Isaiah 28:10
in Isaiah 28For they hear: “Order on order, order on order, line on line, line on line; a little here, a little there.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
For it is precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, there a little.
KJV
For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:
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This verse in Isaiah 28
Commentary
12 notes on this verseFor precept must be upon precept - The original is remarkably abrupt and sententious. The hemistichs are these: - לצו צו לצו צו כי latsav tsav latsav tsav ki לקו קו לקו קו lakau kau lakau kau שם זעיר שם זעיר sham zeeir sham zeeir For, - Command to command, command to command. Line to line, line to line. A little there, a little there.
This site's exposition
Whom is He trying to teach
on Isaiah 28:9-10
Verse 10 gives what they hear, "Order on order, order on order, line on line, line on line; a little here, a little there". The older writers read these words either as the drunkards mocking the prophet's preaching or as the patient way God teaches His people.
This site's exposition
Order on order, order on order
Order on order and line on line render the Hebrew tsav latsav and kau lakau, short syllables repeated like a lesson for infants. Adam Clarke calls the original remarkably abrupt. The scoffers hear the message of the LORD as babble for babies just weaned from milk.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
We read in the book of Job how, while the first messenger of evil was yet speaking, there came also another; and in the same book it is written, "Is there not a temptation"—or as the Hebrew better gives it—"a warfare to man upon earth?" It is for this end that we labor, it is for this end that we risk our lives in the warfare of this world, that we may be crowned in the world to come. That we should believe this to be true of people is nothing wonderful, for even the Lord was tempted, and of Abraham the Scripture bears witness that God tested him. It is for this reason also that the apostle says, "We glory in tribulations … knowing that tribulation works perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint." And in another passage [we read], "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation or distress or persecution or family or nakedness or peril or sword? As it is written, 'for your sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.' " The prophet Isaiah comforts those in a similar case in these words: "You who are weaned from the milk, you who are drawn from the breasts, look for tribulation upon tribulation, but also for hope upon hope." For, as the apostle puts it, "The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us."
(Vers. 10 seqq.) Who will teach knowledge, and who will make understanding? Weaned from milk, pulled from the breasts: command, re-command; command, re-command; wait, re-wait; wait, re-wait; a little here, a little there. For with stammering lips and another tongue He will speak to this people, to whom He said, 'This is the rest, give rest to the weary,' and 'This is the refreshing,' but they would not hear. And the word of the Lord will be to them, command, re-command; command, re-command; wait, re-wait; wait, re-wait; a little here, a little there, that they may go and fall backward, and be broken, snared, and caught. LXX: To whom shall we announce evil, and to whom shall we announce good news? Those who have been weaned from milk, those who have been taken away from the breast. Expect tribulation upon tribulation; wait for hope upon hope; still little, still little: because of the mockery of lips, because of the other tongue with which they will speak to this people, saying to them: This is the rest for the hungry, and this is the crushing, and they did not want to hear. The word of the Lord will come upon them: Tribulation upon tribulation: wait, wait; hope upon hope: still little, still little; so that they may go and fall backward, and be crushed, and be endangered, and be captured. Who, he says, is worthy of the teaching of the Lord, to whom are the words of the Savior saying: 'He who has ears to hear, let him hear' (Matthew 12:15), so that what he has heard with his ears, he may understand with his heart? […]
"My conscience is at rest, and I know that it is not from any fault of mine that I am suffering; moreover affliction in this world is a ground for expecting a reward hereafter."
The Medieval Church1 voice
644. For command. Here he sets out their contempt of teaching, and first, through the blasphemy by which they derided the prophets, saying, command, for they used these words in threatening, above: I will command the army of heaven: I will command the clouds (Jer …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Note, For our instruction in the things of God it is requisite that we have precept upon precept and line upon line, that one precept and line should be followed, and so enforced by another; the precept of justice must be upon the precept of piety, and the precept of charity upon that of justice.
4 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
For - They must be taught like little children, because of their great dullness. Line - One line of the book after another, as children are taught to read.
For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept,....
The rulers of Jerusalem are reproved and threatened for their insolent contempt of God's judgments, and setting them at defiance; and, after a gracious promise of Christ and his grace, they are made to know that the vain hopes of escaping the judgments of God with which they flattered themselves would certainly deceive them,
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
For precept must be upon precept - This is probably designed to ridicule the concise and sententious manner of the prophets, and especially the fact that they dwelt much upon the same elementary truths of religion. In teaching children we are obliged to do it by often repeating the same simple lesson. So the profane and scoffing teachers of the people said it had been with the prophets of God. It had been precept upon precept, and line upon line, in the same way as children had been instructed. The meaning is, ‘there is a constant repetition of the command, without ornament, imagery, or illustration; without an appeal to our understanding, or respect for our reason; it is simply one mandate after another, just as lessons are inculcated upon children.’ Line upon line - This word (קו qav), properly means “a cord, a line;” particularly a measuring cord or line (2Ki 21:13; Eze 47:13; see the note at Isa 18:2). Here it seems to be used in the sense of “a rule,” “law,” or “precept.” Grotius thinks that the idea is taken from schoolmasters who instruct their pupils by making lines or marks for them which they are to trace or imitate. There is a repetition of similar sounds in the Hebrew in this verse which cannot be conveyed in a translation, and which shows their contempt in a much more striking manner than any version could do - לקו קו לקו קו לצו צו לצו צו כי kı̂y tsav lâtsâv tsav lâtsâv qav lâqâv qēv lâqâv. Here a little and there a little - In the manner of instructing children, inculcating elementary lessons constantly. It may be observed here that God’s method of imparting religious truth has often appeared to a scoffing world to be undignified and foolish. Sinners suppose that he does not sufficiently respect their understanding, and pay a tribute to the dignity of their nature. […]
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
Surely, they were commanded to do the law; but what they were commanded, they were not willing to do. The prophets prophesied unto them, that if they would repent, it should be forgiven them; but they did not obey the words of the prophets: they walked after the desire of their soul, neither did they desire to do my law.
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
13 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| כִּ֣י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| צַ֤ו | tzav | command | H6673 → | 9 times |
| לָצָו֙ | latzav | to [the] command | H6673 → | 9 times |
| צַ֣ו | tzav | command | H6673 → | 9 times |
| לָצָ֔ו | latzav | to [the] command | H6673 → | 9 times |
| קַ֥ו | kav | line | H6957 → | 21 times |
| לָקָ֖ו | lakav | to [the] line | H6957 → | 21 times |
| קַ֣ו | kav | line | H6957 → | 21 times |
| לָקָ֑ו | lakav | to [the] line | H6957 → | 21 times |
| זְעֵ֥יר | zeeir | a little | H2191 → | 5 times |
| שָׁ֖ם | sham | there | H8033 → | 834 times |
| זְעֵ֥יר | zeeir | a little | H2191 → | 5 times |
| שָֽׁם׃ | sham | there | H8033 → | 834 times |
כִּ֣יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
צַ֤וcommand
tzavH6673 →9 times
לָצָו֙to [the] command
latzavH6673 →9 times
צַ֣וcommand
tzavH6673 →9 times
לָצָ֔וto [the] command
latzavH6673 →9 times
קַ֥וline
kavH6957 →21 times
לָקָ֖וto [the] line
lakavH6957 →21 times
קַ֣וline
kavH6957 →21 times
לָקָ֑וto [the] line
lakavH6957 →21 times
זְעֵ֥ירa little
zeeirH2191 →5 times
שָׁ֖םthere
shamH8033 →834 times
זְעֵ֥ירa little
zeeirH2191 →5 times
שָֽׁם׃there
shamH8033 →834 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
Hebrews 5:12Although by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to reteach you the basic principles of God’s word. You need milk, not solid food!
it leads to
- Hebrews 6:1
Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith in God,
- 1 Corinthians 3:1–3
Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual, but as worldly—as infants in Christ.
- 1 Peter 2:2
Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation,
- Hebrews 5:13
For everyone who lives on milk is still an infant, inexperienced in the message of righteousness.
- Isaiah 28:9–10
Whom is He trying to teach? To whom is He explaining His message? To infants just weaned from milk? To babies removed from the breast?
- Hebrews 6:1
Through
2 Timothy 3:7who are always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth.
it leads to
- 2 Timothy 4:3–4
For the time will come when men will not tolerate sound doctrine, but with itching ears they will gather around themselves teachers to suit their own desires.
- Ephesians 4:14
Then we will no longer be infants, tossed about by the waves and carried around by every wind of teaching and by the clever cunning of men in their deceitful scheming.
- 1 Timothy 2:4
who wants everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
- 2 Timothy 4:3–4
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Isaiah
This page draws on 11 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); Jamieson, Fausset and Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, LETTER 130.7; Jerome, Commentary on Isaiah; Jerome, LETTER 108.18; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; 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.