Isaiah 28:7
in Isaiah 28These 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 in their judgments.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And even these reel with wine, and stagger with strong drink; the priest and the prophet reel with strong drink, they are swallowed up of wine, they stagger with strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment.
KJV
But they also have erred through wine, and through strong drink are out of the way; the priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink, they are swallowed up of wine, they are out of the way through strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment.
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This verse in Isaiah 28
Commentary
9 notes on this verseThere are drunkards of Jerusalem, as well as drunkards of Ephraim; and therefore the mercy of God is to be so much the more admired that he has not blasted the glory of Judah as he has done that of Ephraim. Sparing mercy lays us under peculiar obligations when it is thus distinguishing. Ephraim's sins are found in Judah, and yet not Ephraim's ruins.
This site's exposition
Priests and prophets reel from strong drink
on Isaiah 28:7-8
The woe widens to Judah's leaders: "Priests and prophets reel from strong drink and are befuddled by wine". The men charged with judgment are "muddled in their visions and stumbling in their judgments". Verse 8 adds, "all their tables are covered with vomit; there is not a place without filth".
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
In fact, our fathers passed their lives in hunger, thirst and great mortification, by which they acquired purity. Above all they fled the wine habit, which is full of every evil. Troubles, tumults and disorders are caused in our members through the abuse of wine; …
(Verse 5 and following) On that day, the Lord of hosts will be a crown of glory and a diadem of rejoicing to the remnant of his people, and a spirit of judgment to the one who sits in judgment, and strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate. But these also reel because of wine and stagger because of strong drink: priest and prophet reel because of strong drink, they are swallowed up by wine, they stagger because of strong drink; they reel while having visions, they totter when rendering judgment.
The Medieval Church1 voice
637. But these also. Here he threatens against those among the two tribes who disdain the predictions of the prophets; and first, against the princes, second, against the city or against the people, woe to Ariel (ch. 29). The first of these is divided into …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
But - Judah is guilty of the same sins with Israel, therefore they also must expect the same calamities; of which he speaks afterward. The prophet - The teachers, who should have been patterns of sobriety to the people.
But they also have erred through wine,....
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
Is it those (that is, does he take us to be) just weaned, &c.? For (he is constantly repeating, as if to little children) precept upon precept," &c. line--a rule or law. [MAURER]. The repetition of sounds in Hebrew tzav latzav, tzav latzav, qav laqav, qav laquav, expresses the scorn of the imitators of Isaiah's speaking; he spoke stammering (Isa 28:11).
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — odd-straight-quotes
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
But they also have erred through wine - In the previous verses the prophet had said that the kingdom of Judah should be saved, while that of Ephraim should be destroyed. Yet he does not deny that they also were guilty of crimes for which punishment would come upon them. To portray these crimes, and to declare the certain judgment which awaited them, is the design of the remainder of the chapter.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְגַם־ | vegam- | and also | H1571 → | 769 times |
| אֵ֙לֶּה֙ | ʾeleh | these | H428 → | 746 times |
| בַּיַּ֣יִן | baiyayin | with <the> wine | H3196 → | 141 times |
| שָׁג֔וּ | shagu | they reeled | H7686 → | 21 times |
| וּבַשֵּׁכָ֖ר | uvashekhar | and with <the> strong drink | H7941 → | 23 times |
| תָּע֑וּ | tau | they staggered | H8582 → | 50 times |
| כֹּהֵ֣ן | kohen | priest | H3548 → | 750 times |
| וְנָבִיא֩ | venavi' | and prophet | H5030 → | 314 times |
| שָׁג֨וּ | shagu | they reeled | H7686 → | 21 times |
| בַשֵּׁכָ֜ר | vashekhar | with <the> strong drink | H7941 → | 23 times |
| נִבְלְע֣וּ | nivleu | they were confused | H1104 → | 49 times |
| מִן־ | min- | from | H4480 → | 1188 times |
| הַיַּ֗יִן | haiyayin | <the> wine | H3196 → | 141 times |
| תָּעוּ֙ | tau | they staggered | H8582 → | 50 times |
| מִן־ | min- | from | H4480 → | 1188 times |
| הַשֵּׁכָ֔ר | hashekhar | <the> strong drink | H7941 → | 23 times |
| שָׁגוּ֙ | shagu | they reeled | H7686 → | 21 times |
| בָּֽרֹאֶ֔ה | baroeh | in the vision | H7203 → | |
| פָּק֖וּ | paku | they tottered | H6328 → | |
| פְּלִילִיָּֽה׃ | peliliyah | decision | H6417 → |
וְגַם־and also
vegam-H1571 →769 times
אֵ֙לֶּה֙these
ʾelehH428 →746 times
בַּיַּ֣יִןwith <the> wine
baiyayinH3196 →141 times
שָׁג֔וּthey reeled
shaguH7686 →21 times
וּבַשֵּׁכָ֖רand with <the> strong drink
uvashekharH7941 →23 times
תָּע֑וּthey staggered
tauH8582 →50 times
כֹּהֵ֣ןpriest
kohenH3548 →750 times
וְנָבִיא֩and prophet
venavi'H5030 →314 times
שָׁג֨וּthey reeled
shaguH7686 →21 times
בַשֵּׁכָ֜רwith <the> strong drink
vashekharH7941 →23 times
נִבְלְע֣וּthey were confused
nivleuH1104 →49 times
מִן־from
min-H4480 →1188 times
הַיַּ֗יִן<the> wine
haiyayinH3196 →141 times
תָּעוּ֙they staggered
tauH8582 →50 times
מִן־from
min-H4480 →1188 times
הַשֵּׁכָ֔ר<the> strong drink
hashekharH7941 →23 times
שָׁגוּ֙they reeled
shaguH7686 →21 times
בָּֽרֹאֶ֔הin the vision
baroehH7203 →
פָּק֖וּthey tottered
pakuH6328 →
פְּלִילִיָּֽה׃decision
peliliyahH6417 →
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
Luke 21:34But 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.
it leads to
- Mark 4:19
but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth, and the desire for other things come in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.
- Luke 12:40
You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour you do not expect.”
- 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.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:2–8
For you are fully aware that the Day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.
- 1 Peter 4:3–7
For you have spent enough time in the past carrying out the same desires as the Gentiles: living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing, and detestable idolatry.
- Mark 4:19
Through
Micah 2:11If 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!
it leads to
- Jeremiah 5:31
The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule by their own authority. My people love it so, but what will you do in the end?
- 2 Corinthians 11:13–15
For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ.
- Isaiah 30:10–11
They say to the seers, “Stop seeing visions!” and to the prophets, “Do not prophesy to us the truth! Speak to us pleasant words; prophesy illusions.
- Jeremiah 5:31
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 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; 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; Pachomius the Great, INSTRUCTIONS 45 and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Isaiah.