Isaiah 28:26 — Word Study
WLCוְיִסְּר֥וֹ לַמִּשְׁפָּ֖ט אֱלֹהָ֥יו יוֹרֶֽנּוּ׃
BSAFor his Godʼĕlôhîym [the supreme Elohim, his Creator] instructsyâçar [teaches, guides] and teaches himyârâh▸ [directs, shows] properlymishpâṭ [to discretion, in right judgment, aright]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וְיִסְּר֥וֹ | and he instructs him | Verb piel sequential perfect third person masculine singular, suffix |
| לַמִּשְׁפָּ֖ט | to judgment | Preposition, noun common masculine singular absolute |
| אֱלֹהָ֥יו | God his | Noun common masculine plural construct, suffix |
| יוֹרֶֽנּוּ׃ | he teaches him | Verb hiphil imperfect third person masculine singular, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | For his God instructs and teaches him properly. |
| KJV | For his God doth instruct him to discretion, and doth teach him. |
| ASV | For his God doth instruct him aright, and doth teach him. |
| YLT | And instruct him for judgment doth his God, He doth direct him. |
| WEB | For his God instructs him in right judgment and teaches him. |
| BBE | For his God is his teacher, giving him the knowledge of these things. |
All translations agree on the essential meaning of the verse.
The main clause is supported by a verb phrase and a purpose clause, indicating the actions of God and their intended outcome.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Isaiah 28:26
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — God's Instruction and Judgmentgenerated
Isaiah 28:26 describes how God instructs and teaches His people, emphasizing the importance of divine guidance in making sound judgments. This verse is situated within a larger discussion on the agricultural practices that reflect wisdom and discernment, illustrating how God’s teaching applies to everyday life and decision-making.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Exodus 28:3 | You are to instruct all the skilled craftsmen, whom I have filled with a spirit of wisdom, to make garments for Aaron’s consecration, so that he may serve Me as priest. |
| 2 | Exodus 31:3–6 | And I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability, and knowledge in all kinds of craftsmanship, |
| 3 | Exodus 36:2 | Then Moses summoned Bezalel, Oholiab, and every skilled person whom the LORD had gifted—everyone whose heart stirred him to come and do the work. |
| 4 | Job 35:11 | who teaches us more than the beasts of the earth and makes us wiser than the birds of the air?’ |
| 5 | Job 39:17 | For God has deprived her of wisdom; He has not endowed her with understanding. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 8 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — יָסַר, ya.sargenerated
The verb יָסַר (yasar) is a piel form, indicating an active and intensive action of teaching or disciplining. It captures the essence of correction through instruction, showing that God's guidance is both corrective and enlightening.
This word is often used in contexts where teaching is necessary for proper behavior or understanding, indicating that God's instruction is aimed at leading His people to righteousness and right judgment.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
All translations agree on the core meaning of the verse, highlighting God's role as an instructor and teacher.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The finite verbs יִסְּר֥ and יוֹרֶֽ govern the structure of the verse, with the subject being the implied God and the object being the individual receiving instruction. This creates a straightforward relationship between the teacher and the learner.
The word order emphasizes the actions of instructing and teaching, with the prepositional phrase לַמִּשְׁפָּ֖ט indicating the purpose of God's teaching — to lead to proper judgment.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates יָסַר as παιδευθήσῃ, which conveys a sense of training or education, aligning with the idea of discipline and instruction found in the Hebrew.
This choice reflects a broader understanding of teaching that includes correction and guidance, showing continuity in the theme of divine instruction.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Isaiah 28:26 tells us that God teaches and instructs His people in the right way. This teaching is meant to lead them to proper judgment and understanding, emphasizing the importance of divine guidance in making decisions.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
God's instruction involves guiding His people toward understanding and making wise decisions, often correcting them along the way.
The verse emphasizes that God's teaching is aimed at helping individuals make just and right judgments in their lives.
Teaching is crucial because it helps believers understand God's will and live according to His principles, leading to a more righteous life.
God teaches through Scripture, the Holy Spirit, and the guidance of wise counsel, helping us navigate life's challenges.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- How can I seek God's guidance in my daily decisions?
- In what areas of my life do I need to be more open to correction and teaching?
- How can I apply God's principles of justice and judgment in my interactions with others?
- What are some practical ways I can share the wisdom I've learned from God with those around me?
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Isaiah 28:26 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleFor his God doth instruct him to discretion, [and] doth teach him.
Read John Gill on Isaiah 28 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryFor his God doth instruct him to discretion, and doth teach him. For his God doth instruct him to discretion - in the due rules of husbandry. God first taught it to man (Genesis 3:23).
Read Robert Jamieson on Isaiah 28 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleThe sense of the words thus rendered is this, All this he performeth by that discretion which God hath put into him; and therefore be assured that God will order all his affairs with judgment, and will in due season execute the punishments which now he threatens, and will perfect his own works. But the words by some are rendered otherwise. And he beateth it out (as this word may be rendered, 29:17) in such sort as his God doth teach him; in a discreet manner, which being generally mentioned here, is particularly described in the following verse.
Read Matthew Poole on Isaiah 28 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsIsaiah 28:26 For his God doth instruct him to discretion, [and] doth teach him.Ver. 26. For his God doth instruct him to discretion.] Being a better tutor to him than any Varro de agricultura, Cato de re rustica, Hesiod, in his Works and Days; Virgil’ s Georgics; or, Geonomica Constantino inscripta. Some read the verse thus: "And he beateth it out according to that course that his God teacheth him"; that is, according to the judgment of right reason. God is to be praised for the art of agriculture. How thankful were the poor heathens to their Saturn, Triptolemus, Ceres, &c.
Read John Trapp on Isaiah 28 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(26) For his God doth instruct him to discretion . . .—Better, as in the margin, with a slight variation, He treateth each as is fitting, his God instructing him. The prophet looks on the skill of the tiller of the soil, which seemed the outcome of a long experience, as nothing less than a gift of God. The legends of the Gentiles embraced that thought in the myths of Osiris and Oannes, of Dionysius and Triptolemos; Isaiah states the fact without the mythos.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Isaiah 28 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 26. For his God doth instruct him] All nations have agreed in attributing agriculture, the most useful and the most necessary of all sciences, to the invention and to the suggestions of their deities. "The Most High hath ordained husbandry," saith the son of Sirach, Ecclus. 7:15. Namque Ceres fertur fruges, Liberque liquoris Vitigeni laticem mortalibus instituisse. LUCRETIUS, v. 14. "Ceres has taught mortals how to produce fruits; and Bacchus has taught them how to cultivate the vine." Ὁδ' ηπιοςανθρωποισι Δεξιασημαινει, λαουςδ' επιεργονεγειρει Μιμνησκωνβιοτοιο·λεγειδ' ὁτεβωλοςαριστη Βουσιτεκαιμακελῃσι·λεγειδ' ὁτεδεξιαιὡραι Καιφυταγυρωσαι, καισπερματαπανταβαλεσθαι. ARATUS…
Read AdamClarke on Isaiah 28 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges26. All this is done in obedience to an inherited, almost instinctive, wisdom, which rests ultimately on Divine inspiration. See Isaiah 28:29; and Sir 7:15 (“husbandry which the Most High hath ordained”). Verg. Georg. I. 147. to discretion] to right, i.e. “right, or orderly, method.” The word is that usually rendered “judgment,” used here in a non-ethical application.
Read Cambridge on Isaiah 28 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleFor his God doth instruct him ... - Margin, ‘He bindeth it in such sort as his God doth teach him.’ The more correct idea is conveyed in the text. The word יסרו yiserô, properly means, he instructs, admonishes, or teaches him.
Read Albert Barnes on Isaiah 28 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
For his God instructs and teaches him properly.
For his God instructs him in right judgment and teaches him.
For his God instructs and teaches him properly.
His God instructs him; he teaches him the principles of agriculture.
Tyndale line
For his God doth instruct him to discretion, and doth teach him.
For his God doth instruct him aright, and doth teach him.
For his God doth instruct him aright, and doth teach him.
For his God doth instruct him to discretion, and doth teach him.
For his God doeth instruct him to haue discretion, and doeth teach him.
Strictly literal
His God doth instruct him in [his] judgment, he doth teach him.
And instruct him for judgment doth his God, He doth direct him.
And his God instructs him for judgment, || He directs him.
For his God instructed him rightly, taught him [so to do].
His God instructs him; he teaches him wisely.
From the Latin
For he will instruct him in judgment: his God will teach him.
Simplified
His God gives him instructions and teaches him the right thing to do.
For his God is his teacher, giving him the knowledge of these things.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text, the Septuagint, and the Dead Sea Scrolls all agree on the essential wording of this verse, with the Septuagint providing a direct correspondence to the Hebrew without significant variation.
וְיִסְּר֥וֹ לַמִּשְׁפָּ֖ט אֱלֹהָ֥יו יוֹרֶֽנּוּ׃
4 of the 4 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
ויסר׳הו למשפט אלוה׳ו ויור׳נו
4 words on the leather.
[ויסר׳ו] למשפט
2 words of the verse are on this fragment — 1 partly restored, 1 supplied entire by an editor.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Isaiah 28:26
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
יָסַר (yacar) is a Hebrew verb meaning to discipline or chasten. It encompasses a range of actions including instructing, correcting, and admonishing, with nuances depending on the grammatical form used. The entries indicate that it can involve both physical punishment and verbal instruction, with various forms expressing different aspects of correction and teaching.
[יָסַר] vb. discipline, chasten, admonish
Qal
admonish
instruct
discipline
Niph. let oneself be corrected, admonished
Pi.
discipline, correct (the moral nature, with more or less severity acc. to circumstances)
more severely, chasten, chastise
Nithp. pass. be disciplined, corrected
Hiph. chasten
base
H3256 [יָסַר] discipline, chasten, admonish
3256 yacar yaw-sar'
a primitive root; to chastise, literally (with blows) or
figuratively (with words); hence, to instruct:--bind, chasten,
chastise, correct, instruct, punish, reform, reprove, sore,
teach.
יָסַר (ya.sar) — to discipline.
1) to chasten, discipline, instruct, admonish
1a)(Qal)
1a1) to chasten, admonish
1a2) to instruct
1a3) to discipline
1b) (Niphal) to let oneself be chastened or corrected or admonished
1c) (Piel)
1c1) to discipline, correct
1c2) to chasten, chastise
1d) (Hiphil) to chasten
1e) (Nithpael) to teach
Conj | V-Piel-3ms | Suff — Verb piel sequential perfect third person masculine singular · suffixHc/Vpq3ms/Sp3ms
The Hebrew word מִשְׁפָּט (mishpat) primarily means judgment or justice and encompasses various aspects such as legal rights, ordinances, and decisions. It is derived from a root meaning to pronounce a verdict, covering both human and divine law. The entries highlight its application in legal contexts, including the act of deciding cases and the attributes of justice and rectitude.
מִשְׁפָּט 422 n.m. judgment
judgment
justice, right, rectitude
ordinance
decision
one's (legal) right, privilege, due
proper, fitting, measure
custom, manner
what manner of
plan
base
H4941 מִשְׁפָּט judgment . judgment
. justice, right, rectitude
. ordinance
. decision
. one's (legal) right, privilege, due
. . proper, fitting, measure
. custom, manner
. what manner of
. plan
4941 mishpat mish-pawt'
from 8199; properly, a verdict (favorable or unfavorable)
pronounced judicially, especially a sentence or formal decree
(human or (participant's) divine law, individual or
collective), including the act, the place, the suit, the
crime, and the penalty; abstractly, justice, including a
participant's right or privilege (statutory or customary), or
even a style:--+ adversary, ceremony, charge, X crime,
custom, desert, determination, discretion, disposing, due,
fashion, form, to be judged, judgment, just(-ice, -ly),
(manner of) law(-ful), manner, measure, (due) order,
ordinance, right, sentence, usest, X worthy, + wrong.
see HEBREW for 08199
מִשְׁפָּט (mish.pat) — justice: judgement.
: judgement/punishment
1) judgment, justice, ordinance
1a) judgment
1a1) act of deciding a case
1a2) place, court, seat of judgment
1a3) process, procedure, litigation (before judges)
1a4) case, cause (presented for judgment)
1a5) sentence, decision (of judgment)
1a6) execution (of judgment)
1a7) time (of judgment)
1b) justice, right, rectitude (attributes of God or man)
1c) ordinance
1d) decision (in law)
1e) right, privilege, due (legal)
1f) proper, fitting, measure, fitness, custom, manner, plan
מִשְׁפָּט (mish.pat) — justice.
: justice/right/righteousness
1) judgment, justice, ordinance
1a) judgment
1a1) act of deciding a case
1a2) place, court, seat of judgment
1a3) process, procedure, litigation (before judges)
1a4) case, cause (presented for judgment)
1a5) sentence, decision (of judgment)
1a6) execution (of judgment)
1a7) time (of judgment)
Prep | N-ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular absoluteHRd/Ncmsa
Is put, in Mt 5:21,22, for a court of judgment, a tribunal, namely, the tribunal of seven judges, which Josephus mentions as existing in every city, and which decided causes of minor importance. See under SYNAGOGUE.
For the expression, "judgment-hall," see PRETORIUM.
THE DAY OF JUDGMENT, for which the word "judgment" alone is sometimes used, is that great day, at the end of the world and of time, when Christ shall sit as judge over all the universe, and when every individual of the human race will be judged and recompensed according to his works, whether they be good or evil. The time of its coming and its duration are known only to God. It will break upon the world suddenly, and with a glorious but awful majesty. It will witness the perfect vindication of all the ways of God. The revelation of his justice, appalling but unstained…
→ THE GENERAL 1Ch 16:33; Job 14:17; 21:30; 31:13-15; Ps 9:7; 50:3-6; 96:13; 98:9; Ec 3:17; 11:9; 12:14; Eze 18:20-28; Da 7:9,10; Am 4:12; Mt 3:12; 7:22,23; 8:29; 10:15; 11:22; 12:36,37,41,42; 13:30,40-43,49,50; 16:27; 22:11-13; 23:14; 25:1-46; Mr 4:22; 8:38; 13:32; Lu 3:17; 10:10-14; 11:31,32; 12:2-5; 13:24-29; 19:12-26; 20:45-47;
אֱלֹהִים (elohiym) is a plural noun meaning 'gods' or 'God,' often referring to the supreme deity in the Old Testament. It encompasses divine beings, rulers, and judges, reflecting divine majesty and power. The term can also denote angels and is used in a superlative sense. Notably, it is sometimes combined with יהוה (YHWH), the personal name of God.
אֱלֹהִים 2570 n.m.pl.
pl. in number.
rulers, judges, either as divine representatives at sacred places or as reflecting divine majesty and power
divine ones, superhuman beings including God and angels
angels
gods
pl. intensive
god or goddess
godlike one
works of God, or things belongng to him
God
הָאֱלֹהִים the (true) God
אֱלֹהִים = God
base
H430 אֱלֹהִים n. m. pl. . pl. in number. . rulers, judges, either asdivine representatives at sacred places or as reflecting divine majesty and power
. divine ones, superhuman beings including God and angels
. angels
. gods
. pl. intensive . god or goddess
. godlike one
. works of God, or things belongng to him
. God
. הָאֱלֹהִים the (true) God
. אֱלֹהִים = God
430 'elohiym el-o-heem'
plural of 433; gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically
used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the
supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to
magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative:--angels, X
exceeding, God (gods)(-dess, -ly), X (very) great, judges, X
mighty.
see HEBREW for 0433
אֱלֹהִים (e.lo.him) — God.
This name means "gods" (plural intensive-singular meaning), "God"
Another name of ye.ho.vah (יהוה "LORD" H3068G)
אֱלֹהִים (e.lo.him) — (LORD)-Elohe.
Combined with ye.ho.vah (יהוה "LORD" H3068)
אֱלֹהִים (e.lo.him) — (Gibeath)-elohim.
Combined with giv.ah (גִּבְעָה "Gibeath" H1389)
N-mp | Suff — Noun common masculine plural construct · suffixHNcmpc/Sp3ms
The Hebrew word יָרָא (*yarah*) encompasses meanings related to shooting, pouring, and throwing. It can refer to actions like shooting arrows or casting water, as well as figurative uses such as teaching or directing. The entries indicate that it has both a literal and a figurative range, with roots in the idea of flowing or pointing out.
[יָרָא] vb. shoot, pour
Qal shoot with arrows
Hiph. and they shot at; Pt. pl. the shooters, archers
Hoph. he that watereth shall himself also be watered
base
יָרָה vb. throw, shoot
Qal
throw, cast
cast (= lay, set), corner-stone; pillar
shoot arrows
throw water, rain
Niph. shot through (with arrows)
Hiph.
throw, cast
shoot (arrows)
throw water, rain
point out, shew
direct, teach, instruct
base
H3384a יָרָא shoot, pour H3384b יָרָה throw, shoot .. throw, cast
. cast (= lay, set), corner-stone; pillar
. shoot arrows
. throw water, rain
. shot through (with arrows)
. . throw, cast
. shoot (arrows)
. throw water, rain
. point out, shew
. direct, teach, instruct
3384 yarah yaw-raw'
or (2 Chr. 26:15) yara; {yaw-raw'}; a primitive root;
properly, to flow as water (i.e. to rain); transitively, to
lay or throw (especially an arrow, i.e. to shoot);
figuratively, to point out (as if by aiming the finger), to
teach:--(+) archer, cast, direct, inform, instruct, lay, shew,
shoot, teach(-er,-ing), through.
יָרָא (ya.ra) — to shoot.
1) to shoot, pour
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to shoot arrows
1b) (Hiphil)
1b1) to shoot at
1b2) part. shooter, archer
1c) to throw water, rain
יָרָה (ya.rah) — to show.
1) to point out, show
1b) to direct, teach, instruct
V-Hiphil-Imperf-3ms | Suff — Verb hiphil imperfect third person masculine singular · suffixHVhi3ms/Sp3ms