Isaiah 28:14 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Therefore hear the word of the Lord, you scoffers, who rule this people in Jerusalem!

NIV: Therefore hear the word of the Lord, you scoffers who rule this people in Jerusalem.

NASB: Therefore, hear the word of the Lord, you scoffers, Who rule this people who are in Jerusalem,

CSB: Therefore hear the word of the Lord, you scoffers who rule this people in Jerusalem.

NLT: Therefore, listen to this message from the Lord, you scoffing rulers in Jerusalem.

KJV: Wherefore hear the word of the Lord, ye scornful men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem.

NKJV: Therefore hear the word of the Lord, you scornful men, Who rule this people who are in Jerusalem,

Isaiah has delivered the Lord's devastating judgment against Samaria and the people of the northern ten tribes of Israel (Isaiah 28:1–13). Now he turns his attention to the southern two tribes (1 Kings 12:16–20) of Judah and its capital Jerusalem, and the warnings for them are terribly similar.

Judah may have been glad to hear the warnings against Israel, who had become an enemy. But Judah is not likely to receive Isaiah's prophecy against them very well. Isaiah begins by calling the leaders of Jerusalem "scoffers." According to Proverbs 15:12, a scoffer does not like to be corrected or criticized. Scoffers are, by definition, haughty and arrogant (Provers 21:24) and a source of conflict in any group (Proverbs 22:10; 29:8).

Still, Isaiah demands that they hear the Lord's word to them. He begins by addressing their false belief that they are safe from any harm.

Isaiah 28:14–29 describes God's warning to the leaders of Jerusalem and Judah. They are trusting what Isaiah calls "a covenant of death." They are sheltering from the coming Assyrian invasion under a "refuge of lies." Because they have not trusted the foundation the Lord has laid, He will work against His own people. Using a parable, Isaiah tells Judah's leaders to notice how the farmer follows the Lord's instructions to get the best crop.

Samaria, the capital of Israel, also called Ephraim, is the beautiful crown on the head of the rich valley below. Her leaders are proud and drunk. The Lord will send the Assyrians to trample the crown and send the people into exile. Israel's religious leaders mock Isaiah, but they will hear the Lord's message from the Assyrians. Isaiah warns Jerusalem's leaders not to mock his warning to them from the Lord about the same fate. Their covenant with death will fail. The hailstorm of the Assyrians will beat them down. The Lord's counsel is wonderful.

Isaiah 28 begins a new section following the previous four chapters about Israel's glorious future with the Lord as her king. Now, though, the Lord is sending the Assyrians to judge His own people, first in Ephraim, which is Israel, and then in Judah. The beautiful capital city of Samaria will be trampled like a wilted wreath. Israel's religious leaders mock Isaiah but will hear the Lord's message from the Assyrians themselves. Isaiah warns Jerusalem's leaders not to scoff at his message. Despite Judah's agreements with other nations, the Lord will send the overwhelming scourge to wash away their refuge of lies. The next three chapters of Isaiah (29—31) predict siege and distress for Jerusalem but also promise that God will destroy Judah's enemies and bless them if they return to Him.

Isaiah is among the most important prophetic books in the entire Bible. The first segment details God's impending judgment against ancient peoples for sin and idolatry (Isaiah 1—35). The second part of Isaiah briefly explains a failed assault on Jerusalem during the rule of Hezekiah (Isaiah 36—39). The final chapters predict Israel's rescue from Babylonian captivity (Isaiah 40—48), the promised Messiah (Isaiah 49—57), and the final glory of Jerusalem and God's people (Isaiah 58—66).

Accessed 9/17/2025 1:12:37 PM