The Meaning of Isaiah 28:28 Explained

Isaiah 28:28

KJV: Bread corn is bruised; because he will not ever be threshing it, nor break it with the wheel of his cart, nor bruise it with his horsemen.

YLT: Bread -corn is beaten small, For not for ever doth he sorely thresh it, Nor crushed it hath a wheel of his cart, Nor do his hoofs beat it small.

Darby: Bread corn is crushed, because he will not ever be threshing it; and if he drove the wheels of his cart and his horses over it, he would not crush it.

ASV: Bread grain is ground; for he will not be always threshing it: and though the wheel of his cart and his horses scatter it, he doth not grind it.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Bread  [corn] is bruised;  because he will not ever  be threshing  it, nor break  [it with] the wheel  of his cart,  nor bruise  it [with] his horsemen. 

What does Isaiah 28:28 Mean?

Context Summary

Isaiah 28:14-29 - Truth The Only Refuge
In the beginning of Hezekiah's reign the Jewish leaders had made an alliance with Assyria, on whom they relied to protect them against any and all foes. But the prophet told them plainly that they would be disappointed, and that when the Assyrian scourge passed through the land toward Egypt, it would involve them also in disaster, Isaiah 28:18. Then he broke out with this sublime description of the only foundation of security that could never fail. The deep meaning of this prediction of the precious corner-stone is unfolded in later Scriptures, Matthew 21:42; Ephesians 2:20; 1 Peter 2:7. Christ was tried by Satan and by man: He is precious: He unites the walls of Jew and Gentile that were at right-angles to each other. All our excuses and professions are too short and too narrow when God enters into judgment. Outside of Christ there is neither peace nor safety. See that thou buildest Him a holy character of gold, silver, and precious stones, 1 Corinthians 3:10, etc. [source]

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 28

1  The prophet threatens Ephraim for their pride and drunkenness
5  The residue shall be advanced in the kingdom of Christ
7  He rebukes their error
9  Their unwillingness to learn
14  And their security
16  Christ the sure foundation is promised
17  Their security shall be tried
23  They are incited to the consideration of God's providence

What do the individual words in Isaiah 28:28 mean?

Bread [flour] must be ground therefore not forever the mantle he does thresh it and Break [it] with] his cartwheel and [with] his horsemen Or crush it
לֶ֣חֶם יוּדָ֔ק כִּ֛י לֹ֥א לָנֶ֖צַח אָד֣וֹשׁ יְדוּשֶׁ֑נּוּ וְ֠הָמַם גִּלְגַּ֧ל עֶגְלָת֛וֹ וּפָרָשָׁ֖יו לֹֽא־ יְדֻקֶּֽנּוּ

לֶ֣חֶם  Bread  [flour] 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: לֶחֶם  
Sense: bread, food, grain.
יוּדָ֔ק  must  be  ground 
Parse: Verb, Hofal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: דָּקַק  
Sense: to crush, pulverise, thresh.
לָנֶ֖צַח  forever 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular
Root: נֵצַח  
Sense: eminence, perpetuity, strength, victory, enduring, everlastingness.
אָד֣וֹשׁ  the  mantle 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Infinitive absolute
Root: אָדַשׁ  
Sense: (Qal) to tread, tread on, thresh, trample on.
יְדוּשֶׁ֑נּוּ  he  does  thresh  it 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine singular
Root: דּוּשׁ  
Sense: to tread out, thresh.
וְ֠הָמַם  and  Break  [it] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: הָמַם 
Sense: to move noisily, confuse, make a noise, discomfit, break, consume, crush, destroy, trouble, vex.
עֶגְלָת֛וֹ  his  cartwheel 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: עֲגִילָה 
Sense: cart, wagon.
וּפָרָשָׁ֖יו  and  [with]  his  horsemen 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: פָּרָשׁ 
Sense: horse, steed, warhorse.
יְדֻקֶּֽנּוּ  crush  it 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine singular
Root: דָּקַק  
Sense: to crush, pulverise, thresh.