Isaiah 28:24
Isaiah 28:24 in Multiple Translations
Does the plowman plow for planting every day? Does he continuously loosen and harrow the soil?
Doth the plowman plow all day to sow? doth he open and break the clods of his ground?
Doth he that ploweth to sow plow continually? doth he continually open and harrow his ground?
Is the ploughman for ever ploughing? does he not get the earth ready and broken up for the seed?
Does the farmer spend all his time plowing? Does he spend all his time preparing the soil?
Doeth the plowe man plowe all the day, to sowe? doeth he open, and breake the clots of his ground?
The whole day plougheth the ploughman to sow? He openeth and harroweth his ground!
Does he who plows to sow plow continually? Does he keep turning the soil and breaking the clods?
Doth the plowman plow all day to sow? doth he open and break the clods of his ground?
Shall the ploughman plough all the day to sow, shall he open and harrow his ground?
When a farmer plows some ground, does he never plant seeds [RHQ]? Does he continue to plow it and never plant anything [RHQ]?
Berean Amplified Bible — Isaiah 28:24
BAB
Word Study
Hover over any word to see its amplified meaning. Click a word to explore its full definition and translation comparisons.
Amplified text is generated using scripting to tie together English translations for comparison. Always refer to the core BSB translation and original Hebrew/Greek text for accuracy. Anomalies may occur.
Isaiah 28:24 Interlinear (Deep Study)
BIB
HEB
הֲ/כֹ֣ל
הַ/יּ֔וֹם
יַחֲרֹ֥שׁ
הַ/חֹרֵ֖שׁ
לִ/זְרֹ֑עַ
יְפַתַּ֥ח
וִֽ/ישַׂדֵּ֖ד
אַדְמָתֽ/וֹ
הֲ/כֹ֣ל
kôl
H3605
all
Part | N-ms
הַ/יּ֔וֹם
yôwm
H3117
day
Art | N-ms
יַחֲרֹ֥שׁ
chârash
H2790
to plow/plot
V-Qal-Imperf-3ms
הַ/חֹרֵ֖שׁ
chârash
H2790
to plow/plot
Art | V-Qal
לִ/זְרֹ֑עַ
zâraʻ
H2232
to sow
Prep | V-Qal-Inf-a
יְפַתַּ֥ח
pâthach
H6605
to open
V-Piel-Imperf-3ms
וִֽ/ישַׂדֵּ֖ד
sâdad
H7702
to harrow
Conj | V-Piel-Imperf-3ms
אַדְמָתֽ/וֹ
ʼădâmâh
H127
land
N-fs | Suff
Hebrew Word Study
Select any word above to explore its original meaning, root, and usage across Scripture.
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Hebrew Word Reference — Isaiah 28:24
הֲ/כֹ֣ל
kôl
H3605
"all"
Part | N-ms
The Hebrew word for 'all' or 'everything' is used throughout the Bible, like in Genesis 1:31, where God sees all He has made as very good. It encompasses the entirety of something, whether people, things, or situations.
Definition: 1) all, the whole 1a) all, the whole of 1b) any, each, every, anything 1c) totality, everything Aramaic equivalent: kol (כֹּל "all" H3606)
Usage: Occurs in 4242 OT verses. KJV: (in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any (manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as many as, (no-) thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole, whoso(-ever). See also: Genesis 1:21; Genesis 17:10; Genesis 41:40.
הַ/יּ֔וֹם
yôwm
H3117
"day"
Art | N-ms
The Hebrew word 'yom' refers to a day, which can be a literal 24-hour period or a figurative space of time. It is used in the Bible to describe a wide range of time periods, from a single day to a year or a lifetime. The word 'yom' is used in many different contexts throughout the Bible.
Definition: : day/when/time/period 1) day, time, year 1a) day (as opposed to night) 1b) day (24 hour period) 1b1) as defined by evening and morning in Genesis 1 1b2) as a division of time 1b2a) a working day, a day's journey 1c) days, lifetime (pl.) 1d) time, period (general) 1e) year 1f) temporal references 1f1) today 1f2) yesterday 1f3) tomorrow
Usage: Occurs in 1930 OT verses. KJV: age, [phrase] always, [phrase] chronicals, continually(-ance), daily, ((birth-), each, to) day, (now a, two) days (agone), [phrase] elder, [idiom] end, [phrase] evening, [phrase] (for) ever(-lasting, -more), [idiom] full, life, as (so) long as (... live), (even) now, [phrase] old, [phrase] outlived, [phrase] perpetually, presently, [phrase] remaineth, [idiom] required, season, [idiom] since, space, then, (process of) time, [phrase] as at other times, [phrase] in trouble, weather, (as) when, (a, the, within a) while (that), [idiom] whole ([phrase] age), (full) year(-ly), [phrase] younger. See also: Genesis 1:5; Genesis 33:13; Exodus 23:15.
יַחֲרֹ֥שׁ
chârash
H2790
"to plow/plot"
V-Qal-Imperf-3ms
This verb can mean to be quiet or silent, but also to scratch or engrave, like a farmer plowing a field. It is used in various contexts, including being silent or deaf. The KJV translates it in different ways, including 'cease' or 'hold peace'.
Definition: 1) to cut in, plough, engrave, devise 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to cut in, engrave 1a2) to plough 1a3) to devise 1b) (Niphal) to be ploughed 1c) (Hiphil) to plot evil
Usage: Occurs in 65 OT verses. KJV: [idiom] altogether, cease, conceal, be deaf, devise, ear, graven, imagine, leave off speaking, hold peace, plow(-er, man), be quiet, rest, practise secretly, keep silence, be silent, speak not a word, be still, hold tongue, worker. See also: Genesis 24:21; Psalms 28:1; Psalms 32:3.
הַ/חֹרֵ֖שׁ
chârash
H2790
"to plow/plot"
Art | V-Qal
This verb can mean to be quiet or silent, but also to scratch or engrave, like a farmer plowing a field. It is used in various contexts, including being silent or deaf. The KJV translates it in different ways, including 'cease' or 'hold peace'.
Definition: 1) to cut in, plough, engrave, devise 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to cut in, engrave 1a2) to plough 1a3) to devise 1b) (Niphal) to be ploughed 1c) (Hiphil) to plot evil
Usage: Occurs in 65 OT verses. KJV: [idiom] altogether, cease, conceal, be deaf, devise, ear, graven, imagine, leave off speaking, hold peace, plow(-er, man), be quiet, rest, practise secretly, keep silence, be silent, speak not a word, be still, hold tongue, worker. See also: Genesis 24:21; Psalms 28:1; Psalms 32:3.
לִ/זְרֹ֑עַ
zâraʻ
H2232
"to sow"
Prep | V-Qal-Inf-a
To sow or plant seed is the meaning of this Hebrew word, which also has figurative uses like spreading ideas or producing spiritual fruit. It appears in various forms, such as conceiving or yielding seed, and is used in biblical passages like Genesis and Psalm 107.
Definition: 1) to sow, scatter seed 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to sow 1a2) producing, yielding seed 1b)(Niphal) 1b1) to be sown 1b2) to become pregnant, be made pregnant 1c) (Pual) to be sown 1d) (Hiphil) to produce seed, yield seed
Usage: Occurs in 54 OT verses. KJV: bear, conceive seed, set with sow(-er), yield. See also: Genesis 1:11; Psalms 107:37; Psalms 97:11.
יְפַתַּ֥ח
pâthach
H6605
"to open"
V-Piel-Imperf-3ms
This verb means to engrave or carve, and is used in Exodus to describe the intricate carvings on the furniture of the tabernacle.
Definition: 1) to open 1a) (Qal) to open 1b) (Niphal) to be opened, be let loose, be thrown open 1c) (Piel) 1c1) to free 1c2) to loosen 1c3) to open, open oneself 1d) (Hithpael) to loose oneself Aramaic equivalent: pe.tach (פְּתַח "to open" H6606)
Usage: Occurs in 133 OT verses. KJV: appear, break forth, draw (out), let go free, (en-) grave(-n), loose (self), (be, be set) open(-ing), put off, ungird, unstop, have vent. See also: Genesis 7:11; Psalms 39:10; Psalms 5:10.
וִֽ/ישַׂדֵּ֖ד
sâdad
H7702
"to harrow"
Conj | V-Piel-Imperf-3ms
This word refers to the act of breaking up clods of soil in a field, essentially harrowing or preparing the land for planting, as described in the book of Isaiah. It is a farming term used in biblical times. This process was crucial for agriculture in ancient Israel.
Definition: (Piel) to harrow
Usage: Occurs in 3 OT verses. KJV: break clods, harrow. See also: Job 39:10; Isaiah 28:24; Hosea 10:11.
אַדְמָתֽ/וֹ
ʼădâmâh
H127
"land"
N-fs | Suff
This Hebrew word refers to the earth or soil, often describing the ground as a source of sustenance. It is used to describe the physical earth, a plot of land, or even a whole country. The KJV translates it as 'country', 'earth', or 'land'.
Definition: : soil 1) ground, land 1a) ground (as general, tilled, yielding sustenance) 1b) piece of ground, a specific plot of land 1c) earth substance (for building or constructing) 1d) ground as earth's visible surface 1e) land, territory, country 1f) whole inhabited earth 1g) city in Naphtali
Usage: Occurs in 211 OT verses. KJV: country, earth, ground, husband(-man) (-ry), land. See also: Genesis 1:25; 1 Kings 8:40; Psalms 49:12.
Study Notes — Isaiah 28:24
Show Verse Quote Highlights
- Context
- Cross References
- Isaiah 28:24 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Isaiah 28:24
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Isaiah 28:24
- Matthew Poole's Commentary on Isaiah 28:24
- Trapp's Commentary on Isaiah 28:24
- Ellicott's Commentary on Isaiah 28:24
- Cambridge Bible on Isaiah 28:24
- Barnes' Notes on Isaiah 28:24
- Whedon's Commentary on Isaiah 28:24
- Sermons on Isaiah 28:24
Context — Listen and Hear
22So now, do not mock, or your shackles will become heavier. Indeed, I have heard from the Lord GOD of Hosts a decree of destruction against the whole land.
23Listen and hear my voice. Pay attention and hear what I say.
24Does the plowman plow for planting every day? Does he continuously loosen and harrow the soil?
25When he has leveled its surface, does he not sow caraway and scatter cumin? He plants wheat in rows and barley in plots, and rye within its border. 26For his God instructs and teaches him properly.Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jeremiah 4:3 | For this is what the LORD says to the men of Judah and Jerusalem: “Break up your unplowed ground, and do not sow among the thorns. |
| 2 | Hosea 10:11–12 | Ephraim is a well-trained heifer that loves to thresh; but I will place a yoke on her fair neck. I will harness Ephraim, Judah will plow, and Jacob will break the hard ground. Sow for yourselves righteousness and reap the fruit of loving devotion; break up your unplowed ground. For it is time to seek the LORD until He comes and sends righteousness upon you like rain. |
Isaiah 28:24 Summary
Isaiah 28:24 is asking us to think about the work of a plowman and how he prepares the soil for planting. Just like the plowman has different tasks at different times, God also has a plan and a timing for His work. This verse is encouraging us to trust in God's timing and to be patient, just like the farmer waits for the right time to plant and harvest, as seen in Isaiah 28:25-26. By trusting in God's plan, we can have faith that He is working everything out for our good, as promised in Romans 8:28.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main point of Isaiah 28:24?
The main point of Isaiah 28:24 is to ask rhetorical questions about the plowman's work to illustrate the idea that there is a time and a season for everything, just like a farmer has different tasks at different times, as seen in Ecclesiastes 3:1-8. This verse is setting the stage for the idea that God also has a plan and a timing for His work.
Is the plowman in Isaiah 28:24 a real farmer or a metaphor?
While the plowman in Isaiah 28:24 may be a real farmer, the context of the verse suggests that he is also being used as a metaphor to teach a spiritual lesson, similar to the parables used by Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew 13:1-23. The focus is on the spiritual truth being conveyed rather than the literal farming activities.
How does Isaiah 28:24 relate to the rest of the chapter?
Isaiah 28:24 is part of a larger passage that is warning the people of Judah about the dangers of mocking God and ignoring His warnings, as seen in Isaiah 28:22. The verse is using the example of the plowman to drive home the point that God has a plan and a timing for His work, and that the people should listen and obey, as encouraged in Isaiah 28:23.
What can we learn from the plowman's work in Isaiah 28:24?
We can learn from the plowman's work that there is a time for preparation, a time for planting, and a time for harvesting, as seen in Isaiah 28:25-26. This teaches us to be patient, to trust in God's timing, and to follow His instructions, as encouraged in Proverbs 3:5-6.
Reflection Questions
- What are some areas in my life where I need to trust in God's timing and plan, just like the plowman trusts in the right time for planting?
- How can I apply the principle of preparation and patience in my own spiritual journey, just like the plowman prepares the soil for planting?
- What are some things that I can do to 'plow' and 'harrow' my own heart, making it receptive to God's Word and plan, as seen in Isaiah 28:24?
- How can I balance the need for action and the need for patience in my life, just like the plowman balances different tasks at different times?
Gill's Exposition on Isaiah 28:24
Doth the ploughman plough all day to sow?.... Or, "every day"; he ploughs in order to sow; by ploughing he prepares the ground for sowing, that is his end in ploughing; and he may plough a whole day
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Isaiah 28:24
Doth the plowman plow all day to sow? doth he open and break the clods of his ground? Doth the plowman plow all day to sow?
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Isaiah 28:24
Doth the ploughman plough all day to sow? the ploughman doth not spend all his time in ploughing the ground, in order to the sowing it, or, as it follows, in opening it, and breaking its clods; but he hath several times for several works, a time for ploughing, and a time for sowing and harrowing, and a time for reaping, and a time for threshing, or beating, and bruising the corn for his own use; which wisdom God hath put into him. This is the sum of the similitude propounded here and in the following verses; the design and meaning whereof seems to be this, to teach them that God had his times and seasons for several works, and that the methods of his providence were various at several times, and towards several persons or people; and therefore that those scoffing Israelites were guilty of great folly, in flattering themselves, and despising God’ s threatenings, because of God’ s long patience towards them, and because of their present impunity and prosperity; for God would certainly and speedily take a time to thresh and break them with his judgments, as at present he ploughed and harrowed them, and so prepared them for it by his threatenings. Doth he open; understand, all day, or continually, out of the foregoing clause. And break the clods of his ground; which they used to do with a kind of harrow, or other proper instrument. See ,12
Trapp's Commentary on Isaiah 28:24
Isaiah 28:24 Doth the plowman plow all day to sow? doth he open and break the clods of his ground?Ver. 24. Doth the plowman plow all day to sow?] Or, Every day. Doth he not find him somewhat else to do besides? Sua sunt rebus omnibus agendis tempora, novandi, arandi, occandi, aequandi, serendi, metendi, colligandi et excernendi grani, et suae rationes singulis. And shall not the only wise God afflict his people with moderation and discretion? Yea, verily; for he is "a God of judgment, and waiteth to be gracious." We are no longer ploughed than needs; and whereas we may think our hearts soft enough, it may be so for some grace; but God hath seeds of all sorts to cast in, the wheat and the rye, &c., and that ground which is soft enough for one, is not for another. God, saith Chrysostom doth like a lutanist, who will not let the strings be too slack, lest they mar the music; nor suffer them to be too hard stretched or screwed up, lest they break. Preponit parabolam rusticam, sed magna sapientia refertam.
Ellicott's Commentary on Isaiah 28:24
(24) Doth the plowman plow all day . . .?—Better, every day. Ploughing represents naturally, as in Jeremiah 4:3, the preparatory discipline by which the spiritual soil is rendered fit for the sower’s work. It is a means, and not an end, and is, therefore, in its very nature but for a season. To a nation passing through this stage, Assyrian invaders scoring their long furrows visibly on the surface of the land, the parable gave the hope that this was preparing the way for the seed-time of a better harvest.
Cambridge Bible on Isaiah 28:24
23–29. A parable derived from husbandry. The motive of its insertion in this place was probably the different treatment meted out to Samaria and to Jerusalem. The precise point of the analogy is somewhat uncertain; but perhaps we may interpret the thought as follows. There are two parts. The first (Isaiah 28:24-26) appears to justify Jehovah’s procedure by the end He has in view. As the farmer does not go on ploughing for ever out of a mere blind passion for ploughing, but ploughs in order to sow; so Jehovah’s work of judgment is to issue in the preparation of a seed-plot, and in due time ploughing will give place (in the case of Judah) to sowing. The second (Isaiah 28:27-29) draws the lesson that the operation of threshing varies with the material to be operated on. The delicate fennel, e.g. would be destroyed by the rough implements used on coarser grain; and in Judah there is (what there was not in Samaria) the tender growth of the “holy seed,” the nucleus of the true Israel, for whose sake judgment must be tempered with mercy.
Barnes' Notes on Isaiah 28:24
Doth the plowman ... - The question here asked implies that he does “not” plow all the day. The interrogative form is often the most emphatic mode of affirmation. All day - The sense is, does he do nothing else but plow?
Whedon's Commentary on Isaiah 28:24
24-26. Doth the ploughman plough all day — That is, does he plough interminably, never cease? To sow — In order to sow, in order to make the ground ready for sowing. The parallel number is of the same meaning.
Sermons on Isaiah 28:24
| Sermon | Description | |
|---|---|---|
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Fears Within by Andy Brink | In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the importance of embracing the reality of our mortality and the need to stand before God. He quotes Zechariah 4, highlighting the idea that |
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Master Plowman by Charles E. Cowman | Charles E. Cowman preaches about the transformative work of God in our lives, using the analogy of a plowman in a meadow. He reflects on how God, like a skilled plowman, sometimes |
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A Burning Heart by Leonard Ravenhill | In this sermon, the preacher references various verses from the Bible, including Jeremiah chapter 4 and Joel chapter 1. He emphasizes the need for repentance and laments the state |
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Break Up the Fallow Ground by Bill McLeod | In this sermon, the preacher focuses on the first parable of the seven parables in Matthew 13. He emphasizes that this parable is the key to understanding all the others. The parab |
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The Thorns and Thistles of Life by Vance Havner | In this sermon, the preacher discusses the concept of divine providence and how it relates to the troubles and challenges that people face in life. He emphasizes that God's love an |
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It's About Time by Vance Havner | In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes that it is about time for God to intervene and address the iniquities and inequities of society. He highlights the disrespect and disregard |
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A Call for Revival by Michael Howard | This sermon emphasizes the need for spiritual revival, urging believers to seek the Lord fervently, break up the hardened areas in their lives, and repent of sins. It highlights th |