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 will spell out his message for them again, one line at a time, one line at a time, a little here, and a little there, so that they will stumble and fall. They will be injured, trapped, and captured. 14Therefore, listen to this message from the Lord, you scoffing rulers in Jerusalem. You boast, “We have struck a bargain to cheat death and have made a deal to dodge the grave. The coming destruction can never touch us, for we have built a strong refuge made of lies and deception.” 16Therefore, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: “Look! I am placing a foundation stone in Jerusalem, a firm and tested stone. It is a precious cornerstone that is safe to build on. Whoever believes need never be shaken. 17I 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.

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 5:18What sorrow for those who drag their sins behind them with ropes made of lies, who drag wickedness behind them like a cart!
• Ecclesiastes 8:8None of us can hold back our spirit from departing. None of us has the power to prevent the day of our death. There is no escaping that obligation, that dark battle. And in the face of death, wickedness will certainly not rescue the wicked.
• Job 5:23You will be at peace with the stones of the field, and its wild animals will be at peace with you.
• Job 15:25For they shake their fists at God, defying the Almighty.
• Jeremiah 44:17We will do whatever we want. We will burn incense and pour out liquid offerings to the Queen of Heaven just as much as we like—just as we, and our ancestors, and our kings and officials have always done in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. For in those days we had plenty to eat, and we were well off and had no troubles!
• Ezekiel 8:12Then the Lord said to me, “Son of man, have you seen what the leaders of Israel are doing with their idols in dark rooms? They are saying, ‘The Lord doesn’t see us; he has deserted our land!’”
• Hosea 2:18On that day I will make a covenant with all the wild animals and the birds of the sky and the animals that scurry along the ground so they will not harm you. I will remove all weapons of war from the land, all swords and bows, so you can live unafraid in peace and safety.
• Zephaniah 1:12“I will search with lanterns in Jerusalem’s darkest corners to punish those who sit complacent in their sins. They think the Lord will do nothing to them, either good or bad.
• Isaiah 8:7Therefore, the Lord will overwhelm them with a mighty flood from the Euphrates River—the king of Assyria and all his glory. This flood will overflow all its channels
• Daniel 11:22Before him great armies will be swept away, including a covenant prince.
• Isaiah 30:10They tell the seers, “Stop seeing visions!” They tell the prophets, “Don’t tell us what is right. Tell us nice things. Tell us lies.
• Jeremiah 5:31the prophets give false prophecies, and the priests rule with an iron hand. Worse yet, my people like it that way! But what will you do when the end comes?
• Jeremiah 14:13Then I said, “O Sovereign Lord, their prophets are telling them, ‘All is well—no war or famine will come. The Lord will surely send you peace.’”
• Jeremiah 16:19Lord, you are my strength and fortress, my refuge in the day of trouble! Nations from around the world will come to you and say, “Our ancestors left us a foolish heritage, for they worshiped worthless idols.
• Jeremiah 28:15Then Jeremiah the prophet said to Hananiah, “Listen, Hananiah! The Lord has not sent you, but the people believe your lies.
• Ezekiel 13:16They were lying prophets who claimed peace would come to Jerusalem when there was no peace. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!’

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