New King James Version
Isaiah 30:28
28His breath is like an overflowing stream, Which reaches up to the neck, To sift the nations with the sieve of futility; And there shall be a bridle in the jaws of the people, Causing them to err.
Isaiah 30:28 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And his breath, as an overflowing stream, shall reach to the midst of the neck, to sift the nations with the sieve of vanity: and there shall be a bridle in the jaws of the people, causing them to err.
- New International Version (NIV)His breath is like a rushing torrent, rising up to the neck. He shakes the nations in the sieve of destruction; he places in the jaws of the peoples a bit that leads them astray.
- English Standard Version (ESV)his breath is like an overflowing stream that reaches up to the neck; to sift the nations with the sieve of destruction, and to place on the jaws of the peoples a bridle that leads astray.
- New Living Translation (NLT)His hot breath pours out like a flood up to the neck of his enemies. He will sift out the proud nations for destruction. He will bridle them and lead them away to ruin.
Context of Isaiah 30:28
26Moreover the light of the moon will be as the light of the sun, And the light of the sun will be sevenfold, As the light of seven days, In the day that the Lord binds up the bruise of His people And heals the stroke of their wound. 27Behold, the name of the Lord comes from afar, Burning with His anger, And His burden is heavy; His lips are full of indignation, And His tongue like a devouring fire. His breath is like an overflowing stream, Which reaches up to the neck, To sift the nations with the sieve of futility; And there shall be a bridle in the jaws of the people, Causing them to err. 29You shall have a song As in the night when a holy festival is kept, And gladness of heart as when one goes with a flute, To come into the mountain of the Lord, To the Mighty One of Israel. 30The Lord will cause His glorious voice to be heard, And show the descent of His arm, With the indignation of His anger And the flame of a devouring fire, With scattering, tempest, and hailstones.
Read all of Isaiah 30Isaiah 30:28 word by word
וְרוּח֞וֹ כְּנַ֤חַל שׁוֹטֵף֙ עַד־צַוָּ֣אר יֶֽחֱצֶ֔ה לַהֲנָפָ֥ה גוֹיִ֖ם בְּנָ֣פַת שָׁ֑וְא וְרֶ֣סֶן מַתְעֶ֔ה עַ֖ל לְחָיֵ֥י עַמִּֽים׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And his breathרוּחַrûach · spirit: breathH7307
- as an overflowingשָׁטַףshâţaph · to overflowH7857
- streamנַ֫חַלnachal nachlâh nachălâh · torrent: riverH5158
- shall reach to the midstחָצָהchâtsâh · to divideH2673
- of the neckצַוָּארtsavvâ'r tsavvâr tsavvârôn tsavvâ'râh · neckH6677
- to siftנוּףnûph · to waveH5130
- the nationsגּוֹיgôy gôy · nationH1471
- with the sieveנָפָהnâphâh · sieveH5299
- of vanityשָׁוְאshâv' shav · vanity: vainH7723
- a bridleרֶ֫סֶןresen · bridleH7448
- in the jawsלְחִיlechîy · jawH3895
- of the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
- to errתָּעָהtâ‛âh · to go astrayH8582
Cross-references for Isaiah 30:28
- Isaiah 11:4But with righteousness He shall judge the poor, And decide with equity for the meek of the earth; He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, And with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked.
- Psalms 18:15Then the channels of the sea were seen, The foundations of the world were uncovered At Your rebuke, O Lord, At the blast of the breath of Your nostrils.
- Luke 22:31And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat.
- 2 Thessalonians 2:8And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming.
- Hebrews 4:12For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
- Revelation 1:16He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength.
- Revelation 2:16Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth.
- Isaiah 8:8He will pass through Judah, He will overflow and pass over, He will reach up to the neck; And the stretching out of his wings Will fill the breadth of Your land, O Immanuel.
- Isaiah 28:17Also 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.
- Isaiah 29:6You will be punished by the Lord of hosts With thunder and earthquake and great noise, With storm and tempest And the flame of devouring fire.
- Habakkuk 3:12You marched through the land in indignation; You trampled the nations in anger.
- Isaiah 19:12Where are they? Where are your wise men? Let them tell you now, And let them know what the Lord of hosts has purposed against Egypt.
- Isaiah 33:10“Now I will rise,” says the Lord; “Now I will be exalted, Now I will lift Myself up.
- Hosea 13:3Therefore they shall be like the morning cloud And like the early dew that passes away, Like chaff blown off from a threshing floor And like smoke from a chimney.
- Amos 9:9“For surely I will command, And will sift the house of Israel among all nations, As grain is sifted in a sieve; Yet not the smallest grain shall fall to the ground.
- Matthew 3:12His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
Commentaries on Isaiah 30:28
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 28To sift the nations with a sieve of vanity "To toss the nations with the van of perdition" - The word להנפה lahanaphah is in its form very irregular. Kimchi says it is for להניף lehaniph . Houbigant supposes it to be a mistake, and shows the cause of it; the joining it to the ה he, which should begin the following word. The true reading is הגוים להניף lehaniph haggoyim, "to sift the nations." The Vulgate seems to be the only one of the ancient…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 28And his breath - The word רוח rûach properly means “wind,” air in motion; then a breathing, an exhalation, a breath; then the soul, spirit, etc. The idea here seems to be that of excited, and rapid, and agitated breathing, as when one is in anger (compare Judges 8:3; Zechariah 6:8). As an overflowing stream - This figure is common to express desolating judgments (see the notes at Isaiah 8:8; Isaiah 10:22; Isaiah 28:17; compare Psalm 69:2, Psalm 69:15)…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 27-33Verses 27-33 God curbs and restrains from doing mischief. With a word he guides his people into the right way, but with a bridle he turns his enemies upon their own ruin. Here, in threatening the ruin of Sennacherib's army, the prophet points at the final and everlasting destruction of all impenitent sinners. Tophet was a valley near Jerusalem, where fires were continually burning to destroy things that were hurtful and offensive, and there the idolatrous…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 28like a rushing torrent that rises to the neck: Assyria’s destruction would be as devastating as their invasion of Judah (see Isaiah 8:8).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2828. (Is 11:4; 2Th 2:8). reach ... neck--the most extreme danger; yet as the head, or capital of Judah, was to be spared (Is 8:8), so the head, or sovereign of Assyria, Sennacherib, should escape. sieve of vanity--Rather, "the winnowing fan of destruction" [Lowth] (Is 41:16). bridle in ... jaws--as prisoners are represented in the Assyrian inscriptions (Is 37:29). causing ... to err--(Is 63:17). "People," Hebrew, "peoples," namely, the various races…Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 30:28
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Isaiah 30
- 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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries