God’s Word Translation
Isaiah 28:17
17I will make justice a measuring line and righteousness a plumb line. Hail will sweep away your refuge of lies, and floodwaters will wash away your hiding place.
Isaiah 28:17 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place.
- New International Version (NIV)I will make justice the measuring line and righteousness the plumb line; hail will sweep away your refuge, the lie, and water will overflow your hiding place.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And I will make justice the line, and righteousness the plumb line; and hail will sweep away the refuge of lies, and waters will overwhelm the shelter."
- New King James Version (NKJV)Also I will make justice the measuring line, And righteousness the plummet; The hail will sweep away the refuge of lies, And the waters will overflow the hiding place.
Context of Isaiah 28:17
15You say, “We made a treaty with death and an agreement with the grave. When the overwhelming disaster passes by, it won’t matter to us, because we have taken refuge in our lies, and falsehood is our hiding place.” 16This is what the Almighty Lord says: I am going to lay a rock in Zion, a rock that has been tested, a precious cornerstone, a solid foundation. Whoever believes ⌞in him⌟ will not worry. I will make justice a measuring line and righteousness a plumb line. Hail will sweep away your refuge of lies, and floodwaters will wash away your hiding place. 18Your treaty with death will be wiped away. Your agreement with the grave will not stand. When the overwhelming disaster passes by, you will be trampled by it. 19Each time it passes by it will take you. It will pass by morning after morning, during the day and during the night. Understanding this message brings only terror.
Read all of Isaiah 28Isaiah 28:17 word by word
וְשַׂמְתִּ֤י מִשְׁפָּט֙ לְקָ֔ו וּצְדָקָ֖ה לְמִשְׁקָ֑לֶת וְיָעָ֤ה בָרָד֙ מַחְסֵ֣ה כָזָ֔ב וְסֵ֥תֶר מַ֖יִם יִשְׁטֹֽפוּ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Judgmentמִשְׁפָּטmishpâţ · justiceH4941
- also will I layשׂוּםώûm ώîym · to set: makeH7760
- to the lineקַוqav qâv · lineH6957
- and righteousnessצְדָקָהtsedâqâh · righteousnessH6666
- to the plummetמִשְׁקֶ֫לֶתmishqeleth mishqôleth · levelH4949
- and the hailבָּרָדbârâd · hailH1259
- shall sweep awayיָעָהyâ‛âh · to sweep awayH3261
- the refugeמַחְסֶּהmachăseh machseh · refugeH4268
- of liesכָּזָבkâzâb · lieH3577
- and the watersמַיmayim · waterH4325
- shall overflowשָׁטַףshâţaph · to overflowH7857
- the hiding placeסֵ֫תֶרsêther sithrâh · secrecyH5643
Cross-references for Isaiah 28:17
- Isaiah 10:22Although your people Israel may be as ⌞numerous as⌟ the grains of sand on the seashore, only a few will return. Destruction will be complete and fair.
- 2 Kings 21:13I will measure Jerusalem with the measuring line used for Samaria and the plumb line used for Ahab’s dynasty. I will wipe out Jerusalem in the same way that a dish is wiped out and turned upside down.
- Psalms 94:15The decisions of judges will again become fair, and everyone whose motives are decent will pursue justice.
- Amos 7:7This is what he showed me: The Lord was standing by a wall built with the use of a plumb line, and he had a plumb line in his hand.
- Romans 2:2We know that God’s judgment is right when he condemns people for doing these things.
- Romans 9:28The Lord will carry out his sentence on the land, completely and decisively.”
- Revelation 19:2His judgments are true and fair. He has condemned the notorious prostitute who corrupted the world with her sexual sins. He has taken revenge on her for the blood of his servants.”
- Isaiah 28:2The Lord has one who is strong and powerful. He is like a hailstorm, a destructive wind. He is like a thunderstorm, an overwhelming flood. He will throw them to the ground forcefully.
- Isaiah 25:4You have been a refuge for the poor, a refuge for the needy in their distress, a shelter from the rain, and shade from the heat. (A tyrant’s breath is like a rainstorm against a wall,
- Isaiah 32:2Then each ruler will be like a shelter from the wind and a hiding place from the rain. They will be like streams on parched ground and the shade of a large rock in a weary land.
- Exodus 9:18So, at this time tomorrow I will send the worst hailstorm that has ever happened in Egypt since the beginning of its history.
- Joshua 10:11As they fled from the Israelites down the slope of Beth Horon toward Azekah, the Lord threw huge hailstones on them. More died from the hailstones than from Israelite swords.
- Jeremiah 7:4Do not trust the words of this saying, “This is the Lord’s temple, the Lord’s temple, the Lord’s temple!” It’s a lie.
- Jeremiah 23:19The storm of the Lord will come with his anger. Like a windstorm, it will swirl down on the heads of the wicked.
- Jeremiah 30:23The storm of the Lord will come with his anger. Like a driving wind, it will swirl down on the heads of the wicked.
- Ezekiel 13:10“ ‘They have deceived my people by saying that everything is alright, but it’s not alright. When someone builds a flimsy wall, the prophets cover it up with paint.
Commentaries on Isaiah 28:17
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 17Judgment also will I lay to the line - The sense of this is, I will judge them according to the exact rule of law, as an architect frames everything according to the rule which he uses. In other words, there shall be no mercy intermingled. The line is used by a carpenter for measuring; the plummet consists of a piece of lead attached to a string, and is also used by carpenters to obtain a perpendicular line. A carpenter works exactly according to the…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 16-22Verses 16-22 Here is a promise of Christ, as the only foundation of hope for escaping the wrath to come. This foundation was laid in Zion, in the eternal counsels of God. This foundation is a stone, firm and able to support his church. It is a tried stone, a chosen stone, approved of God, and never failed any who made trial of it. A corner stone, binding together the whole building, and bearing the whole weight; precious in the sight of the Lord, and of…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 17The Lord judges people based on their actions, which show if they have true faith (for justice and righteousness, see Isaiah 1:21–23).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1717. 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 (Is 28:15) according to the exact justice of the law (compare Jas 2:13). hail--divine judgment (Is 30:30; 32:19).Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 28:17
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Isaiah 28
- 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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