New International Version
Isaiah 28:17
17I 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.
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.
- 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.
- New Living Translation (NLT)I will test you with the measuring line of justice and the plumb line of righteousness. Since your refuge is made of lies, a hailstorm will knock it down. Since it is made of deception, a flood will sweep it away.
Context of Isaiah 28:17
15You 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.” 16So this is what the Sovereign Lord says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who relies on it will never be stricken with panic. 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. 18Your covenant with death will be annulled; your agreement with the realm of the dead will not stand. When the overwhelming scourge sweeps by, you will be beaten down by it. 19As often as it comes it will carry you away; morning after morning, by day and by night, it will sweep through.” The understanding of this message will bring sheer 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 10:22Though your people be like the sand by the sea, Israel, only a remnant will return. Destruction has been decreed, overwhelming and righteous.
- 2 Kings 21:13I will stretch out over Jerusalem the measuring line used against Samaria and the plumb line used against the house of Ahab. I will wipe out Jerusalem as one wipes a dish, wiping it and turning it upside down.
- Psalms 94:15Judgment will again be founded on righteousness, and all the upright in heart will follow it.
- Amos 7:7This is what he showed me: The Lord was standing by a wall that had been built true to plumb, with a plumb line in his hand.
- Romans 2:2Now we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth.
- Romans 9:28For the Lord will carry out his sentence on earth with speed and finality.”
- Revelation 19:2for true and just are his judgments. He has condemned the great prostitute who corrupted the earth by her adulteries. He has avenged on her the blood of his servants.”
- Isaiah 28:2See, 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.
- Isaiah 25:4You have been a refuge for the poor, a refuge for the needy in their distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat. For the breath of the ruthless is like a storm driving against a wall
- Isaiah 32:2Each one will be like a shelter from the wind and a refuge from the storm, like streams of water in the desert and the shadow of a great rock in a thirsty land.
- Exodus 9:18Therefore, at this time tomorrow I will send the worst hailstorm that has ever fallen on Egypt, from the day it was founded till now.
- Joshua 10:11As they fled before Israel on the road down from Beth Horon to Azekah, the Lord hurled large hailstones down on them, and more of them died from the hail than were killed by the swords of the Israelites.
- Jeremiah 7:4Do not trust in deceptive words and say, “This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord!”
- Jeremiah 23:19See, the storm of the Lord will burst out in wrath, a whirlwind swirling down on the heads of the wicked.
- Jeremiah 30:23See, the storm of the Lord will burst out in wrath, a driving wind swirling down on the heads of the wicked.
- Ezekiel 13:10“ ‘Because they lead my people astray, saying, “Peace,” when there is no peace, and because, when a flimsy wall is built, they cover it with whitewash,
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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