Chapter 28
28:1 Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim, and to the fading flower the glory his joy, who were on the head of the fat valley, staggering with wine.
28:2 Behold the Lord is mighty and strong, as a storm of hail: a destroying whirlwind, as the violence of many waters overflowing, and sent forth upon a spacious land.
28:3 The crown of pride of the drunkards of Ephraim shall be trodden under feet.
28:4 And the fading flower the glory of his joy, who is on the head of the fat valley, shall be as a hasty fruit before the ripeness of autumn: which when he that sees it shall behold, as soon as he takes it in his hand, he will eat it up.
28:5 In that day the Lord of hosts shall be a crown of glory, and a garland of joy to the residue of his people:
28:6 And a spirit of judgment to him that sits in judgment, and strength to them that return out of the battle to the gate.
28:7 But these also have been ignorant through wine, and through drunkenness have erred: the priest and the prophet have been ignorant through drunkenness, they are swallowed up with wine, they have gone astray in drunkenness, they have not known him that sees, they have been ignorant of judgment.
28:8 For all the tables were full of vomit and filth, so that there was no more place.
28:9 Whom shall he teach knowledge? And whom shall he make to understand the hearing? Them that are weaned from the milk, that are drawn away from the breasts.
28:10 For command, command again, command, command again; expect, expect again, expect, expect again; a little there, a little there.
28:11 For with the speech of lips, and with another tongue he will speak to this people.
28:12 To whom he said: this is my rest, refresh the weary, and this is my refreshing: and they would not hear.
28:13 And the word of the Lord shall be to them: command, command again; command, command again; expect, expect again; a little there, a little there: that they may go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.
28:14 Wherefore hear the word of the Lord, you scornful men, who rule over my people that is in Jerusalem.
28:15 For you have said: we have entered into a league with death, and we have made a covenant with hell. When the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come upon us: for we have placed our hope in lies, and by falsehood we are protected.
28:16 Therefore thus says the Lord God: behold I will lay a stone in the foundations of Zion, a tried stone, a corner stone, a precious stone, founded in the foundation. He that believes, let him not hasten.
28:17 And I will set judgment in weight, and justice in measure: and hail shall overturn the hope of falsehood: and waters shall overflow its protection.
28:18 And your league with death shall be abolished, and your covenant with hell shall not stand: when the overflowing scourge shall pass, you shall be trodden down by it.
28:19 Whensoever it shall pass through, it shall take you away: because in the morning early it shall pass through, in the day and in the night, and vexation alone shall make you understand what you hear.
28:20 For the bed is straitened, so that one must fall out, and a short covering cannot cover both.
28:21 For the Lord shall stand up as in the mountain of divisions: he shall be angry as in the valley which is in Gabaon: that he may do his work, his strange work: that he may perform his work, his work is strange to him.
28:22 And now do not mock, lest your bonds be tied strait. For I have heard of the Lord the God of hosts a consumption and a cutting short upon all the earth.
28:23 Give ear, and hear my voice, hearken, and hear my speech.
28:24 Shall the ploughman plough all the day to sow, shall he open and harrow his ground?
28:25 Will he not, when he has made plain the surface thereof, sow gith, and scatter cummin, and put wheat in order, and barley, and millet, and vetches in their bounds?
28:26 For he will instruct him in judgment: his God will teach him.
28:27 For gith shall not be thrashed with saws, neither shall the cart wheel turn about upon cummin: but gith shall be beaten out with a rod, and cummin with a staff.
28:28 But bread shall be broken small: but the thrasher shall not thrash it for ever, neither shall the cart wheel hurt it, nor break it with its teeth.
28:29 This also is come forth from the Lord God of hosts, to make his counsel wonderful, and magnify justice.
633 . Woe to the crown . In this part, he threatens against those who disdain the predictions of the prophets,
and first, against those who disdain in the present,
second, against those to come in the time of Jeremiah, woe to you, apostate children (ch. 30).
The first of these is divided into two parts.
In the first, against those from the ten tribes;
in the second, against those from the two tribes: but these also (Isa 28:7).
634 . Concerning the first, he does three things.
First, he denounces the sin of pride: woe to the crown , for they were proud of their multitude, which is the crown or glory of a king (Prov 14:28);
second, the sin of gluttony: to the drunkards of Ephraim , Nahum: with glory you have made me drunk , to the fading flower the glory his joy, who were on the head of the fat valley , who, in the time of David and Solomon, coming from the heat, established tents of idolatry in the valley of Gethsemane; staggering with wine , namely, idolatry: the rod has blossomed, the almond tree has budded (Ezek 7:10).
635 . Second, he threatens punishment: behold the Lord is mighty ; and concerning this, he does two things.
First, he sets out the strength of the enemy: behold, mighty , as to the strength of the enemy, whom he will send in; as a storm of hail , as to their multitude, above: nations shall make a noise like the noise of waters (Isa 17:13).
Second, he sets out the inflicting of the punishment, namely, the casting down of pride: the crown of pride shall be trodden under feet : in your anger you will tread the earth under foot (Hab 3:12); and the emptying of glory, and the flower shall be as a hasty fruit , that is, ripe or early fruit, above: for before the harvest it was all flourishing (Isa 18:5); all your strong holds shall be like fig trees with their green figs (Nah 3:12).
636 . Third, he sets out the glory of the just, namely, of the just of the two tribes: in that day , namely, in the time of Ezechias, when the ten tribes had been destroyed; as to three things.
As to the joy of the people, a crown , which is of gold or silver, in contrast to the crown of pride ; a garland , of flowers, in contrast to the fading flower , below: and I will give them a crown for ashes (Isa 61:3).
As to the justice of the king: and he , the Lord himself, shall be a spirit of judgment : a king shall reign, and shall be wise: and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth (Jer 23:5).
As to the might of their soldiers: and strength , for the Lord will fight for them, above: because you have been my strength (Isa 25:4).
637 . But these also . Here he threatens against those among the two tribes who disdain the predictions of the prophets;
and first, against the princes,
second, against the city or against the people, woe to Ariel (ch. 29).
The first of these is divided into two parts.
First, he sets out the threat;
second, the consolation: give ear (Isa 28:23).
Concerning the first, he does two things.
First, he denounces the sin and threatens destruction at the same time;
second, he excludes remedy: wherefore hear the word of the Lord (Isa 28:14).
Concerning the first, he does two things.
First, he denounces their lack of knowledge;
second, their contempt of teaching: for command (Isa 28:10).
638 . Concerning the first of these, he does two things.
First, he denounces their fault, first setting out the error of them all together: but these also have been ignorant through wine : wine, and drunkenness (Hos 4:11), make one to fall away from God;
second, the fault of their teachers: the priest and the prophet have been ignorant , as to ignorance of what is to be believed; they have gone astray , as to ignorance of what is to be done; him that sees , that is, God who sees all things. Hence the explanation of this can be found in: her priests have despised my law, and have defiled my sanctuaries (Ezek 22:26).
Third, he sets out the manner of their ignorance: for all the tables were full of vomit , for they gorged themselves in their temples until they vomited, as if they were devoted entirely to idols; and filth , namely, of all their shameful vices: as a dog that returns to his vomit (Prov 26:11), and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.
639 . Second, he threatens the punishment of blindness: whom shall he teach?
Hence the question is first set out, whom shall he teach knowledge? As if to say: why have you spurned knowledge? The hearing , namely, what I heard from the Lord.
Second, the answer is set out: them that are weaned from the milk , that is, the humble and simple little ones: you have hid these things from the wise and prudent, and have revealed them to little ones (Matt 11:25); or all of the good who are separated from the milk of concupiscence.
640 . Note on the word, drunkenness (Isa 28:7), that the wicked are inebriated on the wine,
first, of material liquor: be not drunk with wine, wherein is luxury (Eph 5:18);
second, of carnal delight: come, let us be inebriated (Prov 7:18) with wine;
third, of spiritual error, above: they have caused Egypt to err in all its works, as a drunken man staggers and vomits (Isa 19:14);
fourth, of divine punishment: he has inebriated me with wormwood (Lam 3:15).
The saints are also inebriated,
first, with the tears of compunction, above: I will inebriate you with my tears (Isa 16:9);
second, with the chalice of suffering: your chalice which inebriates me, how goodly is it (Ps 22[23]:5);
third, with the incentive of love: eat, O friends, and drink, and be inebriated (Song 5:1);
fourth, with a torrent of happy delight: they shall be inebriated with the plenty of your house (Ps 35:9[36:8]).
641 . Note also on the words, crown of pride (Isa 28:1), that both the wicked and the good are crowned.
The wicked are crowned first with the crown of vain joy: let us crown ourselves with roses (Wis 2:8);
second, the crown of the things of wealth, above: who has taken this counsel against Tyre, that was formerly crowned? (Isa 23:8);
third, of worldly power: he has stripped me of my glory, and has taken the crown from my head (Job 19:9);
fourth, of superstitious observances: when the feast of Bacchus was kept, they were compelled to go about crowned with ivy in honor of Bacchus (2 Macc 6:7).
642 . The saints are also crowned:
first, with a nuptial crown, below: as a bridegroom he has decked with a crown (Isa 61:10);
second, a triumphal crown: he will not be crowned, except he strive lawfully (2 Tim 2:5);
third, a royal crown, below: you shall be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord (Isa 62:3); you, O Lord, have set on his head a crown of precious stones (Ps 20:4[21:3]);
fourth, a priestly crown: and a crown of gold upon his head wherein was engraved holiness (Sir 45:14[12]).
643 . Note also on the words, them that are weaned from the milk (Isa 28:9), that there is a certain milk that ought to be abandoned, and this is manifold:
first, the milk of carnal concupiscence, above: the weaned child shall thrust his hand into the den of the basilisk (Isa 11:8);
second, of imperfect justice: the child grew, and was weaned (Gen 21:8);
third, of rudimentary doctrine: as unto little ones in Christ, I gave you milk to drink (1 Cor 3:1–2).
There is also a milk that ought to be embraced:
first, of a pure conscience: whiter than snow, brighter than milk (Lam 4:7), because of its brightness;
second, of sound doctrine, because of its sweetness: honey and milk are under her tongue (Song 4:11);
third, of eternal glory, because it easy to swallow: possess their land flowing with milk and honey (Lev 20:24).
644 . For command . Here he sets out their contempt of teaching,
and first, through the blasphemy by which they derided the prophets, saying, command , for they used these words in threatening, above: I will command the army (13) of heaven: I will command the clouds (Jer 3); expect , here, in promising: if it make any delay, wait for it: for it shall surely come (Hab 2:3). And he adds the punishment: for with the speech of lips, and with another tongue , that is, you shall so lack understanding of the prophets as if someone were speaking to you, with only the movement of the lips, and in a foreign tongue; or right away he will inflict wounds on you. And of this kind of speaking: let us examine him by outrages and tortures (Wis 2:19).
645 . Second, as to disobedience, to whom he said .
Hence he first sets out the precept, this is my rest, refresh the weary : because you did it to one of these my least brethren, you did it to me (Matt 25:40);
second, their contempt, and they would not hear : but the house of Israel will not hearken to you: because they will not hearken to me (Ezek 3:7).
Third, he threatens destruction: and the word shall be to them , that is, they will suffer this punishment for their own words: by your words , I judge you, you wicked servant (Matt 12:37); that they may go , to destruction.
646 . Wherefore . Here he excludes remedy.
And first, he sets out two remedies;
second, he excludes both from them: and I will set (Isa 28:17).
Concerning the first, he sets out two remedies.
One in which they trusted, namely, a covenant with idols; hence he places the covenant: we have entered into a league with death , that is, with the devil: will he make a covenant with you, and will you take him to be a servant for ever? (Job 40:23); and the fruit of the covenant: the overflowing scourge , that is, persecution; we have placed our hope in lies , that is, in idols, because you prophets tell lies: they are not in the labor of men: neither shall they be scourged like other men (Ps 72[73]:5).
Second is the remedy which God prepares for the saints, namely Christ: behold I will lay a stone in the foundations of Zion : the stone which the builders rejected; the same is become the head of the corner (Ps 117[118]:22); he that believes, let him not hasten , but wait for it: if it make any delay, wait for it (Hab 2:3), and this against the blasphemies of the wicked.
647 . And I will set . Here he excludes both of these remedies,
and first, the first remedy,
second, the second remedy: for the bed is straitened (Isa 28:20).
Concerning the first, he does three things:
first, he sets out the just judgment of exclusion: I will set judgment in weight : you have made all things in number and measure (Wis 11:21);
second, he excludes the covenant, and hail , of tribulation, shall overturn the hope of falsehood ; and he sets out four things against all that had been mentioned above: the hope of the hypocrite shall perish (Job 8:13);
third, the fruit of the exclusion, and vexation alone , above: Lord, they have sought after you in distress (Isa 26:16).
648 . For the bed is straitened . Here he excludes the second remedy.
And first, he sets out the impediment, which makes it so that the remedy will not profit them: straitened ; he speaks according the likeness of an adulteress, who cannot have her husband and her lover in the same bed; just so, they cannot maintain the worship of idols and obtain divine help: you cannot be partakers of the table of the Lord and of the table of devils (1 Cor 10:21).
Second, he sets out the coming of the liberator, as in the mountain of divisions . He refers to the history which is found in 2 Kings 5; as in the valley , Joshua 10.
Third, he excludes the help of mercy: that he may do his work , that is, that he may have mercy on us, as he did then, spoken interrogatively; and he responds: strange work : his tender mercies are over all his works (Ps 144[145]:9).
649 . And now do not mock . Here he draws, as a conclusion, sound and wholesome counsel,
and first, he prohibits mocking: do not mock ; bonds , of captivity: he shall scorn the scorners (Prov 3:34);
and he assigns the reason: for I have heard of the Lord the God of hosts a consumption and a cutting short upon all the earth .
650 . Give ear . Here he sets out consolation.
And first, he arouses their attention: hear : hear, O you heavens, the things I speak (Deut 32:1).
Second, he sets out the consolation under the likeness of a farmer: shall the ploughman plough all the day , through which he shows three things, namely,
the intention of God to punish like the ploughman, that they might bear fruit, to sow . Gith , a kind of legume similar to cumin;
second, the discretion of his judgment, for he punishes some in one way and others in a different way, just as a farmer beats out wheat in one way and cumin in another, and he indicates this where it says: for he will instruct him in judgment . Bread , that is, grain;
third, the ending of punishments as to those who are corrected: but the thrasher shall not thrash it for ever : he that ploughs, should plough in hope, and he that thrashes, in hope to receive fruit (1 Cor 9:10).
Third, he sets out the explanation: this also is come forth from the Lord God of hosts, to make his counsel wonderful : wonderful are your works (Ps 134[135]:14).