Isaiah 43 28

Isaiah 43:28 kjv

Therefore I have profaned the princes of the sanctuary, and have given Jacob to the curse, and Israel to reproaches.

Isaiah 43:28 nkjv

Therefore I will profane the princes of the sanctuary; I will give Jacob to the curse, And Israel to reproaches.

Isaiah 43:28 niv

So I disgraced the dignitaries of your temple; I consigned Jacob to destruction and Israel to scorn.

Isaiah 43:28 esv

Therefore I will profane the princes of the sanctuary, and deliver Jacob to utter destruction and Israel to reviling.

Isaiah 43:28 nlt

That is why I have disgraced your priests;
I have decreed complete destruction for Jacob
and shame for Israel.

Isaiah 43 verses

Isaiah 43 28 Meaning

Isaiah 43:28 declares God's solemn judgment upon His unfaithful people, Israel. It states that God Himself will strip away the sacred status of the religious leaders ("princes of the sanctuary") who failed in their duty. As a direct consequence of their cumulative sins, the entire nation of "Jacob" (Israel) will be given over to a state of utter devotion for destruction or banishment ("curse"), becoming objects of shame, scorn, and public disgrace ("reproaches") in the eyes of the nations. This verse explains the divine reason for Israel's suffering and exile, attributing it not to God's weakness, but to His just punishment for their persistent covenant unfaithfulness and rebellion as detailed in the preceding verses.

Isaiah 43 28 Context

Isaiah 43 falls within the section often called "Second Isaiah" (chapters 40-55), which primarily addresses the Jewish exiles in Babylon. Chapters 40-42 emphasize God's comfort, power, and sovereign plan for Israel's restoration, establishing Him as the only true God. Chapter 43 itself opens with powerful affirmations of God's unchanging love and promise to redeem Israel, asserting His ownership and reassuring them not to fear (vv. 1-7). He even portrays their deliverance from exile as a new Exodus (vv. 16-21). However, from verse 22 onward, there's a significant shift. God pivots from reassurance to accusation, exposing Israel's deep-seated spiritual negligence and rebellion. He confronts them for failing to truly worship Him, making Him serve their desires rather than serving Him. They have burdened Him with their sins, making Him weary. Verse 28, therefore, serves as the climactic summary and justification for their present predicament (the Babylonian exile and national disgrace), directly linking it to their persistent unfaithfulness and the failure of their leadership described in the preceding verses. It underscores that while God's ultimate plan is salvation, the current suffering is a direct consequence of their accumulated transgressions.

Isaiah 43 28 Word analysis

• Therefore (לָכֵן - lāḵēn): This particle signals a logical consequence or a reason-effect relationship. It directly links God's pronouncement of judgment to the catalog of Israel's unfaithfulness described in Isaiah 43:22-27. It asserts that the upcoming actions are a just and inevitable outcome of their rebellion, rather than an arbitrary act.
• I will profane (וַאֲחַלֵּל - waʾăḥallēl): Derived from the Hebrew root חָלַל (ḥālal), meaning to pierce, begin, or, in the Piel stem, to profane, desecrate, defile. It signifies the active act of stripping away holiness or making something sacred common. God himself declares He will render His anointed "unholy" or "common," not that He will make them sinful, but that He will expose their already compromised state and remove their consecrated status and authority, indicating a divine judgment on spiritual integrity.
• the princes of the sanctuary (שָׂרֵי קֹדֶשׁ - śā·rê qō·ḏeš):
  • princes (שָׂרֵי - śā·rê): Plural of שַׂר (sar), meaning a chief, leader, ruler, or official. In this context, it refers to those in positions of authority.
  • of the sanctuary (קֹדֶשׁ - qō·ḏeš): Signifies holiness, sacredness, or the holy place (e.g., the Temple). Combined, this phrase denotes the religious and spiritual leaders—priests, Levites, or even high-ranking officials within the theocratic system—who were tasked with preserving God's holiness among the people and in their worship. They were themselves considered holy in their office. Their "profanation" signifies the severe spiritual corruption or the divine removal of their priestly effectiveness and authority.
• and I will give Jacob (וְאֶתֵּן יַעֲקֹב - wəʾettēn yaʿăqōḇ):
  • give (וְאֶתֵּן - wəʾettēn): From נָתַן (nāṯan), meaning to give, set, place. Here, it conveys the idea of delivering over, surrendering, or handing someone over to a state or condition.
  • Jacob (יַעֲקֹב - Yaʿăqōḇ): A poetic and communal name for the nation of Israel, descended from the patriarch Jacob. It refers to the collective identity of God's chosen people.
• to the curse (לְחֵרֶם - ləḥerem):
  • curse (חֵרֶם - ḥērem): A potent term meaning a devoted thing, something utterly separated, either for God (to be utterly holy or destroyed for God) or for destruction. In this context, it implies complete dedication to destruction, severe condemnation, and exclusion from God's blessing. It represents utter loss and ruin, often associated with a complete separation from the divine presence due to unholiness.
• and Israel (וְיִשְׂרָאֵל - wəYiśrāʾēl): Another parallel name for the nation of Israel, reinforcing the collective judgment upon the entire covenant people, echoing and amplifying the "Jacob" reference.
• to reproaches (לְגִדּוּפִים - ləḡidûpîm):
  • reproaches (גִּדּוּפִים - ḡidûpîm): Plural of גִּדּוּף (giddûp), signifying taunts, insults, revilings, or blasphemies. This refers to the shame, derision, and contempt that Israel would suffer from surrounding nations. Their suffering would make them a spectacle of scorn, publicly shamed for their covenant failure, highlighting their national humiliation.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "Therefore I will profane the princes of the sanctuary": This phrase highlights God's active involvement in the downfall of Israel's spiritual leadership. The religious leaders, despite their sacred office, failed to uphold holiness. God's "profaning" implies a removal of their divine mandate or spiritual effectiveness, showing that even sacred offices are subject to His righteous judgment when compromised. This is a severe indictment against those entrusted with spiritual care and guardianship of the covenant.
• "and I will give Jacob to the curse, and Israel to reproaches": This parallel statement details the full extent of the national judgment. "Jacob to the curse" emphasizes an utter dedication to destruction or removal from God's favor, denoting a comprehensive ruin. "Israel to reproaches" indicates the social and political humiliation that accompanies this divine judgment, making them an object of scorn to the nations, fulfilling the Deuteronomic warnings of national disgrace for covenant breaking. Both phrases underscore the comprehensive, devastating, and public nature of God's judgment on the entire people.

Isaiah 43 28 Bonus section

The phrase "princes of the sanctuary" (śā·rê qō·ḏeš) is quite unique. While "princes" (שַׂר - sar) can apply broadly to civil or military leaders, and "sanctuary" (קֹדֶשׁ - qō·ḏeš) refers to anything holy or the holy place, their combination here specifically points to leadership within the religious sphere, potentially high-ranking priests, heads of priestly families, or even those Davidic kings who played significant roles in the Temple and national religious life (e.g., in overseeing reforms). The judgment thus falls heavily on those whose closeness to God's holiness should have prompted greater fidelity but instead led to greater failure. Their profanation signals God's dismantling of the very spiritual institutions they were meant to uphold. This particular judgment also echoes the historical profanation of the Temple and its staff by foreign invaders (like Babylon itself), implicitly affirming that these invaders were God's instruments in executing His judgment upon Israel's unfaithfulness.

Isaiah 43 28 Commentary

Isaiah 43:28 serves as a chilling summation of God's justified judgment on Israel. It is the logical conclusion ("Therefore") of the charges of unfaithfulness laid out in the preceding verses, where God reminds Israel of how they have burdened Him with their sins and profaned Him by their idolatry and empty rituals. The focus on "the princes of the sanctuary" is critical; these were the very individuals responsible for maintaining the sanctity of the covenant and the purity of worship. Their profanation by God himself signifies a systemic spiritual corruption, an inside-out defilement that warranted God's direct intervention to strip away their sacred status. This is not God wishing them to commit evil, but exposing their unholy character and removing the protection of their office due to their compromised state.

The judgment then extends to the entire nation ("Jacob" and "Israel"), signifying a comprehensive divine wrath. To be given "to the curse" (Hebrew: ḥērem) means to be utterly devoted to destruction or banished from divine blessing, a severe state of complete loss. Coupled with "reproaches," it signifies their public humiliation and derision among other nations, underscoring their fall from being God's privileged people to an object of scorn, aligning with the consequences of covenant disobedience outlined in passages like Deuteronomy 28. This verse does not negate God's overarching plan for redemption in Isaiah but clarifies why judgment was necessary, highlighting His justice before His mercy could shine anew in future chapters. It prepares the reader to appreciate the profound grace of subsequent restoration.