Isaiah 28:20 - Printer Friendly

ESV: For the bed is too short to stretch oneself on, and the covering too narrow to wrap oneself in.

NIV: The bed is too short to stretch out on, the blanket too narrow to wrap around you.

NASB: The bed is too short on which to stretch out, And the blanket is too small to wrap oneself in.

CSB: Indeed, the bed is too short to stretch out on, and its cover too small to wrap up in.

NLT: The bed you have made is too short to lie on. The blankets are too narrow to cover you.

KJV: For the bed is shorter than that a man can stretch himself on it: and the covering narrower than that he can wrap himself in it.

NKJV: For the bed is too short to stretch out on, And the covering so narrow that one cannot wrap himself in it.

This is a kind of proverb or saying. Isaiah applies it to Judah's trust in foreign powers like Egypt (Isaiah 30:1–2) to save them from the Assyrians (Isaiah 20:6). It's easy for Egypt to promise to step in and defend Judah. But they simply didn't have the will or the ability to do so (Isaiah 30:3–5).

Scripture compares this to the promise of a good night's sleep on a bed that is too short with a blanket that is too small. Instead of resting well throughout the night, the person will be hanging off the bed and shivering from the cold. In the same way, Egypt's promise of protection will quickly be exposed as worthless when the Assyrians flood into Judah and begin their reign of destruction.

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 8/24/2025 8:46:54 AM