describing them as spiritually intoxicated and scoffing at God's plain commands. Verses 14-22 shift the condemnation to the leaders of Jerusalem who reject God's "sure foundation" (Christ) in favor of a "covenant with Death" (reliance on alliances rather than God). Against this backdrop of human foolishness and disorder, verses 23-29 present a powerful parable of the farmer, illustrating God's meticulous wisdom, patience, and deliberate purpose in all His dealings. Verse 24 is the opening of this parable, asserting the methodical and skilled nature of the farmer's work as a prerequisite to understanding God's own perfect order and timing in His judgments and redemptive plan for His people. The historical context is pre-exilic, a time when both kingdoms were in spiritual decline and facing threats from Assyria. The audience needed to understand that God's actions, even those that brought distress, were not random destruction but purposeful preparation for a greater end.
Isaiah 28 24 Word analysis
Does the plowman plow all day to sow?:
- Does the plowman plow: The Hebrew verb for "plow" is ḥāraš (חָרַשׁ), meaning to plow, to engrave, to devise. Here, it denotes the act of turning the soil. The rhetorical question anticipates a clear "No" – plowing is only one stage.
- all day: This phrase (כָּל־הַיּוֹם - kol-hayyôm) emphasizes the exclusivity and perpetuity of the action. Does the farmer only plow, ceaselessly and without end, as if that were his sole objective? The implied answer is "No," because plowing is a means to an end.
- to sow: The Hebrew verb for "sow" is zāraʿ (זָרַע), meaning to sow, scatter seed. This highlights the ultimate purpose of plowing. The preparation (plowing) is always for the eventual planting (sowing). Plowing without sowing is futile.
Does he continually break up and open the furrows of his ground?:
- Does he continually break up: The verb dôšēš (דֹּוְשֵׁשׁ) is difficult to translate but relates to smoothing, leveling, or breaking up the clods after initial plowing. It implies further refinement of the soil. This second rhetorical question again anticipates a "No" for the "continually" aspect, or an implied "Yes" to the necessity of doing so as part of the overall process.
- and open: The verb pātaḥ (פָּתַח), here in the intensive stem (Pi'el), means to open wide, to loosen. This speaks to the process of making the furrows ready and permeable for the seed.
- the furrows of his ground: The Hebrew term for "furrows" is gērābîm (גֵרָבִים), which refers to the trenches or grooves made in the soil for planting. ʾaḏāmātô (אַדְמָתֹו) is "his ground" or "his soil," emphasizing the farmer's personal investment and methodical work on his own field. The reference to distinct "furrows" shows precision and preparation for the placement of seeds.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "Does the plowman plow all day to sow?": This phrase establishes the fundamental principle: agricultural work is purposeful and sequential, not endless repetition of a single task. Plowing is not an end in itself; it is for sowing. This directly challenges the misconception that God's judgments or disciplines are arbitrary or eternally ongoing.
- "Does he continually break up and open the furrows of his ground?": This builds on the first, detailing a further specific, distinct step in the preparatory process. It indicates refinement and making the ground receptive. Both rhetorical questions imply that the farmer executes different tasks at different times, each with a specific goal, demonstrating his wisdom and skill. Applied to God, it means His actions are varied (some harsh like plowing, others gentle like opening furrows) and precisely timed, all aimed at His wise purpose.
Isaiah 28 24 Bonus section
This verse is the prelude to an extensive and detailed description of agricultural practices in verses 25-29, demonstrating God's intimate knowledge of human work and His own even greater, comprehensive wisdom. The transition from general farming principles in verse 24 to specific details of sowing different grains (dill, cumin, wheat, barley, spelt) and using distinct threshing instruments further underscores God's meticulous nature. It implies that God understands precisely what discipline or what specific method is required for each situation and individual, just as a farmer knows which seed or tool suits a particular crop or soil condition. This farming wisdom, inherently known to God, serves as a foundation for understanding His "strange work" (v. 21) – His judgments – as ultimately purposeful and preparatory for spiritual fruitfulness.
Isaiah 28 24 Commentary
Isaiah 28:24 initiates a profound agricultural analogy designed to rebuke the superficiality and spiritual arrogance of God's people. Just as a wise farmer understands that each phase of cultivation – plowing, breaking up clods, opening furrows, then sowing – has its proper timing and purpose, so too does God conduct His dealings with precise wisdom. He does not perpetually "plow" in judgment, nor does He only prepare the ground without ultimately "sowing" His grace or word. Every action of God, even what appears severe (like plowing under stubble), is part of a purposeful process to prepare His people to bear fruit, receive His Word, and experience His blessings. The verse challenges the notion that God acts impulsively or without reason; instead, He works with divine patience, order, and forethought, always aiming for a bountiful spiritual harvest. For instance, sometimes trials (like plowing) are necessary to break up the hard ground of a complacent heart, preparing it to receive the seed of truth.