Christian Standard Bible
Isaiah 30:28
28His breath is like an overflowing torrent that rises to the neck. He comes to sift the nations in a sieve of destruction and to put a bridle on the jaws of the peoples to lead them astray.
Isaiah 30:28 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And his breath, as an overflowing stream, shall reach to the midst of the neck, to sift the nations with the sieve of vanity: and there shall be a bridle in the jaws of the people, causing them to err.
- New International Version (NIV)His breath is like a rushing torrent, rising up to the neck. He shakes the nations in the sieve of destruction; he places in the jaws of the peoples a bit that leads them astray.
- English Standard Version (ESV)his breath is like an overflowing stream that reaches up to the neck; to sift the nations with the sieve of destruction, and to place on the jaws of the peoples a bridle that leads astray.
- New King James Version (NKJV)His breath is like an overflowing stream, Which reaches up to the neck, To sift the nations with the sieve of futility; And there shall be a bridle in the jaws of the people, Causing them to err.
Context of Isaiah 30:28
26The moonlight will be as bright as the sunlight, and the sunlight will be seven times brighter — like the light of seven days — on the day that the Lord bandages his people’s injuries and heals the wounds he inflicted. 27Look! The name of the Lord is coming from far away, his anger burning and heavy with smoke. His lips are full of fury, and his tongue is like a consuming fire. His breath is like an overflowing torrent that rises to the neck. He comes to sift the nations in a sieve of destruction and to put a bridle on the jaws of the peoples to lead them astray. 29Your singing will be like that on the night of a holy festival, and your heart will rejoice like one who walks to the music of a flute, going up to the mountain of the Lord, to the Rock of Israel. 30And the Lord will make the splendor of his voice heard and reveal his arm striking in angry wrath and a flame of consuming fire, in driving rain, a torrent, and hailstones.
Read all of Isaiah 30Isaiah 30:28 word by word
וְרוּח֞וֹ כְּנַ֤חַל שׁוֹטֵף֙ עַד־צַוָּ֣אר יֶֽחֱצֶ֔ה לַהֲנָפָ֥ה גוֹיִ֖ם בְּנָ֣פַת שָׁ֑וְא וְרֶ֣סֶן מַתְעֶ֔ה עַ֖ל לְחָיֵ֥י עַמִּֽים׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And his breathרוּחַrûach · spirit: breathH7307
- as an overflowingשָׁטַףshâţaph · to overflowH7857
- streamנַ֫חַלnachal nachlâh nachălâh · torrent: riverH5158
- shall reach to the midstחָצָהchâtsâh · to divideH2673
- of the neckצַוָּארtsavvâ'r tsavvâr tsavvârôn tsavvâ'râh · neckH6677
- to siftנוּףnûph · to waveH5130
- the nationsגּוֹיgôy gôy · nationH1471
- with the sieveנָפָהnâphâh · sieveH5299
- of vanityשָׁוְאshâv' shav · vanity: vainH7723
- a bridleרֶ֫סֶןresen · bridleH7448
- in the jawsלְחִיlechîy · jawH3895
- of the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
- to errתָּעָהtâ‛âh · to go astrayH8582
Cross-references for Isaiah 30:28
- Isaiah 11:4but he will judge the poor righteously and execute justice for the oppressed of the land. He will strike the land with a scepter from his mouth, and he will kill the wicked with a command from his lips.
- Psalms 18:15The depths of the sea became visible, the foundations of the world were exposed, at your rebuke, Lord, at the blast of the breath of your nostrils.
- Luke 22:31“Simon, Simon, look out. Satan has asked to sift you like wheat.
- 2 Thessalonians 2:8and then the lawless one will be revealed. The Lord Jesus will destroy him with the breath of his mouth and will bring him to nothing at the appearance of his coming.
- Hebrews 4:12For the word of God is living and effective and sharper than any double-edged sword, penetrating as far as the separation of soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
- Revelation 1:16He had seven stars in his right hand; a sharp double-edged sword came from his mouth, and his face was shining like the sun at full strength.
- Revelation 2:16So repent! Otherwise, I will come to you quickly and fight against them with the sword of my mouth.
- Isaiah 8:8It will pour into Judah, flood over it, and sweep through, reaching up to the neck; and its flooded banks will fill your entire land, Immanuel!
- Isaiah 28:17And I will make justice the measuring line and righteousness the mason’s level.” Hail will sweep away the false refuge, and water will flood your hiding place.
- Isaiah 29:6you will be punished by the Lord of Armies with thunder, earthquake, and loud noise, storm, tempest, and a flame of consuming fire.
- Habakkuk 3:12You march across the earth with indignation; you trample down the nations in wrath.
- Isaiah 19:12Where then are your wise men? Let them tell you and reveal what the Lord of Armies has planned against Egypt.
- Isaiah 33:10“Now I will rise up,” says the Lord. “Now I will lift myself up. Now I will be exalted.
- Hosea 13:3Therefore, they will be like the morning mist, like the early dew that vanishes, like chaff blown from a threshing floor, or like smoke from a window.
- Amos 9:9for I am about to give the command, and I will shake the house of Israel among all the nations, as one shakes a sieve, but not a pebble will fall to the ground.
- Matthew 3:12His winnowing shovel is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn. But the chaff he will burn with fire that never goes out.”
Commentaries on Isaiah 30:28
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 28To sift the nations with a sieve of vanity "To toss the nations with the van of perdition" - The word להנפה lahanaphah is in its form very irregular. Kimchi says it is for להניף lehaniph . Houbigant supposes it to be a mistake, and shows the cause of it; the joining it to the ה he, which should begin the following word. The true reading is הגוים להניף lehaniph haggoyim, "to sift the nations." The Vulgate seems to be the only one of the ancient…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 28And his breath - The word רוח rûach properly means “wind,” air in motion; then a breathing, an exhalation, a breath; then the soul, spirit, etc. The idea here seems to be that of excited, and rapid, and agitated breathing, as when one is in anger (compare Judges 8:3; Zechariah 6:8). As an overflowing stream - This figure is common to express desolating judgments (see the notes at Isaiah 8:8; Isaiah 10:22; Isaiah 28:17; compare Psalm 69:2, Psalm 69:15)…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 27-33Verses 27-33 God curbs and restrains from doing mischief. With a word he guides his people into the right way, but with a bridle he turns his enemies upon their own ruin. Here, in threatening the ruin of Sennacherib's army, the prophet points at the final and everlasting destruction of all impenitent sinners. Tophet was a valley near Jerusalem, where fires were continually burning to destroy things that were hurtful and offensive, and there the idolatrous…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 28like a rushing torrent that rises to the neck: Assyria’s destruction would be as devastating as their invasion of Judah (see Isaiah 8:8).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2828. (Is 11:4; 2Th 2:8). reach ... neck--the most extreme danger; yet as the head, or capital of Judah, was to be spared (Is 8:8), so the head, or sovereign of Assyria, Sennacherib, should escape. sieve of vanity--Rather, "the winnowing fan of destruction" [Lowth] (Is 41:16). bridle in ... jaws--as prisoners are represented in the Assyrian inscriptions (Is 37:29). causing ... to err--(Is 63:17). "People," Hebrew, "peoples," namely, the various races…Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 30:28
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Isaiah 30
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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