Isaiah 28:2
in Isaiah 28Behold, the Lord has one who is strong and mighty. Like a hailstorm or destructive tempest, like a driving rain or flooding downpour, he will smash that crown to the ground.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Behold, the Lord hath a mighty and strong one; as a tempest of hail, a destroying storm, as a tempest of mighty waters overflowing, will he cast down to the earth with the hand.
KJV
Behold, the Lord hath a mighty and strong one, which as a tempest of hail and a destroying storm, as a flood of mighty waters overflowing, shall cast down to the earth with the hand.
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This verse in Isaiah 28
Commentary
8 notes on this verseBehold the Lord hath a mighty and strong one “Behold the mighty one, the exceedingly strong one” - אמץ לאדני ammits ladonai, fortis Domino, i.e., fortissimmus, a Hebraism. For לאדני ladonai, to the Lord, thirty-eight MSS. Of Dr. Kennicott’s and many of De Rossi’s, with some of my own, and two editions, read ליהוה laihovah, to Jehovah.
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
the Lord has one who is strong
The strong one belongs to the Lord, who sends him. Adam Clarke reads the Hebrew phrase as exceedingly strong, and he notes that many manuscripts name the LORD here by his covenant name. The hailstorm and the flooding downpour picture an invading army that will smash the crown of Samaria.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church1 voice
635. Second, he threatens punishment: behold the Lord is mighty; and concerning this, he does two things. First, he sets out the strength of the enemy: behold, mighty, as to the strength of the enemy, whom he will send in; as a storm of hail, …
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
Behold, the Lord hath a mighty and strong one,....
Such is the hope of the hypocrite; this will come of all his confidences. Secondly, They boasted of a covenant with death, and an agreement with the grave; but it shall be disannulled, as made without his consent who has the keys and sovereign command of hell and death. Those do but delude themselves that think by any wiles to evade the judgments of God.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Behold, the Lord hath a mighty and strong one - The Hebrew of this passage is, ‘Lo! there is to the Lord (לאדני la'donāy) mighty and strong.’ Lowth renders it, ‘Behold the mighty one, the exceedingly strong one,’ And supposes that it means the Lord himself. It is evident, however, that something must be understood as being that which the Lord ‘hath,’ for the Hebrew properly implies that there is something strong and mighty which is under his control, and with which, as with a tempest, he will sweep away and destroy Ephraim. Jarchi supposes that רוח rûach (“wind”) is understood; Kimchi thinks that the word is יום yôm (“day”); others believe that חיל chayil (“an army”) is understood. But I think the obvious interpretation is to refer it to the Assyrian king, as the agent by which Yahweh would destroy Samaria 2Ki 17:3-6. This power was entirely under the direction of Yahweh, and would be employed by him in accomplishing his purpose on that guilty people (compare the notes at Isa 10:5-6). As a tempest of hail - A storm of hail is a most striking representation of the desolation that is produced by the ravages of an invading army (compare Job 27:21; the note at Isa 30:30; also Hos 13:15). A flood of mighty waters - This is also a striking description of the devastating effects of an invading army (compare Psa 90:5; Jer 46:7-8) Shall cast down to the earth - To cast it to the earth means that it should be entirely humbled and destroyed (see the note at Isa 25:12). With the hand - Septuagint: βίᾳ bia - ‘Force,’ ‘violence.’ This is its meaning here; as if it were taken in the hand, like a cup, and dashed indignantly to the ground.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
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
15 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| הִנֵּ֨ה | hineh | there! | H2009 → | 843 times |
| חָזָ֤ק | chazak | a mighty [one] | H2389 → | 56 times |
| וְאַמִּץ֙ | veamitz | and a strong [one] | H533 → | |
| לַֽאדֹנָ֔י | ladonai | [belongs] to [the] Lord | H136 → | 440 times |
| כְּזֶ֥רֶם | kezerem | like a storm of | H2230 → | 9 times |
| בָּרָ֖ד | barad | hail | H1259 → | 29 times |
| שַׂ֣עַר | saar | a tempest of | H8178 → | |
| קָ֑טֶב | katev | destruction | H6986 → | |
| כְּ֠זֶרֶם | kezerem | like a storm of | H2230 → | 9 times |
| מַ֣יִם | mayim | water | H4325 → | 581 times |
| כַּבִּירִ֥ים | kabirim | mighty | H3524 → | 10 times |
| שֹׁטְפִ֛ים | shotefim | overflowing | H7857 → | 31 times |
| הִנִּ֥יחַ | hiniach | he will thrust [it] down | H5117 → | 142 times |
| לָאָ֖רֶץ | laaretz | to the ground | H776 → | 2504 times |
| בְּיָֽד׃ | beyad | with a hand | H3027 → | 1618 times |
הִנֵּ֨הthere!
hinehH2009 →843 times
חָזָ֤קa mighty [one]
chazakH2389 →56 times
וְאַמִּץ֙and a strong [one]
veamitzH533 →
לַֽאדֹנָ֔י[belongs] to [the] Lord
ladonaiH136 →440 times
כְּזֶ֥רֶםlike a storm of
kezeremH2230 →9 times
בָּרָ֖דhail
baradH1259 →29 times
שַׂ֣עַרa tempest of
saarH8178 →
קָ֑טֶבdestruction
katevH6986 →
כְּ֠זֶרֶםlike a storm of
kezeremH2230 →9 times
מַ֣יִםwater
mayimH4325 →581 times
כַּבִּירִ֥יםmighty
kabirimH3524 →10 times
שֹׁטְפִ֛יםoverflowing
shotefimH7857 →31 times
הִנִּ֥יחַhe will thrust [it] down
hiniachH5117 →142 times
לָאָ֖רֶץto the ground
laaretzH776 →2504 times
בְּיָֽד׃with a hand
beyadH3027 →1618 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
Isaiah 27:1In that day the LORD will take His sharp, great, and mighty sword, and bring judgment on Leviathan the fleeing serpent—Leviathan the coiling serpent—and He will slay the dragon of the sea.
it leads to
- Ezekiel 29:3
Speak to him and tell him that this is what the Lord GOD says: Behold, I am against you, O Pharaoh king of Egypt, O great monster who lies among his rivers, who says,…
- Isaiah 51:9
Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the LORD. Wake up as in days past, as in generations of old. Was it not You who cut Rahab to pieces, who pierced through the…
- Isaiah 66:16
For by fire and by His sword, the LORD will execute judgment on all flesh, and many will be slain by the LORD.
- Revelation 12:3
Then another sign appeared in heaven: a huge red dragon with seven heads, ten horns, and seven royal crowns on his heads.
- Job 26:13
By His breath the skies were cleared; His hand pierced the fleeing serpent.
- Ezekiel 29:3
Through
Nahum 1:8But with an overwhelming flood He will make an end of Nineveh and pursue His enemies into darkness.
it leads to
- Ezekiel 13:13
Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: In My wrath I will release a windstorm, and in My anger torrents of rain and hail will fall with destructive fury.
- Ezekiel 13:13
Through
Isaiah 30:30And the LORD will cause His majestic voice to be heard and His mighty arm to be revealed, striking in angry wrath with a flame of consuming fire, and with cloudburst, storm, and hailstones.
it leads to
- Isaiah 29:6
you will be visited by the LORD of Hosts with thunder and earthquake and loud noise, with windstorm and tempest and consuming flame of fire.
- Psalms 18:13–14
The LORD thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded— hailstones and coals of fire.
- Isaiah 29:6
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); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Isaiah.