Isaiah 28:9-10 NIV

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Isaiah 28:9-13

The prophet here complains of the wretched stupidity of this people, that they were unteachable and made no improvement of the means of grace which they possessed; they still continued as they were, their mistakes not rectified, their hearts not renewed, nor their lives reformed. Observe, I. What it was that their prophets and ministers designed and aimed at. It was to teach them knowledge, the knowledge of God and his will, and to make them understand doctrine, Isa. 28:9. This is God's way of... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 28:9

Whom shall he teach knowledge ?.... Not the drunken priest or prophet, who were both unfit for teaching men knowledge; but either the true and godly priest or prophet of the Lord, or the Lord himself, before spoken of as a spirit of judgment, Isaiah 28:6 namely, by his prophets and ministers, the latter seem rather intended; whom may or can such an one teach the knowledge of God, and of themselves; the knowledge of the law, and of the Gospel; the knowledge of divine truths, of things... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 28:10

For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept ,.... Signifying, that they must be dealt with as children were, when first instructed in the rudiments of a language, first had one rule given them, and then another, and so one after another till they had gone through the whole: line upon line, line upon line ; who are taught first to write one line, and then another; or to draw one line, and write after that, and then another; or where to begin one line, and, when finished,... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Isaiah 28:9

Whom shall he teach knowledge?" Whom, say they, would he teach knowledge?" - The scoffers mentioned below, Isaiah 28:14 , are here introduced as uttering their sententious speeches; they treat God's method of dealing with them, and warning them by his prophets, with contempt and derision. What, say they, doth he treat us as mere infants just weaned? doth he teach us like little children, perpetually inculcating the same elementary lessons, the mere rudiments of knowledge; precept after... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Isaiah 28:10

For precept must be upon precept - The original is remarkably abrupt and sententious. The hemistichs are these: - לצו צו לצו צו כי latsav tsav latsav tsav ki לקו קו לקו קו lakau kau lakau kau שם זעיר שם זעיר sham zeeir sham zeeir For, - Command to command, command to command. Line to line, line to line. A little there, a little there. Kimchi says צו tsau , precept, is used here for מצוה mitsuah , command, and is used in no... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 28:7-10

JUDAH 'S SINFULNESS . The reformation effected by Hezekiah was but a half-reformation. It put away idolatry, but it left untouched a variety of moral evils, as: 1. Drunkenness. Judah was no whir behind Ephraim in respect of this vice. The very priests and "prophets" gave way to the disgusting habit, and came drunk to the most solemn functions of religious teaching and hearing causes. 2. Scorn and mockery of God's true prophets. The teaching of Isaiah was made light of by the... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 28:7-13

The mockers and the prophet. Here, it appears, the scene changes to Jerusalem. And we should compare the picture of drunkenness and luxury with that in Amos 6:1-7 and Micah 2:11 . I. THE PRIESTS AND PROPHETS OF THE TIME . They are seen reeling and staggering in the midst of, or as they come from, their most sacred functions. It is a strong and indignant description of drunkenness in general (cf. Proverbs 20:1 ). What more humiliating than the spectacle! To have "put... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 28:9

Whom shall he teach ? A sudden and abrupt transition. The best explanation seems to be that suggested by Jerome, and followed by Bishop Lowth and most commentators, viz. that the prophet dramatically introduces his adversaries as replying to him with taunting speeches. "Whom does he think he is teaching?" they ask. "Mere children, just weaned from their mother's milk, and taken away from the breast? Does he forget that we are grown men—nay, priests and prophets? And what poor teaching it is!... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 28:9-10

The objections of unbelievers to such as preach the truth. The argumentum ad hominem , to which Isaiah's adversaries had recourse, is one very generally employed by those who are indisposed to receive religious teaching. "Who are you," the teacher is asked, "that you should set yourself up to teach us? On what grounds do you suppose that you are so much wiser than we? We are not babes—not tied to our mothers' apron-strings, not mere children without experience of life. We think that... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 28:9-13

Indocility. When God speaks man may well listen, whatsoever strains the Divine Teacher may employ. But man is often found to be, not only an inapt, but even an unwilling, scholar. Such were they who are here terribly rebuked. I. THE DESIGN OF GOD 'S TEACHING . God had been saying, "This is the rest," etc. ( Isaiah 28:12 ). The end of all God's instruction is to give rest to his human scholars. Peace was the promise of the old covenant ( Numbers 6:26 ; Numbers 25:12 ). ... read more

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Isaiah 28:9-13

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 28:9

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 28:10

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Isaiah 28:9

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Isaiah 28:10

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 28:7-10

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 28:7-13

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 28:9

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 28:9-10

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 28:9-13

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