ris3n's Apologetics Codex

Passage

Isaiah 28.9-13

Book: Isaiah · ASV / WEB / KJV / YLT

Immediate context (±2 verses)

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ASV (ASV)

"7. And even these reel with wine, and stagger with strong drink; the priest and the prophet reel with strong drink, they are swallowed up of wine, they stagger with strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment. 8. For all tables are full of vomit and filthiness, so that there is no place clean."

"9. Whom will he teach knowledge? and whom will he make to understand the message? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts? 10. For it is precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, there a little. 11. Nay, but by men of strange lips and with another tongue will he speak to this people; 12. to whom he said, This is the rest, give ye rest to him that is weary; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear. 13. Therefore shall the word of Jehovah be unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, there a little; that they may go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken."

"14. Wherefore hear the word of Jehovah, ye scoffers, that rule this people that is in Jerusalem: 15. Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with Sheol are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us; for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves:" (Isaiah 28:7-15, ASV)

WEB (WEB)

"7. They also reel with wine, and stagger with strong drink. The priest and the prophet reel with strong drink. They are swallowed up by wine. They stagger with strong drink. They err in vision. They stumble in judgment. 8. For all tables are completely full of filthy vomit and filthiness."

"9. Whom will he teach knowledge? To whom will he explain the message? Those who are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts? 10. For it is precept on precept, precept on precept; line on line, line on line; here a little, there a little. 11. But he will speak to this nation with stammering lips and in another language; 12. to whom he said, “This is the resting place. Give rest to weary”; and “This is the refreshing”; yet they would not hear. 13. Therefore Yahweh’s word will be to them precept on precept, precept on precept; line on line, line on line; here a little, there a little; that they may go, fall backward, be broken, be snared, and be taken."

"14. Therefore hear Yahweh’s word, you scoffers, that rule this people in Jerusalem: 15. “Because you have said, ‘We have made a covenant with death, and with Sheol are we in agreement. When the overflowing scourge passes through, it won’t come to us; for we have made lies our refuge, and we have hidden ourselves under falsehood.’”" (Isaiah 28:7-15, WEB)

KJV (KJV)

"7. But they also have erred through wine, and through strong drink are out of the way; the priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink, they are swallowed up of wine, they are out of the way through strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment. 8. For all tables are full of vomit and filthiness, so that there is no place clean."

"9. Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. doctrine: Heb. the hearing? 10. For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little: must be: or, hath been 11. For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people. stammering: Heb. stammerings of lip will: or, he hath spoken 12. To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear. 13. But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken."

"14. Wherefore hear the word of the LORD, ye scornful men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem. 15. Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves:" (Isaiah 28:7-15, KJV)

YLT (YLT)

"7. And even these through wine have erred, And through strong drink have wandered, Priest and prophet erred through strong drink, They have been swallowed up of the wine, They wandered because of the strong drink, They have erred in seeing, They have stumbled judicially. 8. For all tables have been full of vomit, Filth, without place!"

"9. By whom doth He teach knowledge? And by whom doth He cause to understand the report? The weaned from milk, the removed from breasts, 10. For rule [is] on rule, rule on rule, line on line, line on line, A little here, a little there, 11. For by scorned lip, and by another tongue, Doth He speak unto this people. 12. Unto whom He hath said, 'This [is] the rest, give ye rest to the weary, And this, the refreshing:' And they have not been willing to hear, 13. And to whom a word of Jehovah hath been, Rule on rule, rule on rule, line on line, line on line, A little here, a little there, So that they go and have stumbled backward, And been broken, and snared, and captured."

"14. Therefore, hear a word of Jehovah, ye men of scorning, Ruling this people that [is] in Jerusalem. 15. Because ye have said: 'We have made a covenant with death, And with Sheol we have made a provision, An overflowing scourge, when it passeth over, Doth not meet us, Though we have made a lie our refuge, And in falsehood have been hidden.'" (Isaiah 28:7-15, YLT)

Setting

  • Speaker: Isaiah son of Amoz (traditional unity) + LORD direct discourse
  • Audience: Judah under Uzziah/Jotham/Ahaz/Hezekiah + exilic remnant
  • Location: Jerusalem and Judah
  • Time period: ministry c. 740-680 BC

Theological reading

Key words

Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the most literal English translations available (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the public domain in the United States, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

  • ASV (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
  • WEB (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
  • KJV (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
  • YLT (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See Bibles for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.