Isaiah 28:11-13 Commentary and Exegesis
Isaiah 28:11-13 describes God's judgment upon a rebellious people, who, having rejected clear instruction, will now receive a message in a foreign and incomprehensible manner. The passage reads:
"Indeed, with mocking lips and foreign tongues, He will speak to this people, to whom he said, 'This is the resting place, let the weary rest,' and 'This is the place of repose'—but they would not listen. So the word of the Lord to them will be: 'Precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little,' so that they may go and fall backward, be broken, snared, and captured" (Isaiah 28:11-13 BSB) [2].
This passage is situated within a larger prophetic discourse concerning the northern kingdom of Israel (Ephraim) and Judah. Isaiah condemns the leaders of Ephraim for their drunkenness and arrogance, likening them to a fading flower [1]. The prophet then shifts to Judah, warning them against similar spiritual complacency and reliance on human alliances rather than God [3]. The "mocking lips and foreign tongues" refer to the Assyrians, who would invade and conquer Israel, speaking a language unintelligible to the Israelites. This foreign speech would serve as a sign of God's judgment, a consequence for their refusal to heed His earlier, clear commands [2].
The phrase "precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little" (צַו לָצָו צַו לָצָו קַו לָקָו קַו לָקָו זְעֵיר שָׁם זְעֵיר שָׁם) is a key interpretive point. Some Jewish rationalist interpretations, such as Abraham Ibn Ezra, understand this phrase to mean "little by little, gradually," suggesting a slow, incremental teaching method [6]. However, in the context of judgment, many commentators interpret this as a mocking repetition of simple, childish instruction, reflecting the people's spiritual immaturity and their rejection of profound truth. John Calvin, in his Commentary on Isaiah, views this as God speaking to them "as to children," because they had despised His plain teaching [4]. The repetition emphasizes the simplicity of the divine instruction that was previously given but ignored.
The consequence of this rejection is severe: "so that they may go and fall backward, be broken, snared, and captured" [2]. This outcome is not merely a result of their stubbornness but a divine judgment that uses their own resistance to bring about their downfall. The Targum Jonathan interprets this as a punishment for transgressing God's word and refusing to obey His law, leading to their delivery into the hands of nations who do not know the law [5]. This passage highlights a recurring theme in Isaiah: God's patience in offering clear guidance, and the inevitable, often severe, consequences when that guidance is scorned.
Sources
- Treasury of Scripture Knowledge “Isaiah 28:3 cross-references: 2 Kings 9:33, Isaiah 25:10, Isaiah 26:6, Isaiah 28:1, Lamentations 1:15, Daniel 8:13, Hebrews 10:29, Revelation 11:2”
- Isaiah “Isaiah 28:11 (BSB) — Indeed, with mocking lips and foreign tongues, He will speak to this people”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 2, section 103: It is not however only in the typical services of the old economy that this great doctrine was set forth in the Hebrew Scriptures. In the fifty-third chapter of Isaiah this doctrine is presented with a clearness and copiousness which have extorted assent from the most unwilling minds. The prophet in that chapter not only foretells that the Messiah was to be a man of sorrows; not only that He was to suffer the greatest indignities and be put to a violent death; not only that these sufferings were endured for the benefit of others; but tha”
- CCEL (Reformed) “Calvin, Commentary on Isaiah, Vol. 2, section 53.2: 64:7 66:24 Jeremiah 4:31 5:8 5:28 7:4 7:4 9:1 10:23 10:24 10:24 11:21 17:1 17:5 18:16 19:6 19:8 22:24 22:28 25:9 25:13 25:18 28:10 28:11 30:11 31:15 43:2 48:2 50:11 Lamentations 1:7 2:5 2:8 3:29 Ezekiel 15:3 16:26 20:11 20:24 20:25 26:2 26:14 37:1 43:15 43:15 47:11 Daniel 5:28 5:30 5:31 7:10 7:17 8:20 Hosea 1:7 6:4 8:14 9:6 13:3 Joel 1:13 2:13 2:23 2:28 Amos 1:3 3:6 4:1 4:1 5:10 5:19 8:11 Micah 1:3 1:11 2:11 7:9 7:16 Nahum 3:8 Habakkuk 2:1 2:1 2:1 2:2 3:2 3:2 3:13 Zechariah 9:14 13:4 14:3 Malachi 1:4 1:11 4:2 Matthew 2:14 3:12 3:12 3:12 3:12 ”
- Targum Jonathan (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Targum Jonathan, Targum Jonathan on Isaiah 28:13: This shall be the cup of their punishment, because they have transgressed the word of the Lord, and because they were commanded to do my law, but would not do what they were commanded. Therefore they shall be delivered unto the nations, who do not know the law; because they walked after the desire of their soul, and had no delight to do my will. Therefore they shall hope for help at the time that I shall bring distress upon them; but they shall have no help or support. Because the house of my sanctuary was too little in their eyes to worship th”
- Sefaria (Jewish (Rationalist)) “Abraham Ibn Ezra on Isaiah 28:10: Here a little and there a little. Little by little, gradually.”