Isaiah 28:28
Isaiah 28:28 in Multiple Translations
Grain for bread must be ground, but it is not endlessly threshed. Though the wheels of the cart roll over it, the horses do not crush it.
Bread corn is bruised; because he will not ever be threshing it, nor break it with the wheel of his cart, nor bruise it with his horsemen.
Bread grain is ground; for he will not be always threshing it: and though the wheel of his cart and his horses scatter it, he doth not grind it.
Is the grain for bread crushed? He does not go on crushing it for ever, but he lets his cart-wheels and his horses go over it without crushing it.
Grain used for bread is easily damaged so you don't thresh it forever. When you drive your cart wheels over it with your horses, you don't crush it.
Bread corne when it is threshed, hee doeth not alway thresh it, neither doeth the wheele of his cart still make a noyse, neither will he breake it with the teeth thereof.
Bread -[corn] is beaten small, For not for ever doth he sorely thresh it, Nor crushed [it] hath a wheel of his cart, Nor do his hoofs beat it small.
Bread flour must be ground; so he will not always be threshing it. Although he drives the wheel of his threshing cart over it, his horses don’t grind it.
Bread -corn is bruised; because he will not always be threshing it, nor break it with the wheel of his cart, nor bruise it with his horsemen.
But bread corn shall be broken small: but the thrasher shall not thrash it for ever, neither shall the cart wheel hurt it, nor break it with its teeth.
And grain for baking bread is crushed easily, so the farmers do not continue to pound it for a long time. They sometimes cause their horses to pull a cart over it to thresh it, but doing that does not grind the grain.
Berean Amplified Bible — Isaiah 28:28
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 28:28 Interlinear (Deep Study)
BIB
HEB
לֶ֣חֶם
יוּדָ֔ק
כִּ֛י
לֹ֥א
לָ/נֶ֖צַח
אָד֣וֹשׁ
יְדוּשֶׁ֑/נּוּ
וְ֠/הָמַם
גִּלְגַּ֧ל
עֶגְלָת֛/וֹ
וּ/פָרָשָׁ֖י/ו
לֹֽא
יְדֻקֶּֽ/נּוּ
לֶ֣חֶם
lechem
H3899
food
N-cs
יוּדָ֔ק
dâqaq
H1854
to crush
V-Hophal-Imperf-3ms
כִּ֛י
kîy
H3588
for
Conj
לֹ֥א
lôʼ
H3808
not
Part
לָ/נֶ֖צַח
netsach
H5331
perpetuity
Prep | N-ms
אָד֣וֹשׁ
ʼâdash
H156
to thresh
V-Qal-Ptc
יְדוּשֶׁ֑/נּוּ
dûwsh
H1758
to tread
V-Qal-Imperf-3ms | Suff
וְ֠/הָמַם
hâmam
H2000
to confuse
Conj | V-Qal-3ms
גִּלְגַּ֧ל
gilgâl
H1536
wheel
N-ms
עֶגְלָת֛/וֹ
ʻăgâlâh
H5699
cart
N-fs | Suff
וּ/פָרָשָׁ֖י/ו
pârâsh
H6571
horse
Conj | N-mp | Suff
לֹֽא
lôʼ
H3808
not
Part
יְדֻקֶּֽ/נּוּ
dâqaq
H1854
to crush
V-Qal-Imperf-3ms | Suff
Hebrew Word Study
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Hebrew Word Reference — Isaiah 28:28
לֶ֣חֶם
lechem
H3899
"food"
N-cs
This Hebrew word refers to food, especially bread or grain. It's used throughout the Bible to describe meals, sacrifices, and daily life, highlighting the importance of food in ancient Israelite culture.
Definition: : food(eating) 1) bread, food, grain 1a) bread 1a1) bread 1a2) bread-corn 1b) food (in general)
Usage: Occurs in 277 OT verses. KJV: (shew-) bread, [idiom] eat, food, fruit, loaf, meat, victuals. See also: Genesis 3:19; 1 Samuel 20:34; Psalms 14:4.
יוּדָ֔ק
dâqaq
H1854
"to crush"
V-Hophal-Imperf-3ms
Means to crush or pulverize something into small pieces, like beating grain into dust or bruising something into tiny fragments.
Definition: 1) to crush, pulverise, thresh 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to crush 1a2) to be fine 1b) (Hiphil) to pulverise, make dust of 1c) (Hophal) to be crushed
Usage: Occurs in 12 OT verses. KJV: beat in pieces (small), bruise, make dust, (into) [idiom] powder, (be, very) small, stamp (small). See also: Exodus 30:36; 2 Chronicles 15:16; Isaiah 28:28.
כִּ֛י
kîy
H3588
"for"
Conj
A conjunction used to show cause or connection, as in Genesis 2:23 where Adam says the woman is bone of his bone because she was taken out of him. It is often translated as 'for', 'because', or 'since'.
Definition: 1) that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since 1a) that 1a1) yea, indeed 1b) when (of time) 1b1) when, if, though (with a concessive force) 1c) because, since (causal connection) 1d) but (after negative) 1e) that if, for if, indeed if, for though, but if 1f) but rather, but 1g) except that 1h) only, nevertheless 1i) surely 1j) that is 1k) but if 1l) for though 1m) forasmuch as, for therefore
Usage: Occurs in 3910 OT verses. KJV: and, + (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-) as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else, even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, + nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, + (al-) though, + till, truly, + until, when, whether, while, whom, yea, yet. See also: Genesis 1:4; Genesis 26:16; Genesis 42:15.
לֹ֥א
lôʼ
H3808
"not"
Part
The Hebrew word for not or no is used to indicate absence or negation, as when God says no to the Israelites' requests, or when they disobey His commands.
Definition: 1) not, no 1a) not (with verb-absolute prohibition) 1b) not (with modifier-negation) 1c) nothing (subst) 1d) without (with particle) 1e) before (of time) Aramaic equivalent: la (לָא "not" H3809)
Usage: Occurs in 3967 OT verses. KJV: [idiom] before, [phrase] or else, ere, [phrase] except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), ([idiom] as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, [phrase] surely, [phrase] as truly as, [phrase] of a truth, [phrase] verily, for want, [phrase] whether, without. See also: Genesis 2:5; Genesis 31:15; Exodus 4:9.
לָ/נֶ֖צַח
netsach
H5331
"perpetuity"
Prep | N-ms
The Hebrew word for perpetuity or everlastingness, often used to describe God's nature. It appears in Psalm 9:7, where the psalmist praises God's enduring presence. This word conveys the idea of something lasting forever.
Definition: 1) eminence, perpetuity, strength, victory, enduring, everlastingness 1a) eminence 1b) enduring of life 1c) endurance in time, perpetual, continual, unto the end 1d) everlastingness, ever
Usage: Occurs in 42 OT verses. KJV: alway(-s), constantly, end, ([phrase] n-) ever(more), perpetual, strength, victory. See also: 1 Samuel 15:29; Psalms 74:10; Psalms 9:7.
אָד֣וֹשׁ
ʼâdash
H156
"to thresh"
V-Qal-Ptc
The Hebrew word means to thresh or tread on grain, often used to describe the process of harvesting. It is first used in the Bible to describe the act of treading out grain in the book of Ruth.
Definition: (Qal) to tread, tread on, thresh, trample on Another spelling of dush (דּוּשׁ "to tread" H1758)
Usage: Occurs in 1 OT verses. KJV: thresh. See also: Isaiah 28:28.
יְדוּשֶׁ֑/נּוּ
dûwsh
H1758
"to tread"
V-Qal-Imperf-3ms | Suff
To tread or trample means to walk on something heavily, like threshing grain, and can also mean to overpower or dominate someone. This word is used in Jeremiah 50:11.
Definition: 1) to tread out, thresh 1a) (Qal) to tread on, trample on, thresh 1b) (Niphal) to be trampled down 1c) (Hophal) to be threshed
Usage: Occurs in 13 OT verses. KJV: break, tear, thresh, tread out (down), at grass (Jeremiah 50:11, by mistake for H1877 (דֶּשֶׁא)). See also: Deuteronomy 25:4; Isaiah 28:27; Isaiah 25:10.
וְ֠/הָמַם
hâmam
H2000
"to confuse"
Conj | V-Qal-3ms
This verb means to confuse or disrupt something, causing trouble or destruction. It is used in various contexts, including making noise, consuming, or crushing something, as seen in the KJV translations.
Definition: 1) to move noisily, confuse, make a noise, discomfit, break, consume, crush, destroy, trouble, vex 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to move noisily 1a2) to confuse, discomfit, vex
Usage: Occurs in 14 OT verses. KJV: break, consume, crush, destroy, discomfit, trouble, vex. See also: Exodus 14:24; 2 Samuel 22:15; Psalms 18:15.
גִּלְגַּ֧ל
gilgâl
H1536
"wheel"
N-ms
In the Bible, this word means a wheel or whirlwind, often used to describe dust swirling in the air. It appears in contexts like Ezekiel's vision of a wheel within a wheel. The word is closely related to the concept of circular motion.
Definition: wheel
Usage: Occurs in 1 OT verses. KJV: wheel. See also: Isaiah 28:28.
עֶגְלָת֛/וֹ
ʻăgâlâh
H5699
"cart"
N-fs | Suff
This Hebrew word refers to a wheeled vehicle, such as a cart or wagon. It appears in the Bible, describing transportation and trade. The word is often translated as 'cart', 'chariot', or 'wagon'.
Definition: cart, wagon
Usage: Occurs in 20 OT verses. KJV: cart, chariot, wagon See also: Genesis 45:19; 1 Samuel 6:10; Psalms 46:10.
וּ/פָרָשָׁ֖י/ו
pârâsh
H6571
"horse"
Conj | N-mp | Suff
This word means a horseman or a cavalry soldier, like those who rode chariots in battle. In the Bible, it describes the riders of horses and chariots, like in Exodus 14:9 where the Egyptian horsemen pursued the Israelites.
Definition: horse, steed, warhorse
Usage: Occurs in 54 OT verses. KJV: horseman. See also: Genesis 50:9; 2 Chronicles 8:6; Isaiah 21:7.
לֹֽא
lôʼ
H3808
"not"
Part
The Hebrew word for not or no is used to indicate absence or negation, as when God says no to the Israelites' requests, or when they disobey His commands.
Definition: 1) not, no 1a) not (with verb-absolute prohibition) 1b) not (with modifier-negation) 1c) nothing (subst) 1d) without (with particle) 1e) before (of time) Aramaic equivalent: la (לָא "not" H3809)
Usage: Occurs in 3967 OT verses. KJV: [idiom] before, [phrase] or else, ere, [phrase] except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), ([idiom] as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, [phrase] surely, [phrase] as truly as, [phrase] of a truth, [phrase] verily, for want, [phrase] whether, without. See also: Genesis 2:5; Genesis 31:15; Exodus 4:9.
יְדֻקֶּֽ/נּוּ
dâqaq
H1854
"to crush"
V-Qal-Imperf-3ms | Suff
Means to crush or pulverize something into small pieces, like beating grain into dust or bruising something into tiny fragments.
Definition: 1) to crush, pulverise, thresh 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to crush 1a2) to be fine 1b) (Hiphil) to pulverise, make dust of 1c) (Hophal) to be crushed
Usage: Occurs in 12 OT verses. KJV: beat in pieces (small), bruise, make dust, (into) [idiom] powder, (be, very) small, stamp (small). See also: Exodus 30:36; 2 Chronicles 15:16; Isaiah 28:28.
Study Notes — Isaiah 28:28
Show Verse Quote Highlights
- Context
- Cross References
- Isaiah 28:28 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Isaiah 28:28
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Isaiah 28:28
- Matthew Poole's Commentary on Isaiah 28:28
- Trapp's Commentary on Isaiah 28:28
- Ellicott's Commentary on Isaiah 28:28
- Adam Clarke's Commentary on Isaiah 28:28
- Cambridge Bible on Isaiah 28:28
- Barnes' Notes on Isaiah 28:28
- Whedon's Commentary on Isaiah 28:28
- Sermons on Isaiah 28:28
Context — Listen and Hear
26For his God instructs and teaches him properly.
27Surely caraway is not threshed with a sledge, and the wheel of a cart is not rolled over the cumin. But caraway is beaten out with a stick, and cumin with a rod.
28Grain for bread must be ground, but it is not endlessly threshed. Though the wheels of the cart roll over it, the horses do not crush it.
29This also comes from the LORD of Hosts, who is wonderful in counsel and excellent in wisdom.Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 Corinthians 9:9–10 | For it is written in the Law of Moses: “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.” Is it about oxen that God is concerned? Isn’t He actually speaking on our behalf? Indeed, this was written for us, because when the plowman plows and the thresher threshes, they should also expect to share in the harvest. |
| 2 | Matthew 3:12 | His winnowing fork is in His hand to clear His threshing floor and to gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” |
| 3 | John 12:24 | Truly, truly, I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a seed; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. |
| 4 | 1 Corinthians 3:9 | For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building. |
| 5 | Isaiah 21:10 | O my people, crushed on the threshing floor, I tell you what I have heard from the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel. |
| 6 | Matthew 13:37–43 | He replied, “The One who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed represents the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. As the weeds are collected and burned in the fire, so will it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will weed out of His kingdom every cause of sin and all who practice lawlessness. And they will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear. |
| 7 | Amos 9:9 | “For surely I will give the command, and I will shake the house of Israel among all the nations as grain is sifted in a sieve; but not a pebble will reach the ground. |
| 8 | Luke 22:31–32 | Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift each of you like wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith will not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” |
Isaiah 28:28 Summary
Isaiah 28:28 is saying that just like grain needs to be ground into flour to make bread, we need to go through a process of refinement to become the people God wants us to be. But the good news is that God is in control of this process, and He will not overwhelm or crush us (as seen in Psalm 138:8). He will use just the right amount of pressure to make us more like Jesus, and we can trust in His love and wisdom (Romans 8:28). This verse reminds us to trust God, even when things seem difficult or uncertain, because He is working everything out for our good.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean to 'thresh' grain in Isaiah 28:28?
Threshing grain is the process of separating the edible part of the grain from the husk or chaff, and in this verse, it symbolizes God's judgment and refining process, as seen in Isaiah 41:15-16 and Matthew 3:12.
Why does the verse say the grain is not 'endlessly threshed'?
The verse indicates that God's refining process has a purpose and an end, and He will not overly punish or discipline His people, as promised in Jeremiah 30:11 and Lamentations 3:22-23.
What is the significance of the cart wheels and horses in this verse?
The cart wheels and horses represent the tools or methods God uses to refine and discipline His people, but He will not allow them to be crushed or overwhelmed, as seen in Psalm 119:71-72 and Romans 8:28.
How does this verse relate to our everyday lives?
This verse reminds us that God is in control of our lives, and His refining process is meant to make us more like Jesus, as seen in Romans 8:29 and 2 Corinthians 3:18, and we can trust in His wisdom and love.
Reflection Questions
- What are some areas in my life where I feel like I am being 'threshed' or refined, and how can I trust God in those processes?
- How can I balance the need for discipline and refinement in my life with the promise that God will not 'endlessly thresh' me?
- What are some ways I can cooperate with God's refining process in my life, and what are some things I can do to surrender to His will?
- How can I use this verse to encourage and comfort others who are going through difficult times, and what are some specific scriptures I can share with them?
Gill's Exposition on Isaiah 28:28
Bread [corn] is bruised,.... The corn which bread is made of is bruised and ground in a mill: because he will not always be threshing it; for there is another way of bringing it to flour, that so it
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Isaiah 28:28
Bread corn is bruised; because he will not ever be threshing it, nor break it with the wheel of his cart, nor bruise it with his horsemen. Bread corn - grain from which bread is made.
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Isaiah 28:28
Bread corn is bruised with a threshing instrument, by comparing this with the foregoing verse and the following words. Because; or rather, but, or nevertheless, as the word is frequently used. The sense is, The husbandman doth indeed thresh the bread corn, but he doth it with moderation, and only for a time, not for ever. Nor break it; understand, for ever, out of the foregoing clause, as is usual in Scripture. With his horsemen; which governed the horse or horses that drew the threshing instrument. Or, with horses; for it is evident, and hath been observed before, that this Hebrew word signifies horses as well as horsemen. And this was another way of threshing out the corn, by driving horses, or other cattle, over the sheaves to tread it out; of which see .
Trapp's Commentary on Isaiah 28:28
Isaiah 28:28 Bread [corn] is bruised; because he will not ever be threshing it, nor break [it with] the wheel of his cart, nor bruise it [with] his horsemen.Ver. 28. Bread corn is bruised.] Yet not mauled or marred. That of Ignatius is well known, Commolor dentibus ferarum ut purius Domino panis fiam. Because he will not ever be threshing it.] As he is not ever sowing mercies, so he will not always be inflicting miseries. Nor bruise it with his horsemen.] Or, With his horses’ hoofs.
Ellicott's Commentary on Isaiah 28:28
(28) Bread corn is bruised.—Better, as a question, Is bread corn crushed to pieces? As the poor and meek of the earth were as the fennel and the cummin, so Israel, in its national greatness, was as the “bread corn” of the wheat and barley. For this a severer chastisement, a more thorough threshing, was needed; but the end of threshing is the preservation, not the destruction, of the true grain. It is for a time, not for ever. It separates the worthless from the precious. The wheels stop when they have done their work.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on Isaiah 28:28
Verse 28. The bread-corn] I read ולהם velahem, on the authority of the Vulgate and Symmachus; the former expresses the conjunction ו vau, omitted in the text, by autem; the latter by δε. Bruise it with his horsemen - "Bruise it with the hoofs of his cattle."] For פרשיו parashaiv, horsemen or teeth, read פרסיו perasaiv, hoofs. So the Syriac, Symmachus, Theodotion, and the Vulgate. The first is read with ש shin, the latter with ס samech, the pronunciation is nearly the same.
Cambridge Bible on Isaiah 28:28
28. Transl. Is bread (corn) crushed? Nay, he does not keep threshing it perpetually, &c. If the text be right, the sentence continues “and rolling his wagon-wheels and horses over it, &c.” But the mention of “horses” as employed in agriculture is suspicious, and a better sense is gained if, with Duhm, we slightly change the text of that word and translate thus: But when he has rolled his wagon-wheel (over it), he scatters it (i.e. “tosses it up to the wind,”—the same word in Ezekiel 17:21) without having crushed it.
Barnes' Notes on Isaiah 28:28
Bread corn - Hebrew, לחם lechem - ‘Bread.’ But the word evidently denotes the material from which bread is made. The word is used in the same sense in Isaiah 30:23.
Whedon's Commentary on Isaiah 28:28
27, 28. So in the harvest. The harvester treats the different crops raised in the same common-sense way. He carefully beats with a stick, or rod, the smaller, finer seeds; over these he does not foolishly send the threshing wain.
Sermons on Isaiah 28:28
| Sermon | Description | |
|---|---|---|
|
Service and Servanthood of the Lord - Part 7 of 8 by T. Austin-Sparks | In this sermon, the speaker discusses the significance of the sharp threshing instrument in the ministry of Jesus. The instrument represents the dividing line between the false and |
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Bread Corn Is Bruised by Charles E. Cowman | Charles E. Cowman preaches on the concept that just like bread corn needs to be bruised to become food for the world's hunger, we too must go through trials and sorrows in Christ's |
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Muzzled Christians by David Wilkerson | In this sermon, the speaker shares a personal story about neglecting his children and realizing the importance of giving them attention. He then relates this to the parable of the |
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(Revelation) the Scene in Heaven by Willie Mullan | In this sermon, the speaker discusses the importance of working diligently and being fully committed to serving God. He refers to the six wings of the heavenly creatures mentioned |
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Husbanding by Abner Kauffman | In this sermon, the speaker reflects on the importance of taking care of our homes and families. He uses the analogy of threshing instruments to emphasize that each family is uniqu |
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The Threshing Floor of Ornan by T. Austin-Sparks | In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the importance of having a genuine and real relationship with God. He highlights the need for believers to have a solid foundation in their f |
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(Daniel) Daniel's Great Vision by Willie Mullan | In this sermon, the speaker, Daniel, expresses his grief and troubled spirit. He seeks the interpretation of his dream from a created being. The interpretation reveals that the fou |