King James Version

What Does Isaiah 28:2 Mean?

Isaiah 28:2 in the King James Version says “Behold, the Lord hath a mighty and strong one, which as a tempest of hail and a destroying storm, as a flood of mighty w...” — study this verse from Isaiah chapter 28 with commentary, cross-references, and original Hebrew word analysis.

“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.”

Isaiah 28:2 · KJV

Context

1

Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim, whose glorious beauty is a fading flower, which are on the head of the fat valleys of them that are overcome with wine! overcome: Heb. broken

2

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.

3

The crown of pride, the drunkards of Ephraim, shall be trodden under feet: under: Heb. with feet

4

And the glorious beauty, which is on the head of the fat valley, shall be a fading flower, and as the hasty fruit before the summer; which when he that looketh upon it seeth, while it is yet in his hand he eateth it up. eateth: Heb. swalloweth

Read Isaiah 28 full chapter

Commentary

KJV Study Commentary
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. God's judgment against prideful Ephraim comes through a powerful agent. The Lord hath a mighty and strong one (chazaq ve'amits la-Adonai, חָזָק וְאַמִּץ לַאדֹנָי, literally "a strong and mighty one belonging to the Lord") refers to Assyria, God's instrument of judgment (Isaiah 10:5 calls Assyria "the rod of mine anger"). Though Assyria doesn't know it, they serve God's purposes.

Three metaphors depict unstoppable devastation: tempest of hail (zerem barad, זֶרֶם בָּרָד)—destructive storm; destroying storm (sa'ar qetev, שַׂעַר קָטֶב)—whirlwind of ruin; flood of mighty waters overflowing (zerem mayim kabbirim shofim, זֶרֶם מַיִם כַּבִּירִים שֹׁטְפִים)—overwhelming deluge. The triple imagery emphasizes total, irresistible destruction. Shall cast down to the earth with the hand (hiniach la'arets beyad, הִנִּיחַ לָאָרֶץ בְּיָד) means forcibly thrown down—violent conquest leaving the proud city prostrate in the dust.

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Historical & Cultural Context

In 722 BC, Assyrian king Shalmaneser V besieged Samaria; his successor Sargon II completed the conquest. Assyrian annals boast of deporting 27,290 Israelites and destroying cities. The Northern Kingdom ceased to exist, never restored. This fulfilled Isaiah's prophecy of overwhelming judgment. For Judah watching their sister kingdom fall, this warned of similar fate if they persisted in sin (which came via Babylon in 586 BC). God uses even pagan empires as instruments of His sovereign purposes (Habakkuk 1:5-11), though He later judges them for exceeding His mandate (Isaiah 10:12-19).

Reflection Questions

  1. How does recognizing that God sovereignly uses even hostile powers for His purposes affect your view of current events?
  2. What does Assyria's role as God's 'mighty and strong one' teach about divine judgment sometimes coming through natural consequences of sin?
  3. How should the suddenness and totality of Samaria's fall warn against presuming on God's patience?

Original Language Analysis

Hebrew · 15 words
הִנֵּ֨ה1 of 15
H2009

lo!

חָזָ֤ק2 of 15

“hath a mighty”

H2389

strong (usu. in a bad sense, hard, bold, violent)

וְאַמִּץ֙3 of 15

“and strong one”

H533

strong or (abstractly) strength

לַֽאדֹנָ֔י4 of 15

“Behold the Lord”

H136

the lord (used as a proper name of god only)

כְּ֠זֶרֶם5 of 15

“as a flood”

H2230

a gush of water

בָּרָ֖ד6 of 15

“of hail”

H1259

hail

שַׂ֣עַר7 of 15

“storm”

H8178

a tempest

קָ֑טֶב8 of 15

“and a destroying”

H6986

ruin

כְּ֠זֶרֶם9 of 15

“as a flood”

H2230

a gush of water

מַ֣יִם10 of 15

“waters”

H4325

water; figuratively, juice; by euphemism, urine, semen

כַּבִּירִ֥ים11 of 15

“of mighty”

H3524

vast, whether in extent (figuratively, of power, mighty; of time, aged), or in number, many

שֹׁטְפִ֛ים12 of 15

“overflowing”

H7857

to gush; by implication, to inundate, cleanse; by analogy, to gallop, conquer

הִנִּ֥יחַ13 of 15

“shall cast down”

H3240

to deposit; by implication, to allow to stay

לָאָ֖רֶץ14 of 15

“to the earth”

H776

the earth (at large, or partitively a land)

בְּיָֽד׃15 of 15

“with the hand”

H3027

a hand (the open one [indicating power, means, direction, etc.], in distinction from h3709, the closed one); used (as noun, adverb, etc.) in a great v

Study Guide

Historical Context

This verse is found in the book of Isaiah. Understanding the historical and cultural background helps illuminate its meaning for the original audience and for us today.

Theological Significance

Isaiah 28:2 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.

Cross-References

Verses related to Isaiah 28:2 from Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Ezekiel 13:11Nahum 1:8Isaiah 30:30Isaiah 27:1Isaiah 29:6Isaiah 28:15-19

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