E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - Isaiah 28:17
Judgment also will I lay to the line, &c. = I will make judgment the line, and righteousness the plumbline. read more
Judgment also will I lay to the line, &c. = I will make judgment the line, and righteousness the plumbline. read more
Isaiah 28:17-22. Judgment also will I lay to the line— The prophet, having provided for the safety of those who put their trust in God, prepares himself to denounce the judgments ready for the profane and hypocritical scorners of Jerusalem, who boasted that they had made a covenant with death and with hell, renouncing all hope of salvation from God; and the denunciation of this judgment is comprehended in various articles, the first whereof is in the 17th verse, wherein God testifies that he... read more
17. line—the measuring-line of the plummet. HORSLEY translates, "I will appoint judgment for the rule, and justice for the plummet." As the corner-stone stands most perpendicular and exactly proportioned, so Jehovah, while holding out grace to believers in the Foundation-stone, will judge the scoffers ( :-) according to the exact justice of the law (compare James 2:13). hail—divine judgment (Isaiah 30:30; Isaiah 32:19). read more
The folly of Judah’s leaders 28:7-22Isaiah now compared the pride and indulgence of the Ephraimite leaders to that of their Southern Kingdom brethren. The leaders of Judah were even worse. There is some debate among scholars about where reference to Ephraim’s rulers ends and where reference to Judah’s leaders begins. It seems to me that the context favors the change occurring between Isaiah 28:6-7. read more
The rulers had made a covenant in which they hoped (Isaiah 28:15), but God would make justice and righteousness the measuring standards by which He would act and judge His people. They thought they could avoid the "overwhelming scourge" (cf. Isaiah 10:22; Isaiah 10:26) of their enemy by taking refuge in a treaty (Isaiah 28:15), but God would allow them to be swept away by an adversary (cf. Isaiah 28:2). read more
Warnings to JudahThese chapters refer to the state of affairs during the reign of Hezekiah, when Palestine was threatened by Assyria, and an influential party in Judah favoured resistance, relying on the support of Egypt; a line of policy consistently opposed by Isaiah. read more
This chapter must be assigned (Isaiah 28:1) to a date prior to the capture of Samaria by the Assyrians (722 b.c.) and fall of the northern kingdom.1-6. Samaria’s luxury and self-indulgence pave the way to ruin. 7-10. Judah likewise is given up to indulgence and heeds not the prophet’s warning, 11-13. Therefore Jehovah will teach the people by means of foreign invasion and disaster. 14-22. Judah’s safety lies not in faithless diplomacy, but in trust in Jehovah. 23-29. A parable of Jehovah’s way... read more
(17) Judgment also will I lay to the line . . .—Rather, I make judgment for a line, and righteousness for a plummet. The architectural imagery is continued. The “elect corner stone” shall come up to the standard of perfection, laid four-square (Revelation 21:16); and, therefore, should be the true place of refuge; while? the boast of the scorners, which the prophet repeats in the words that follow, should prove a false one. They would see their place of refuge swept away by the great waters.... read more
The Verifying Faculty Isaiah 28:12 The Bible is always talking in our mother tongue. The oldest and greatest of the Prophets spoke in language which almost children can understand and appreciate. Take such words as 'weary'; the child knows what it means when it sees its father returning from the fields and stretching himself in token of fatigue. And 'rest,' the little word needs no translation; and 'refreshing,' the very word which an apostle uses in later times when he speaks of 'times of... read more
Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Isaiah 28:1-29
28:1-33:24 HEZEKIAH AND THE ASSYRIANSBefore reading Chapters 28-33, readers should be familiar with the historical background found in the introduction under the heading ‘Judah’s new policies under Hezekiah’. Hezekiah reversed the policies of his father Ahaz. Whereas Ahaz sought help from Assyria to oppose Israel and Syria, Hezekiah sought help from Egypt to oppose Assyria. Isaiah opposed both policies alike. Faith in God, not reliance on foreign powers, is Judah’s only hope for survival. The... read more