Isaiah 28:1
in Isaiah 28Woe to the majestic crown of Ephraim’s drunkards, to the fading flower of his glorious splendor, set on the summit above the fertile valley, the pride of those overcome by wine.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Woe to the crown of pride of the drunkards of Ephraim, and to the fading flower of his glorious beauty, which is on the head of the fat valley of them that are overcome with wine!
KJV
Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim, whose glorious beauty is a fading flower, which are on the head of the fat valleys of them that are overcome with wine!
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This verse in Isaiah 28
Commentary
11 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Wo - (see the note at Isa 18:1). The word here is used to denounce impending judgment. To the crown of pride - This is a Hebrew mode of expression, denoting the proud or haughty crown. There can be no doubt that it refers to the capital of the kingdom of Ephraim; that is, to Samaria.
This site's exposition
the majestic crown of Ephraim’s drunkards
on Isaiah 28:1-4
The woe falls on "the majestic crown of Ephraim’s drunkards", and its glory is already "the fading flower". Verse 2 names one "strong and mighty" who comes "Like a hailstorm or destructive tempest". Verse 4 makes the flower "a ripe fig before the summer harvest", eaten when seen.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
(Chapter 28, Verse 1) Woe to the pride of Ephraim's crown, to the fading flower of its glorious splendor, which is at the head of the fertile valley of those who are overcome with wine. See, 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. The proud crown of Ephraim's drunkards will be trampled underfoot.
The Medieval Church1 voice
633. Woe to the crown. In this part, he threatens against those who disdain the predictions of the prophets, and first, against those who disdain in the present, second, against those to come in the time of Jeremiah, woe to you, apostate children (ch. 30). …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Ephraim - Of the kingdom of the ten tribes. Who are - Who have their common abode. The head - Samaria, might well be called the head, as being seated upon a mountain, and the head of the kingdom, and the head of the fat valleys, because it was encompassed with many fat and rich valleys.
), and Samaria, which was situated on a hill, was, as it were, on the head of the fat valleys. Their country was rich and pleasant, and as the garden of the Lord: it was the glory of Canaan, as that was the glory of all lands; their harvest and vintage were the glorious beauty on the head of their valleys, which were covered over with corn and vines.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim,.... Or, "of the drunkards of Ephraim": or, "O crown of pride, O drunkards of Ephraim (l)"; who are both called upon, and a woe denounced against them. Ephraim is put for the ten tribes, who were drunk either in a literal sense, for to the sin of drunkenness were they addicted, Hos 7:5, Amo 6:
4 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
God has an officer ready to make a seizure for him, has one at his beck, a mighty and strong one, who is able to do the business, even the king of Assyria, who shall cast down to the earth with the hand, shall easily and effectually, and with the turn of a hand, destroy all that which they are proud of and pleased with,
(2.) Like the hasty fruit, which, as soon as it is discovered, is plucked and eaten up; so the wealth of this world, besides that it is apt to decay of itself, is subject to be devoured by others as greedily as the first-ripe fruit, which is earnestly desired, Mic. vii.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
crown of pride--Hebrew for "proud crown of the drunkards," &c. [HORSLEY], namely, Samaria, the capital of Ephraim, or Israel. "Drunkards," literally (Isa 28:7, 8;
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase+unbalanced-parens
Wo to the crown of pride - By the crown of pride, etc., Samaria is primarily understood. “Sebaste, the ancient Samaria, is situated on a long mount of an oval figure, having first a fruitful valley, and then a ring of hills running round about it;” Maundrell, p. 58. “E regione horum ruderum mons est peramoenus, planitie admodum frugifera circumseptus, super quem olim Samaria urbs condita fuit;” Fureri Itinerarium, p. 93. The city, beautifully situated on the top of a round hill, and surrounded immediately with a rich valley and a circle of other hills beyond it, suggested the idea of a chaplet or wreath of flowers worn upon their heads on occasions of festivity, expressed by the proud crown and the fading flower of the drunkards. That this custom of wearing chaplets in their banquets prevailed among the Jews, as well as among the Greeks and Romans, appears from the following passage of the book of The Wisdom of Solomon: - “Let us fill ourselves with costly wine and ointments, And let no flower of the spring pass by us: Let us crown ourselves with rose-buds before they are withered.” The Wisdom of Solomon 2:7, 8.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
the drunkards of Ephraim who would become intoxicated with the wine of the state of Prugitha, as (the Rabbis) stated (Shabbath 147b): The water of Damascus and the wine of Prugitha robbed away the ten tribes.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
Woe that He gave a crown to the proud and foolish prince of Israel, and that He gave a diadem to the wicked of the house of the sanctuary of His praise; they who are at the head of the valley of fatness are smitten with wine.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 3 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
16 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ה֗וֹי | ho | woe to! | H1945 → | 51 times |
| עֲטֶ֤רֶת | ʾateret | [the] crown of | H5850 → | 23 times |
| גֵּאוּת֙ | geut | <the> pride of | H1348 → | 8 times |
| שִׁכֹּרֵ֣י | shikorei | [the] drunkards of | H7910 → | 13 times |
| אֶפְרַ֔יִם | ʾefrayim | Ephraim | H669 → | 180 times |
| וְצִ֥יץ | vetzitz | and a flower | H6731 → | 15 times |
| נֹבֵ֖ל | novel | withering | H5034 → | 25 times |
| צְבִ֣י | tzevi | [the] beauty of | H6643 → | 33 times |
| תִפְאַרְתּ֑וֹ | tifarto | splendor its | H8597 → | 51 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֛ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | [is] on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| רֹ֥אשׁ | rosh | [the] head of | H7218 → | 599 times |
| גֵּֽיא־ | gei'- | a valley of | H1516 → | 59 times |
| שְׁמָנִ֖ים | shemanim | fatness<es> | H8081 → | 193 times |
| הֲל֥וּמֵי | halumei | [those] struck down of | H1986 → | 8 times |
| יָֽיִן׃ | yayin | wine | H3196 → | 141 times |
ה֗וֹיwoe to!
hoH1945 →51 times
עֲטֶ֤רֶת[the] crown of
ʾateretH5850 →23 times
גֵּאוּת֙<the> pride of
geutH1348 →8 times
שִׁכֹּרֵ֣י[the] drunkards of
shikoreiH7910 →13 times
אֶפְרַ֔יִםEphraim
ʾefrayimH669 →180 times
וְצִ֥יץand a flower
vetzitzH6731 →15 times
נֹבֵ֖לwithering
novelH5034 →25 times
צְבִ֣י[the] beauty of
tzeviH6643 →33 times
תִפְאַרְתּ֑וֹsplendor its
tifartoH8597 →51 times
אֲשֶׁ֛רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
עַל־[is] on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
רֹ֥אשׁ[the] head of
roshH7218 →599 times
גֵּֽיא־a valley of
gei'-H1516 →59 times
שְׁמָנִ֖יםfatness<es>
shemanimH8081 →193 times
הֲל֥וּמֵי[those] struck down of
halumeiH1986 →8 times
יָֽיִן׃wine
yayinH3196 →141 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Proverbs 23:29Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaints? Who has needless wounds? Who has bloodshot eyes?
it leads to
- Ephesians 5:18
Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to reckless indiscretion. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 1 Samuel 25:36–37
When Abigail returned to Nabal, there he was in the house, holding a feast fit for a king, in high spirits and very drunk. So she told him nothing until morning light.
- Luke 12:45–46
But suppose that servant says in his heart, ‘My master will be a long time in coming,’ and he begins to beat the menservants and maidservants, and to eat and drink and get drunk.
- Ephesians 5:18
Through
Isaiah 28:7These also stagger from wine and stumble from strong drink: Priests and prophets reel from strong drink and are befuddled by wine. They stumble because of strong drink, muddled in their visions and stumbling…
it leads to
- Isaiah 56:10–12
Israel’s watchmen are blind, they are all oblivious; they are all mute dogs, they cannot bark; they are dreamers lying around, loving to slumber.
- Luke 21:34
But watch yourselves, or your hearts will be weighed down by dissipation, drunkenness, and the worries of life—and that day will spring upon you suddenly like a snare.
- Micah 2:11
If a man of wind were to come and say falsely, “I will preach to you of wine and strong drink,” he would be just the preacher for this people!
- Ecclesiastes 10:17
Blessed are you, O land whose king is a son of nobles, and whose princes feast at the proper time—for strength and not for drunkenness.
- Isaiah 19:14
The LORD has poured into her a spirit of confusion. Egypt has been led astray in all she does, as a drunkard staggers through his own vomit.
- Isaiah 56:10–12
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Isaiah
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Albert Barnes, Notes on the Book of Isaiah; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Isaiah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Isaiah.