Isaiah 28:28 kjv
Bread corn is bruised; because he will not ever be threshing it, nor break it with the wheel of his cart, nor bruise it with his horsemen.
Isaiah 28:28 nkjv
Bread flour must be ground; Therefore he does not thresh it forever, Break it with his cartwheel, Or crush it with his horsemen.
Isaiah 28:28 niv
Grain must be ground to make bread; so one does not go on threshing it forever. The wheels of a threshing cart may be rolled over it, but one does not use horses to grind grain.
Isaiah 28:28 esv
Does one crush grain for bread? No, he does not thresh it forever; when he drives his cart wheel over it with his horses, he does not crush it.
Isaiah 28:28 nlt
Grain for bread is easily crushed,
so he doesn't keep on pounding it.
He threshes it under the wheels of a cart,
but he doesn't pulverize it.
Isaiah 28 28 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isaiah 28:28 | for it is ever his way. He does not thresh it eternally... | Isaiah 30:23 (God's abundant provision) |
| Isaiah 28:28 | ... nor beat it with his heaviest horses and his horsemen. | Psalm 18:13 (God's powerful but controlled judgment) |
| Isaiah 28:28 | "God is speaking through the prophet Isaiah. The passage depicts God's judgment upon Judah..." | Jeremiah 31:38-40 (God's restoration after judgment) |
| Isaiah 28:28 | "...though the farmer carries out his practices, he knows what he is doing..." | Proverbs 3:9-10 (God's provision and blessing) |
| Isaiah 28:28 | "...and his methods are designed to bring forth the desired outcome." | 1 Corinthians 3:12-15 (Works tested by fire) |
| Isaiah 28:28 | This contrasts with the indiscriminate destruction some nations might employ. | 2 Kings 1:13-14 (God's judgment with precision) |
| Isaiah 28:28 | The threshing process leads to separation of grain from chaff. | Matthew 3:12 (Christ's baptism of the Spirit and fire) |
| Isaiah 28:28 | God's judgment is not arbitrary but purposeful and measured. | Lamentations 3:31-33 (God's compassion in judgment) |
| Isaiah 28:28 | The "heaviest horses and horsemen" represent extreme force. | Psalm 20:7 (Trust in chariots vs. God) |
| Isaiah 28:28 | The purpose of God's dealings is ultimately for instruction and discipline. | Hebrews 12:5-11 (Fatherly discipline) |
| Isaiah 28:28 | This verse highlights God's sovereign control even in His judgment. | Romans 11:33-36 (God's wisdom and sovereignty) |
| Isaiah 28:28 | The farmer's actions symbolize God's wisdom in dealing with His people. | Proverbs 2:6 (Wisdom from the Lord) |
| Isaiah 28:28 | It speaks to God's intricate knowledge of His creation and people. | Psalm 139:1-4 (God's all-knowing nature) |
| Isaiah 28:28 | The ultimate goal is purification and separation of the valuable. | Zechariah 13:9 (Refining of God's people) |
| Isaiah 28:28 | The process, though severe, is not intended to be endless or destructive. | Isaiah 10:25 (Limited judgment) |
| Isaiah 28:28 | This foreshadows the spiritual separation and judgment at the end times. | Revelation 14:14-16 (The harvest of the earth) |
| Isaiah 28:28 | God's methods are just and equitable. | Deuteronomy 32:4 (God's faithfulness and justice) |
| Isaiah 28:28 | The farmer's tools are applied specifically to the grain. | 1 Corinthians 10:13 (God provides a way of escape) |
| Isaiah 28:28 | This verse reassures that judgment will be tempered with discernment. | Psalm 103:8-10 (God's mercy and forgiveness) |
| Isaiah 28:28 | God's people will be preserved through His judgments. | Nahum 1:7 (God is good, a stronghold) |
| Isaiah 28:28 | The analogy points to God's careful stewardship of His people and the world. | John 10:28-29 (Jesus protecting believers) |
Isaiah 28 verses
Isaiah 28 28 Meaning
The wheat is threshed and its grains are separated. This imagery describes how God's judgment, while severe, is applied with precision and discernment. Just as a farmer knows how to separate the edible grain from the chaff, God knows how to deal with the righteous and the wicked. The purpose of this threshing is not annihilation but refinement, leading to separation and proper assessment.
Isaiah 28 28 Context
This verse is found in Isaiah chapter 28, which addresses the spiritual and moral failures of the people of Judah, particularly its leadership. They were proud, self-reliant, and had placed their trust in political alliances and worldly wisdom rather than in God. Isaiah uses various analogies to illustrate God's impending judgment as a consequence of their disobedience and apostasy. The preceding verses describe God's judgment falling upon the proud and the drunkards of Ephraim (representing the northern kingdom of Israel) and then upon Jerusalem. In this specific verse, God's judgment is presented not as indiscriminate destruction but as a skillful and controlled process, like a farmer threshing wheat.
Isaiah 28 28 Word analysis
- For (Hebrew: ki) - Introduces a reason or explanation for what precedes.
- it is (Hebrew: hu) - Refers to God's way or His judgment.
- ever (Hebrew: netach) - Emphasizes the ongoing nature, perpetually, forever. This is likely an intensification or adjective from netach meaning "spread out" or "continuously."
- his way (Hebrew: derek 'owlam) - Refers to God's customary method, His plan, His dealings with humanity.
- He does not (Hebrew: lo' ya'aseh) - Indicates prohibition or a negative action; God does not do something.
- thresh (Hebrew: dush) - The act of beating out grain from its stalk. In a figurative sense, it represents affliction, crushing, or judgment.
- it eternally (Hebrew: nedach) - "to push away," "to sweep away." Here, the LXX reads el netach, which means "for his spreading" or "for His measure/rule." The King James translates lo' dush nadach. Other translations interpret "netach" as "continuously" or "perpetually." If derived from nadach, it means "scattered" or "driven away." The sense is that God does not continually and relentlessly crush.
- nor (Hebrew: im) - Connects two negative clauses.
- beat (Hebrew: nattash) - To thresh, to trample, to break. Related to the concept of threshing.
- it (Hebrew: 'owthah) - Refers back to the grain or, figuratively, to the object of judgment.
- with (Hebrew: bekol) - Indicates the instrument or manner of action.
- his (Hebrew: leyw) - Possessive pronoun referring to God.
- heaviest (Hebrew: mikmar) - Derived from kamar, meaning to be dark, hidden, or secret. In Qal it can mean to roll up or hide. Here, it possibly refers to secret devices, heavy or potent means, or it might be a variant form that signifies intensity or multitude. The common understanding is that of a heavily laden cart or threshing instrument.
- horses (Hebrew: sus) - The animal, but often referring to cavalry or chariots.
- and (Hebrew: wo) - Conjunction.
- his horsemen (Hebrew: perek resh) - Often interpreted as the team of horses or the riders. This signifies a powerful military force. The phrase implies the full force of war chariots and their riders.
Word-group analysis
- "He does not thresh it eternally, nor beat it with his heaviest horses and his horsemen": This phrase highlights God's discriminant justice. While judgment is severe, it's not characterized by unending, brutal destruction like that inflicted by tyrannical conquerors who utterly annihilated conquered populations. The farmer's process is about separating grain, not destroying the seed. God's judgment is purposeful and contains a measure of His restorative intent.
Isaiah 28 28 Bonus section
The analogy of threshing connects deeply with agricultural practices vital to ancient Israel, where separating grain from chaff was essential for survival and sustenance. God uses this everyday, understandable process to convey theological truths about His justice and mercy. The "heaviest horses and horsemen" represent instruments of extreme power and potential destruction. Nations might boast in such military might, but God’s power operates differently; it is a sovereign power exercised with knowledge and purpose, distinguishing between what is valuable and what is not. This concept is echoed in the New Testament when Christ's judgment is described as having a "winnowing fork" in His hand, to clear His threshing floor (Matthew 3:12), separating the wheat from the chaff to be burned.
Isaiah 28 28 Commentary
This verse is a profound reassurance within the context of impending judgment. God is likened to a skilled farmer who uses specific tools and techniques for threshing. This action, while potentially harsh to the grain within the husk, is not aimed at its destruction but at its separation and preservation. The farmer doesn't relentlessly beat the grain into dust; he uses methods to free the edible seed. Similarly, God’s judgment on His people, though severe, will be precise, controlled, and ultimately aimed at purification rather than annihilation. He will not employ unrestrained, overwhelming force like the "heaviest horses and horsemen," representing the absolute might of military oppression, against His people forever. This implies that God's judgment serves a redemptive purpose, separating the wicked from the righteous within His community and ultimately leading to restoration, not total obliteration.