Isaiah 28:4
in Isaiah 28The fading flower of his beautiful splendor, set on the summit above the fertile valley, will be like a ripe fig before the summer harvest: Whoever sees it will take it in his hand and swallow it.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and the fading flower of his glorious beauty, which is on the head of the fat valley, shall be as the first-ripe fig before the summer; which when he that looketh upon it seeth, while it is yet in his hand he eateth it up.
KJV
And the glorious beauty, which is on the head of the fat valley, shall be a fading flower, and as the hasty fruit before the summer; which when he that looketh upon it seeth, while it is yet in his hand he eateth it up.
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This verse in Isaiah 28
Commentary
9 notes on this verseThe hasty fruit before the summer “The early fruit before the summer” - “No sooner doth the boccore, (the early fig), draw near to perfection in the middle or latter end of June, than the kermez or summer fig begins to be formed, though it rarely ripens before August; about which time the same tree frequently throws out a third crop, or the winter fig, as we may call it.
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.
This site's exposition
like a ripe fig before the summer harvest
The ripe fig before the summer harvest is the early fig, near ripe in June while the main crop waits until August. Adam Clarke sets out those seasons, and a fig that early is picked and eaten the day it is seen. A prize that ripe tempts every passer-by.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church1 voice
And the emptying of glory, and the flower shall be as a hasty fruit, that is, ripe or early fruit, above: for before the harvest it was all flourishing (Isa 18:5); all your strong holds shall be like fig trees with their green figs (Nah …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
), 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
He eateth - Which, as soon as a man sees he plucks it off, and devours it, as soon as he can get it into his hand. And so shall it be with Ephraim's glory, which his enemies shall devour greedily.
And the glorious beauty which is on the head of the fat valley,.... Meaning the riches and fruitfulness of the ten tribes, and especially of Samaria the head of them: shall be a fading flower; as before declared, Isa 28:1 and here repeated to show the certainty of it, and to awaken their attention to it: and as the hasty fruit before the summer; the first ripe fruit, that which is ripe before the summer fruits in common are.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
Rather, "the fading flower, their glorious beauty (Isa 28:1), which is on the head of the fat (fertile) valley, shall be as the early fig" [G. Figs usually ripened in August; but earlier ones (Hebrew bikkurah, Spanish bokkore) in June, and were regarded as a delicacy (Jer 24:2;
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens+unbalanced-brackets
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
As the hasty fruit before the summer - The word rendered ‘hasty fruit’ (בכוּרה bikûrâh); in Arabic, bokkore; in Spanish, albacore), denotes the “early fig.” this ripens in June; the common fig does not ripen until August. Shaw, in his “Travels,” p. 370, says: ‘No sooner does the “boccore” (the early fig) draw near to perfection in the middle or latter end of June, than the “kermez” or summer fig begins to be formed, though it rarely ripens before August, about which time the same tree frequently throws out a third crop, or the winter fig, as we may call it. This is usually of a much longer shape and darker complexion than the kermez, hanging and ripening on the tree after the leaves are shed; and provided the winter be mild and temperate it is gathered as a delicious morsel in the spring.’ Robinson (George), (“Travels in Palestine and Syria,” vol. i. p. 354), says, ‘The fig tree, which delights in a rocky and parched soil, and is therefore often found in barren spots where nothing else will grow, is very common in Palestine and the East. The fruit is of two kinds, the “boccore” and the “kermouse.” The black and white boccore, or early fig, is produced in May; but the kermouse, or the fig properly so called, which is preserved and exported to Europe, is rarely ripe before September.’ Compare Hos 9:10. The phrase ‘before the summer’ means before the heat of the summer, when the common fig was usually ripe. The idea here is this, the early fig would be plucked and eaten with great greediness. So the city of Samaria would be seized upon and destroyed by its enemies. Which when he that looketh upon it seeth ... - That is, as soon as he sees it he plucks it, and eats it at once. He does not lay it up for future use, but as soon as he has it in his hand he devours it. So soon as the Assyrian should see Samaria he would rush upon it, and destroy it. […]
The words behind it
20 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְֽהָ֨יְתָ֜ה | vehayetah | and it will be | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| צִיצַ֤ת | tzitzat | a flower | H6733 → | |
| נֹבֵל֙ | novel | <of> withering | H5034 → | 25 times |
| צְבִ֣י | tzevi | [the] beauty of | H6643 → | 33 times |
| תִפְאַרְתּ֔וֹ | tifarto | splendor its | H8597 → | 51 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֥ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | [is] on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| רֹ֖אשׁ | rosh | [the] head of | H7218 → | 599 times |
| גֵּ֣יא | gei' | a valley of | H1516 → | 59 times |
| שְׁמָנִ֑ים | shemanim | fatness<es> | H8081 → | 193 times |
| כְּבִכּוּרָהּ֙ | kevikurah | like an early fig | H1063 → | |
| בְּטֶ֣רֶם | beterem | <in> before | H2962 → | 56 times |
| קַ֔יִץ | kayitz | summer | H7019 → | |
| אֲשֶׁ֨ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| יִרְאֶ֤ה | yireh | he will see | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| הָֽרֹאֶה֙ | haroeh | the [one who] sees | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| אוֹתָ֔הּ | ʾotah | <obj.> it | H853 → | 10935 times |
| בְּעוֹדָ֥הּ | beodah | while still it | H5750 → | 490 times |
| בְּכַפּ֖וֹ | bekhapo | [is] in hand his | H3709 → | 192 times |
| יִבְלָעֶֽנָּה׃ ס | yivlaenah | he will swallow it | H1104 → | 49 times |
וְֽהָ֨יְתָ֜הand it will be
vehayetahH1961 →3559 times
צִיצַ֤תa flower
tzitzatH6733 →
נֹבֵל֙<of> withering
novelH5034 →25 times
צְבִ֣י[the] beauty of
tzeviH6643 →33 times
תִפְאַרְתּ֔וֹsplendor its
tifartoH8597 →51 times
אֲשֶׁ֥רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
עַל־[is] on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
רֹ֖אשׁ[the] head of
roshH7218 →599 times
גֵּ֣יאa valley of
gei'H1516 →59 times
שְׁמָנִ֑יםfatness<es>
shemanimH8081 →193 times
כְּבִכּוּרָהּ֙like an early fig
kevikurahH1063 →
בְּטֶ֣רֶם<in> before
beteremH2962 →56 times
קַ֔יִץsummer
kayitzH7019 →
אֲשֶׁ֨רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
יִרְאֶ֤הhe will see
yirehH7200 →1300 times
הָֽרֹאֶה֙the [one who] sees
haroehH7200 →1300 times
אוֹתָ֔הּ<obj.> it
ʾotahH853 →10935 times
בְּעוֹדָ֥הּwhile still it
beodahH5750 →490 times
בְּכַפּ֖וֹ[is] in hand his
bekhapoH3709 →192 times
יִבְלָעֶֽנָּה׃ סhe will swallow it
yivlaenahH1104 →49 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
Hosea 6:4What shall I do with you, O Ephraim? What shall I do with you, O Judah? For your loyalty is like a morning mist, like the early dew that vanishes.
it leads to
- Psalms 78:34–37
When He slew them, they would seek Him; they repented and searched for God.
- Hosea 11:8
How could I give you up, O Ephraim? How could I surrender you, O Israel? How could I make you like Admah? How could I treat you like Zeboiim? My heart is turned within…
- Hosea 13:3
Therefore they will be like the morning mist, like the early dew that vanishes, like chaff blown from a threshing floor, like smoke through an open window.
- Psalms 106:12–13
Then they believed His promises and sang His praise.
- 2 Peter 2:20–22
If indeed they have escaped the corruption of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, only to be entangled and overcome by it again, their final condition is worse…
- Psalms 78:34–37
Through
Micah 7:1Woe is me! For I am like one gathering summer fruit at the gleaning of the vineyard; there is no cluster to eat, no early fig that I crave.
it leads to
- Hosea 9:10
I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness. I saw your fathers as the firstfruits of the fig tree in its first season. But they went to Baal-peor, and consecrated themselves to Shame; so…
- Isaiah 24:13
So will it be on the earth and among the nations, like a harvested olive tree, like a gleaning after a grape harvest.
- Hosea 9:10
Through
Isaiah 28:1Woe 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.
it leads to
- Hosea 7:5
The princes are inflamed with wine on the day of our king; so he joins hands with those who mock him.
- Hosea 7:5
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Isaiah
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Book of Isaiah; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; 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.