Isaiah 28:4

Isaiah 28:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And the glorious beauty, which is on the head of the fat valley, shall be a fading flower, and as the hasty fruit before the summer; which when he that looketh upon it seeth, while it is yet in his hand he eateth it up.
• English Standard Version (ESV)and the fading flower of its glorious beauty, which is on the head of the rich valley, will be like a first-ripe fig before the summer: when someone sees it, he swallows it as soon as it is in his hand.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And the glorious beauty is a fading flower Which is at the head of the verdant valley, Like the first fruit before the summer, Which an observer sees; He eats it up while it is still in his hand.
• New Living Translation (NLT)It sits at the head of a fertile valley, but its glorious beauty will fade like a flower. Whoever sees it will snatch it up, as an early fig is quickly picked and eaten.

Context of Isaiah 28:4

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. That 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. 5In that day the Lord Almighty will be a glorious crown, a beautiful wreath for the remnant of his people. 6He will be a spirit of justice to the one who sits in judgment, a source of strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate.

Isaiah 28:4 word by word

וְֽהָ֨יְתָ֜ה צִיצַ֤ת נֹבֵל֙ צְבִ֣י תִפְאַרְתּ֔וֹ אֲשֶׁ֥ר עַל־רֹ֖אשׁ גֵּ֣יא שְׁמָנִ֑ים כְּבִכּוּרָהּ֙ בְּטֶ֣רֶם קַ֔יִץ אֲשֶׁ֨ר יִרְאֶ֤ה הָֽרֹאֶה֙ אוֹתָ֔הּ בְּעוֹדָ֥הּ בְּכַפּ֖וֹ יִבְלָעֶֽנָּה׃ סRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And the gloriousצְבִיtsebîy · beautyH6643
• beautyתִּפְאָרָהtiph'ârâh tiph'ereth · beautyH8597
• on the headרֹאשׁrô'sh · headH7218
• of the fatשֶׁ֫מֶןshemen · oilH8081
• valleyגַּיְאgay' gay · valleyH1516
• shall be a fadingנָבֵלnâbêl · to witherH5034
• flowerצִיצָהtsîytsâh · flowerH6733
• as the hasty fruitבִּכּוּרִיםbikkûr · firstfruitH1061
• before the summerקַ֫יִץqayits · summerH7019
• he that lookethרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
• while it is yet in his handכַּףkaph · palmH3709
• he eateth it upבָּלַעbâla‛ · to swallow upH1104

Cross-references for Isaiah 28:4

• Isaiah 28:1Woe 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!
• Psalms 73:19How suddenly are they destroyed, completely swept away by terrors!
• Hosea 6:4“What can I do with you, Ephraim? What can I do with you, Judah? Your love is like the morning mist, like the early dew that disappears.
• Hosea 9:10“When I found Israel, it was like finding grapes in the desert; when I saw your ancestors, it was like seeing the early fruit on the fig tree. But when they came to Baal Peor, they consecrated themselves to that shameful idol and became as vile as the thing they loved.
• Hosea 13:1When Ephraim spoke, people trembled; he was exalted in Israel. But he became guilty of Baal worship and died.
• James 1:10But the rich should take pride in their humiliation—since they will pass away like a wild flower.
• Micah 7:1What misery is mine! I am like one who gathers summer fruit at the gleaning of the vineyard; there is no cluster of grapes to eat, none of the early figs that I crave.
• Nahum 3:12All your fortresses are like fig trees with their first ripe fruit; when they are shaken, the figs fall into the mouth of the eater.
• Revelation 6:13and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind.

Commentaries on Isaiah 28:4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4The hasty fruit before the summer "The early fruit before the summer" - "No sooner doth the boccore, (the early fig), draw near to perfection in the middle or latter end of June, than the kermez or summer fig begins to be formed, though it rarely ripens before August; about which time the same tree frequently throws out a third crop, or the winter fig, as we may call it. This is usually of a much longer shape and darker complexion than the kermez, hanging…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4As the hasty fruit before the summer - The word rendered hasty fruit‘ (בכוּרה bikûrâh ); in Arabic, bokkore in Spanish, albacore ), denotes the “early fig.” this ripens in June; the common fig does not ripen until August. Shaw, in his “Travels,” p. 370, says: No sooner does the “boccore” (the early fig) draw near to perfection in the middle or latter end of June, than the “kermez” or summer fig begins to be formed, though it rarely ripens before August…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-29The glory of Samaria, capital of the northern kingdom of Israel, is here contrasted with the glory of the Lord. This section represents the first of the six woes (Woe to...).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. Rather, "the fading flower, their glorious beauty (Is 28:1), which is on the head of the fat (fertile) valley, shall be as the early fig" [G. V. Smith]. Figs usually ripened in August; but earlier ones (Hebrew bikkurah, Spanish bokkore) in June, and were regarded as a delicacy (Jr 24:2; Ho 9:10; Mi 7:1). while it is yet--that is, immediately, without delay; describing the eagerness of the Assyrian Shalmaneser, not merely to conquer, but to destroy…Read the comment

Topics related to Isaiah 28:4

• Isaiah
• Israel, Prophecies Concerning
• Summer
• Worldliness

In the dictionaries

• Battle
• Diadem
• Doctrine
• Fig
• Foundation
• Harrow
• Hasty
• Refuge
• Rod
• Short

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