New International Version
Isaiah 28:1
1Woe to that wreath, the pride of Ephraim’s drunkards, to the fading flower, his glorious beauty, set on the head of a fertile valley— to that city, the pride of those laid low by wine!
Isaiah 28:1 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim, whose glorious beauty is a fading flower, which are on the head of the fat valleys of them that are overcome with wine!
- English Standard Version (ESV)Ah, the proud crown of the drunkards of Ephraim, and the fading flower of its glorious beauty, which is on the head of the rich valley of those overcome with wine!
- New King James Version (NKJV)Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim, Whose glorious beauty is a fading flower Which is at the head of the verdant valleys, To those who are overcome with wine!
- New Living Translation (NLT)What sorrow awaits the proud city of Samaria— the glorious crown of the drunks of Israel. It sits at the head of a fertile valley, but its glorious beauty will fade like a flower. It is the pride of a people brought down by wine.
Context of Isaiah 28:1
Woe to that wreath, the pride of Ephraim’s drunkards, to the fading flower, his glorious beauty, set on the head of a fertile valley— to that city, the pride of those laid low by wine! 2See, the Lord has one who is powerful and strong. Like a hailstorm and a destructive wind, like a driving rain and a flooding downpour, he will throw it forcefully to the ground. 3That wreath, the pride of Ephraim’s drunkards, will be trampled underfoot.
Read all of Isaiah 28Isaiah 28:1 word by word
ה֗וֹי עֲטֶ֤רֶת גֵּאוּת֙ שִׁכֹּרֵ֣י אֶפְרַ֔יִם וְצִ֥יץ נֹבֵ֖ל צְבִ֣י תִפְאַרְתּ֑וֹ אֲשֶׁ֛ר עַל־רֹ֥אשׁ גֵּֽיא־שְׁמָנִ֖ים הֲל֥וּמֵי יָֽיִן׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Woeהוֹיhôy · woe!H1945
- to the crownעֲטָרָה‛ăţârâh · crownH5850
- of prideגֵּאוּתgê'ûth · majestyH1348
- to the drunkardsשִׁכֹּרshikkôr shikkôr · drunkenH7910
- of Ephraimאֶפְרַ֫יִם'ephrayim · EphraimH669
- whose gloriousצְבִיtsebîy · beautyH6643
- beautyתִּפְאָרָהtiph'ârâh tiph'ereth · beautyH8597
- a fadingנָבֵלnâbêl · to witherH5034
- flowerצִיץtsîyts tsits · flowerH6731
- on the headרֹאשׁrô'sh · headH7218
- of the fatשֶׁ֫מֶןshemen · oilH8081
- valleysגַּיְאgay' gay · valleyH1516
- of them that are overcomeהָלַםhâlam · to smiteH1986
- with wineיַ֫יִןyayin · wineH3196
Cross-references for Isaiah 28:1
- Isaiah 28:3That wreath, the pride of Ephraim’s drunkards, will be trampled underfoot.
- Hosea 5:5Israel’s arrogance testifies against them; the Israelites, even Ephraim, stumble in their sin; Judah also stumbles with them.
- Hosea 6:10I have seen a horrible thing in Israel: There Ephraim is given to prostitution, Israel is defiled.
- Isaiah 28:7And these also stagger from wine and reel from beer: Priests and prophets stagger from beer and are befuddled with wine; they reel from beer, they stagger when seeing visions, they stumble when rendering decisions.
- Isaiah 5:11Woe to those who rise early in the morning to run after their drinks, who stay up late at night till they are inflamed with wine.
- Proverbs 23:29Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaints? Who has needless bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes?
- Hosea 4:11to prostitution; old wine and new wine take away their understanding.
- Hosea 7:5On the day of the festival of our king the princes become inflamed with wine, and he joins hands with the mockers.
- Amos 2:8They lie down beside every altar on garments taken in pledge. In the house of their god they drink wine taken as fines.
- Amos 6:6You drink wine by the bowlful and use the finest lotions, but you do not grieve over the ruin of Joseph.
- Isaiah 28:4That fading flower, his glorious beauty, set on the head of a fertile valley, will be like figs ripe before harvest— as soon as people see them and take them in hand, they swallow them.
- Isaiah 7:8for the head of Aram is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is only Rezin. Within sixty-five years Ephraim will be too shattered to be a people.
- Isaiah 8:4For before the boy knows how to say ‘My father’ or ‘My mother,’ the wealth of Damascus and the plunder of Samaria will be carried off by the king of Assyria.”
- 2 Kings 14:25He was the one who restored the boundaries of Israel from Lebo Hamath to the Dead Sea, in accordance with the word of the Lord, the God of Israel, spoken through his servant Jonah son of Amittai, the prophet from Gath Hepher.
- 2 Kings 15:29In the time of Pekah king of Israel, Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria came and took Ijon, Abel Beth Maakah, Janoah, Kedesh and Hazor. He took Gilead and Galilee, including all the land of Naphtali, and deported the people to Assyria.
- 2 Kings 18:10At the end of three years the Assyrians took it. So Samaria was captured in Hezekiah’s sixth year, which was the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel.
Commentaries on Isaiah 28:1
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1Wo to the crown of pride - By the crown of pride, etc., Samaria is primarily understood. "Sebaste, the ancient Samaria, is situated on a long mount of an oval figure, having first a fruitful valley, and then a ring of hills running round about it;" Maundrell, p. 58. "E regione horum ruderum mons est peramoenus, planitie admodum frugifera circumseptus, super quem olim Samaria urbs condita fuit;" Fureri Itinerarium, p. 93. The city, beautifully situated on…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1Wo - (see the note at Isaiah 18:1). The word here is used to denounce impending judgment. To the crown of pride - This is a Hebrew mode of expression, denoting the proud or haughty crown. There can be no doubt that it refers to the capital of the kingdom of Ephraim; that is, to Samaria. This city was built by Omri, who purchased the hill Samaria‘ of Shemer, for two talents of silver, equal in value to 792British pounds, 11 shillings, 8d., and built the…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1The desolations of Samaria. (Is. 28:1-4) The prosperity of Judah; with reproofs for sinfulness and unbelief. (Is. 28:5-15) Christ is pointed out as the sure Foundation for all believers. (Is. 28:16-22) God's dealings with his people. (Is. 28:23-29) Verses 1-4 What men are proud of, be it ever so mean, is to them as a crown; but pride is the forerunner of destruction. How foolishly drunkards act! Those who are overcome with wine are overcome by Satan; and…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1This section is connected by a series of six threats of judgment or woes (compare Isaiah 5:8–23). After the initial address to Samaria in Isaiah 28:1–13, the rest of the section addresses Judah. This is mainly because Judah tends to trust Egypt to save them from Assyria (Isaiah 30:2).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-29Is 28:1-29. The twenty-eighth through thirty-third chapters form almost one continuous prophecy concerning the destruction of Ephraim, the impiety and folly of Judah, the danger of their league with Egypt, the straits they would be reduced to by Assyria, from which Jehovah would deliver them on their turning to Him; the twenty-eighth chapter refers to the time just before the sixth year of Hezekiak's reign, the rest not very long before his fourteenth…Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 28:1
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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