Isaiah

Isaiah 28:9–13

⁹Whom is He trying to teach?

To whom is He explaining His message?

To infants just weaned from milk?

To babies removed from the breast?

¹⁰For they hear:^b

“Order on order, order on order,

line on line, line on line;^c

a little here, a little there.”

¹¹Indeed, with mocking lips and foreign tongues,

He will speak to this people^d ¹²to whom He has said:

“This is the place of rest, let the weary rest;

this is the place of repose.”

But they would not listen.

¹³Then the word of the LORD to them will become:

“Order on order, order on order,

line on line, line on line;

a little here, a little there,”

so that they will go stumbling backward

and will be injured, ensnared, and captured.

Footnotes

b 28:10 Or For He says or For it is; literally For
c 28:10 Or Do this, do that, a rule for this, a rule for that; Hebrew sav lasav sav lasav kav lakav kav lakav (possibly meaningless sounds to demonstrate an inability to understand); also in verse 13
d 28:11 Cited in 1 Corinthians 14:21|1CO 14:21

Read all of Isaiah 28

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

Isaiah 28:9

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Whom	מִי֙	mî	Interrogative	H4310 who?
is He trying to teach	יוֹרֶ֣ה	yō·w·reh	Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H3384 throw, shoot
To whom	מִ֖י	mî	Interrogative	H4310 who?
is He explaining	יָבִ֣ין	yā·ḇîn	Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H995 discern
His message	שְׁמוּעָ֑ה	šə·mū·‘āh	Noun - feminine singular	H8052 report
To infants just weaned	גְּמוּלֵי֙	gə·mū·lê	Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine plural construct	H1580 deal fully or adequately with, deal out to
from milk	מֵֽחָלָ֔ב	mê·ḥā·lāḇ	Preposition-m; Noun - masculine singular	H2461 milk
To babies removed	עַתִּיקֵ֖י	‘at·tî·qê	Adjective - masculine plural construct	H6267 removed, old
from the breast	מִשָּׁדָֽיִם׃	miš·šā·ḏā·yim	Preposition-m; Noun - md	H7699 violence, havoc, devastation, ruin

Isaiah 28:10

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
For	כִּ֣י	kî	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
Order	צַ֤ו	ṣaw	Noun - masculine singular	H6673 injunction
on order	לָצָו֙	lā·ṣāw	Preposition-l; Noun - masculine singular	H6673 injunction
order	צַ֣ו	ṣaw	Noun - masculine singular	H6673 injunction
on order	לָצָ֔ו	lā·ṣāw	Preposition-l; Noun - masculine singular	H6673 injunction
line	קַ֥ו	qaw	Noun - masculine singular	H6957 line
on line	לָקָ֖ו	lā·qāw	Preposition-l; Noun - masculine singular	H6957 line
line	קַ֣ו	qaw	Noun - masculine singular	H6957 line
on line	לָקָ֑ו	lā·qāw	Preposition-l; Noun - masculine singular	H6957 line
a little	זְעֵ֥יר	zə·‘êr	Noun - masculine singular	H2191 a little
here	שָׁ֖ם	šām	Adverb	H8033 there, thither
a little	זְעֵ֥יר	zə·‘êr	Noun - masculine singular	H2191 a little
there	שָֽׁם׃	šām	Adverb	H8033 there, thither

Isaiah 28:11

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Indeed	כִּ֚י	kî	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
with mocking	בְּלַעֲגֵ֣י	bə·la·‘ă·ḡê	Preposition-b; Adjective - masculine plural construct	H3934 mocking
lips	שָׂפָ֔ה	śā·p̄āh	Noun - feminine singular	H8193 lip, speech, edge
and foreign	אַחֶ֑רֶת	’a·ḥe·reṯ	Adjective - feminine singular	H312 another
tongues	וּבְלָשׁ֖וֹן	ū·ḇə·lā·šō·wn	Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b; Noun - common singular	H3956 tongue
He will speak	יְדַבֵּ֖ר	yə·ḏab·bêr	Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H1696 speak
to	אֶל־	’el-	Preposition	H413 motion to
this	הַזֶּֽה׃	haz·zeh	Article; Pronoun - masculine singular	H2088 this, that
people	הָעָ֥ם	hā·‘ām	Article; Noun - masculine singular	H5971 people

Isaiah 28:12

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
to whom	אֲשֶׁ֣ר׀	’ă·šer	Pronoun - relative	H834 particle of relation
He has said	אָמַ֣ר	’ā·mar	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H559 utter, say
This	זֹ֤את	zōṯ	Pronoun - feminine singular	H2063 this
is the place of rest	הַמְּנוּחָה֙	ham·mə·nū·ḥāh	Article; Noun - feminine singular	H4496 resting-place, rest
let the weary	לֶֽעָיֵ֔ף	le·‘ā·yêp̄	Preposition-l, Article; Adjective - masculine singular	H5889 faint, weary
rest	הָנִ֣יחוּ	hā·nî·ḥū	Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine plural	H5117 rest
this	וְזֹ֖את	wə·zōṯ	Conjunctive waw; Pronoun - feminine singular	H2063 this
is the place of repose	הַמַּרְגֵּעָ֑ה	ham·mar·gê·‘āh	Article; Noun - feminine singular	H4774 rest, repose
But they would	אָב֖וּא	’ā·ḇū	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural	H14 be willing, consent
not	וְלֹ֥א	wə·lō	Conjunctive waw; Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
listen	שְׁמֽוֹעַ׃	šə·mō·w·a‘	Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct	H8085 hear

Isaiah 28:13

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Then the word	דְּבַר־	də·ḇar-	Noun - masculine singular construct	H1697 speech, word
of the LORD	יְהוָ֗ה	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
to them	לָהֶ֜ם	lā·hem	Preposition-l; Pronoun - third person masculine plural
will become	וְהָיָ֨ה	wə·hā·yāh	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular	H1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
Order	צַ֣ו	ṣaw	Noun - masculine singular	H6673 injunction
on order	לָצָ֞ו	lā·ṣāw	Preposition-l; Noun - masculine singular	H6673 injunction
order	צַ֤ו	ṣaw	Noun - masculine singular	H6673 injunction
on order	לָצָו֙	lā·ṣāw	Preposition-l; Noun - masculine singular	H6673 injunction
line	קַ֤ו	qaw	Noun - masculine singular	H6957 line
on line	לָקָו֙	lā·qāw	Preposition-l; Noun - masculine singular	H6957 line
line	קַ֣ו	qaw	Noun - masculine singular	H6957 line
on line	לָקָ֔ו	lā·qāw	Preposition-l; Noun - masculine singular	H6957 line
a little	זְעֵ֥יר	zə·‘êr	Noun - masculine singular	H2191 a little
here	שָׁ֖ם	šām	Adverb	H8033 there, thither
a little	זְעֵ֣יר	zə·‘êr	Noun - masculine singular	H2191 a little
there	שָׁ֑ם	šām	Adverb	H8033 there, thither
so that	לְמַ֨עַן	lə·ma·‘an	Conjunction	H4616 purpose, intent
they will go	יֵלְכ֜וּ	yê·lə·ḵū	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural	H1980 go, come, walk
stumbling	וְכָשְׁל֤וּ	wə·ḵā·šə·lū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural	H3782 stumble, stagger, totter
backward	אָחוֹר֙	’ā·ḥō·wr	Noun - masculine singular	H268 the hinder side, back part
and will be injured	וְנִשְׁבָּ֔רוּ	wə·niš·bā·rū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural	H7665 break, break in pieces
ensnared	וְנוֹקְשׁ֖וּ	wə·nō·wq·šū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural	H3369 lay a bait or lure
and captured	וְנִלְכָּֽדוּ׃פ	wə·nil·kā·ḏū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural	H3920 capture, seize, take (by lot)