Isaiah 28:15

Isaiah 28:15 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves:
• New International Version (NIV)You boast, “We have entered into a covenant with death, with the realm of the dead we have made an agreement. When an overwhelming scourge sweeps by, it cannot touch us, for we have made a lie our refuge and falsehood our hiding place.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)Because you have said, "We have made a covenant with death, and with Sheol we have an agreement, when the overwhelming whip passes through it will not come to us, for we have made lies our refuge, and in falsehood we have taken shelter";
• New King James Version (NKJV)Because you have said, “We have made a covenant with death, And with Sheol we are in agreement. When the overflowing scourge passes through, It will not come to us, For we have made lies our refuge, And under falsehood we have hidden ourselves.”

Context of Isaiah 28:15

13So the Lord’s word to them will sound like meaningless gibberish, senseless babbling, a syllable here, a syllable there. As a result, they will fall on their backsides when they try to walk, and be injured, ensnared, and captured. 14Therefore, listen to the Lord’s word, you who mock, you rulers of these people who reside in Jerusalem! For you say, “We have made a treaty with death, with Sheol we have made an agreement. When the overwhelming judgment sweeps by it will not reach us. For we have made a lie our refuge, we have hidden ourselves in a deceitful word.” 16Therefore, this is what the sovereign master, the Lord, says: “Look, I am laying a stone in Zion, an approved stone, set in place as a precious cornerstone for the foundation. The one who maintains his faith will not panic. 17I will make justice the measuring line, fairness the plumb line; hail will sweep away the unreliable refuge, the floodwaters will overwhelm the hiding place.

Isaiah 28:15 word by word

כִּ֣י אֲמַרְתֶּ֗ם כָּרַ֤תְנֽוּ בְרִית֙ אֶת־מָ֔וֶת וְעִם־שְׁא֖וֹל עָשִׂ֣ינוּ חֹזֶ֑ה שׁ֣וֹט שׁוֹטֵ֤ף כִּֽי־יַֽעֲבֹר֙ לֹ֣א יְבוֹאֵ֔נוּ כִּ֣י שַׂ֧מְנוּ כָזָ֛ב מַחְסֵ֖נוּ וּבַשֶּׁ֥קֶר נִסְתָּֽרְנוּ׃ סRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Because ye have saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• We have madeכָּרַתkârath · to cut: make(covenant)H3772
• a covenantבְּרִיתberîyth · covenantH1285
• with deathמָ֫וֶתmâveth · deathH4194
• and with hellשְׁאוֹלshe'ôl she'ôl · hell: SheolH7585
• are weעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to makeH6213
• at agreementחֹזֶהchôzeh · seerH2374
• when the overflowingשָׁטַףshâţaph · to overflowH7857
• scourgeשַׁ֫יִטshayiţ · oarH7885
• scourgeשׁוֹטshôţ · whipH7752
• shall pass throughעָבַר‛âbar · to passH5674
• it shall not comeבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• unto us: for we have madeשׂוּםώûm ώîym · to set: makeH7760
• liesכָּזָבkâzâb · lieH3577
• our refugeמַחְסֶּהmachăseh machseh · refugeH4268
• and under falsehoodשֶׁ֫קֶרsheqer · deceptionH8267
• have we hidסָתַרsâthar · to hideH5641

Cross-references for Isaiah 28:15

• Isaiah 5:18Those who pull evil along using cords of emptiness are as good as dead, who pull sin as with cart ropes.
• Ecclesiastes 8:8Just as no one has power over the wind to restrain it, so no one has power over the day of his death. Just as no one can be discharged during the battle, so wickedness cannot rescue the wicked.
• Job 5:23For you will have a pact with the stones of the field, and the wild animals will be at peace with you.
• Job 15:25for he stretches out his hand against God, and vaunts himself against the Almighty,
• Jeremiah 44:17Instead we will do everything we vowed we would do. We will sacrifice and pour out drink offerings to the goddess called the Queen of Heaven just as we and our ancestors, our kings, and our leaders previously did in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. For then we had plenty of food, were well-off, and had no troubles.
• Ezekiel 8:12He said to me, “Do you see, son of man, what the elders of the house of Israel are doing in the dark, each in the chamber of his idolatrous images? For they think, ‘The Lord does not see us! The Lord has abandoned the land!’”
• Hosea 2:18“At that time I will make a covenant for them with the wild animals, the birds of the air, and the creatures that crawl on the ground. I will abolish the warrior’s bow and sword – that is, every weapon of warfare – from the land, and I will allow them to live securely.”
• Zephaniah 1:12At that time I will search through Jerusalem with lamps. I will punish the people who are entrenched in their sin, those who think to themselves, ‘The Lord neither rewards nor punishes.’
• Isaiah 8:7So look, the sovereign master is bringing up against them the turbulent and mighty waters of the Euphrates River – the king of Assyria and all his majestic power. It will reach flood stage and overflow its banks.
• Daniel 11:22Armies will be suddenly swept away in defeat before him; both they and a covenant leader will be destroyed.
• Isaiah 30:10They say to the visionaries, “See no more visions!” and to the seers, “Don’t relate messages to us about what is right! Tell us nice things, relate deceptive messages.
• Jeremiah 5:31The prophets prophesy lies. The priests exercise power by their own authority. And my people love to have it this way. But they will not be able to help you when the time of judgment comes!
• Jeremiah 14:13Then I said, “Oh, Lord God, look! The prophets are telling them that you said, ‘You will not experience war or suffer famine. I will give you lasting peace and prosperity in this land.’”
• Jeremiah 16:19Then I said, “Lord, you give me strength and protect me. You are the one I can run to for safety when I am in trouble. Nations from all over the earth will come to you and say, ‘Our ancestors had nothing but false gods – worthless idols that could not help them at all.
• Jeremiah 28:15Then the prophet Jeremiah told the prophet Hananiah, “Listen, Hananiah! The Lord did not send you! You are making these people trust in a lie!
• Ezekiel 13:16those prophets of Israel who would prophesy about Jerusalem and would see visions of peace for it, when there was no peace,” declares the sovereign Lord.’

Commentaries on Isaiah 28:15

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 15A covenant with death - To be in covenant with, is a kind of proverbial expression to denote perfect security from evil and mischief of any sort: - "For thou shalt be in league with the stones of the field; And the beasts of the field shall be at peace with thee." Job 5:23. "And I will make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field. And with the fowls of heaven, and with the creeping things of the ground." Hosea 2:18. That is, none of these shall…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 15We have made a covenant with death - We are not to suppose that they had formally said this, but that their conduct was as if they had said it; they lived as securely as if they had entered into a compact with death not to destroy them, and with hell not to devour them. The figure is a very bold one, and is designed to express the extraordinary stupidity of the nation. It is most strikingly descriptive of the great mass of people. They are as little…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 5-15Verses 5-15 The prophet next turns to Judah, whom he calls the residue of his people. Happy are those alone, who glory in the Lord of hosts himself. Hence his people get wisdom and strength for every service and every conflict. But it is only in Christ Jesus that the holy God communicates with sinful man. And whether those that teach are drunk with wine, or intoxicated with false doctrines and notions concerning the kingdom and salvation of the Messiah…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 15have made a covenant with death … fashioned an agreement with Sheol: There are two possible interpretations: The people had pledged themselves to the Canaanite god of death, Mot, for his supposed protection. The prophet was sarcastic. The people believed their political and economic actions ensured their safety, but they had actually harmed themselves. lies … and falsehood: The leaders did not see themselves as deceptive, but they were.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1515. said--virtually, in your conduct, if not in words. covenant--There may be a tacit reference to their confidence in their "covenant" with the Assyrians in the early part of Hezekiah's prosperous reign, before he ceased to pay tribute to them, as if it ensured Judah from evil, whatever might befall the neighboring Ephraim (Is 28:1). The full meaning is shown by the language ("covenant with death--hell," or sheol) to apply to all lulled in false security…Read the comment

Topics related to Isaiah 28:15

• Blindness
• Confidence
• Falsehood
• Hell
• Infidelity
• Isaiah
• Israel, Prophecies Concerning
• Mocking
• Presumption
• Rulers
• Security

In the dictionaries

• Battle
• Covenant
• Diadem
• Doctrine
• Foundation
• Hasty
• Refuge
• Rod
• Short
• Sure

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