Isaiah 28:10
New International Version
For it is: Do this, do that, a rule for this, a rule for that; a little here, a little there.”

New Living Translation
He tells us everything over and over— one line at a time, one line at a time, a little here, and a little there!”

English Standard Version
For it is precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little.”

Berean Standard Bible
For they hear: “Order on order, order on order, line on line, line on line; a little here, a little there.”

King James Bible
For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:

New King James Version
For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept, Line upon line, line upon line, Here a little, there a little.”

New American Standard Bible
“For He says, ‘Order on order, order on order, Line on line, line on line, A little here, a little there.’”

NASB 1995
“For He says, ‘Order on order, order on order, Line on line, line on line, A little here, a little there.’”

NASB 1977
“For He says, ‘Order on order, order on order, Line on line, line on line, A little here, a little there.’”

Legacy Standard Bible
For He says, ‘Order on order, order on order, Line on line, line on line, A little here, a little there.’”

Amplified Bible
“For He says, ‘Precept upon precept, precept upon precept, Rule upon rule, rule upon rule, Here a little, there a little.’”

Christian Standard Bible
“Law after law, law after law, line after line, line after line, a little here, a little there.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
For he says: “Law after law, law after law, line after line, line after line, a little here, a little there.”

American Standard Version
For it is precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, there a little.

Contemporary English Version
You don't even listen--all you hear is senseless sound after senseless sound.

English Revised Version
For it is precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, there a little.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
They speak utter nonsense.

Good News Translation
He is trying to teach us letter by letter, line by line, lesson by lesson."

International Standard Version
For it is: "Do this and do that, do this and do that, Line upon line, line upon line, a little here, a little there."

Majority Standard Bible
For they hear: ?Order on order, order on order, line on line, line on line; a little here, a little there.?

NET Bible
Indeed, they will hear meaningless gibberish, senseless babbling, a syllable here, a syllable there.

New Heart English Bible
For it is precept on precept, precept on precept; line on line, line on line; here a little, there a little.

Webster's Bible Translation
For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:

World English Bible
For it is precept on precept, precept on precept; line on line, line on line; here a little, there a little.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
For rule on rule, rule on rule, "" Line on line, line on line, "" A little here, a little there,

Young's Literal Translation
For rule is on rule, rule on rule, line on line, line on line, A little here, a little there,

Smith's Literal Translation
For precept to precept, precept to precept; line to line, line to line; a little there, a little there:
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
For command, command again; command, command again; expect, expect again; expect, expect again: a little there, a little there.

Catholic Public Domain Version
So then: command, and command again; command, and command again; expect, and expect again; a little here, and a little there.

New American Bible
For he says, ‘Command on command, command on command, rule on rule, rule on rule, here a little, there a little!’ ”

New Revised Standard Version
For it is precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little.”
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
For filth is upon filth, filth upon filth; vomit upon vomit, vomit upon vomit; a little here, a little there;

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Because reply on reply and reply on reply and answer on answer and answer on answer, a little here and a little there
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
For it is precept by precept, precept by precept, Line by line, line by line; Here a little, there a little.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Except thou affliction on affliction, hope upon hope: yet a little, and yet a little,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Judgment on Ephraim
9Whom is He trying to teach? To whom is He explaining His message? To infants just weaned from milk? To babies removed from the breast? 10For they hear: “Order on order, order on order, line on line, line on line; a little here, a little there.” 11Indeed, with mocking lips and foreign tongues, He will speak to this people…

Cross References
Matthew 13:13-15
This is why I speak to them in parables: ‘Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.’ / In them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled: ‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. / For this people’s heart has grown callous; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn, and I would heal them.’

1 Corinthians 14:21
It is written in the Law: “By strange tongues and foreign lips I will speak to this people, but even then they will not listen to Me, says the Lord.”

Hebrews 5:12-14
Although by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to reteach you the basic principles of God’s word. You need milk, not solid food! / For everyone who lives on milk is still an infant, inexperienced in the message of righteousness. / But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained their senses to distinguish good from evil.

2 Timothy 3:7
who are always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth.

John 16:12-13
I still have much to tell you, but you cannot yet bear to hear it. / However, when the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. For He will not speak on His own, but He will speak what He hears, and He will declare to you what is to come.

Mark 4:33-34
With many such parables Jesus spoke the word to them, to the extent that they could understand. / He did not tell them anything without using a parable. But privately He explained everything to His own disciples.

1 Corinthians 3:1-2
Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual, but as worldly—as infants in Christ. / I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for solid food. In fact, you are still not ready,

Romans 11:8
as it is written: “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that could not see, and ears that could not hear, to this very day.”

2 Peter 3:16
He writes this way in all his letters, speaking in them about such matters. Some parts of his letters are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.

Luke 8:10
He replied, “The knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others I speak in parables, so that, ‘though seeing, they may not see; though hearing, they may not understand.’

Jeremiah 6:10
To whom can I give this warning? Who will listen to me? Look, their ears are closed, so they cannot hear. See, the word of the LORD has become offensive to them; they find no pleasure in it.

Hosea 8:12
Though I wrote for them the great things of My law, they regarded them as something strange.

Psalm 119:130
The unfolding of Your words gives light; it informs the simple.

Proverbs 1:5
let the wise listen and gain instruction, and the discerning acquire wise counsel

Deuteronomy 28:49
The LORD will bring a nation from afar, from the ends of the earth, to swoop down upon you like an eagle—a nation whose language you will not understand,


Treasury of Scripture

For precept must be on precept, precept on precept; line on line, line on line; here a little, and there a little:

for precept

Isaiah 28:13
But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.

Isaiah 5:4
What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes?

Deuteronomy 6:1-6
Now these are the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments, which the LORD your God commanded to teach you, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go to possess it: …

must be.

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Isaiah 28
1. The prophet threatens Ephraim for their pride and drunkenness
5. The residue shall be advanced in the kingdom of Christ
7. He rebukes their error
9. Their unwillingness to learn
14. And their security
16. Christ the sure foundation is promised
17. Their security shall be tried
23. They are incited to the consideration of God's providence














For it is
This phrase introduces the reason or explanation for what has been previously stated. In the context of Isaiah 28, the prophet is addressing the leaders of Ephraim and Judah, who are mocking the simplicity of God's message. The phrase "For it is" serves as a bridge, connecting the previous rebuke to the explanation of their error. It emphasizes the importance of understanding God's word as it is presented, without adding or subtracting from it.

precept upon precept
The Hebrew word for "precept" is "tsav," which refers to a command or directive. The repetition of "precept upon precept" suggests a methodical and structured approach to teaching and understanding God's laws. This phrase highlights the importance of building knowledge and wisdom incrementally, respecting the divine order and instruction. It underscores the necessity of adhering to God's commands in a disciplined manner, recognizing that spiritual growth often requires patience and persistence.

precept upon precept
The repetition here is intentional, emphasizing the tediousness perceived by the people. It reflects their disdain for what they consider to be overly simplistic or repetitive instruction. However, from a conservative Christian perspective, this repetition is a reminder of the importance of consistency and diligence in spiritual education. It suggests that God's truths are layered and require careful study and application over time.

line upon line
The term "line" in Hebrew is "qav," which can mean a measuring line or a rule. "Line upon line" conveys the idea of precise and careful measurement, akin to how a builder would ensure the accuracy of a structure. This phrase suggests that God's word is to be understood and applied with precision and care. It implies that spiritual truths are to be measured and aligned with God's standards, ensuring that one's life is built on a solid foundation.

line upon line
The repetition of "line upon line" further emphasizes the meticulous nature of God's instruction. It serves as a reminder that understanding and applying God's word requires attention to detail and a commitment to accuracy. This phrase encourages believers to approach Scripture with a mindset of careful examination and alignment with divine principles.

here a little, there a little
This phrase captures the incremental and progressive nature of learning and applying God's word. It suggests that spiritual growth and understanding come gradually, through small, consistent steps. The phrase "here a little, there a little" encourages believers to be patient and persistent in their study of Scripture, recognizing that wisdom and maturity are developed over time. It also serves as a reminder that God's truths are dispersed throughout Scripture, requiring diligent study and reflection to fully comprehend.

Verse 10. - For precept must be upon precept; rather, for it is precept upon precept (Lowth, Cheyne). The whole teaching is nothing but an accumulation of precept upon precept, rule upon rule, one little injunction followed up by another, here a little, there a little. The objectors profess to find in the prophet's teaching nothing grand, nothing broad - no enunciation of great leading principles; but a perpetual drizzling rain of petty maxims and rules, vexatious, cramping, confining; especially unsuitable to men Who had had the training of priests and prophets, and could have appreciated a grand theory, or a new religious standpoint, but were simply revolted at a teaching which seemed to them narrow, childish, and wearisome. It has been said that in the language of this passage "we may hear the heavy babbling utterance of the drunken scoffers" (Delitzsch); but in this we have perhaps an over-refinement. Isaiah probably gives us, not what his adversaries said of him over their cups, but the best arguments which they could hit on in their sober hours to depreciate his doe-trine. The arguments must be allowed to be clever.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
For [He says],
כִּ֣י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

“Order
צַ֤ו (ṣaw)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6673: Perhaps command

on order,
לָצָו֙ (lā·ṣāw)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6673: Perhaps command

order
צַ֣ו (ṣaw)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6673: Perhaps command

on order,
לָצָ֔ו (lā·ṣāw)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6673: Perhaps command

line
קַ֥ו (qaw)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6957: A cord, for, measuring, a rule, a rim, a musical string, accord

on line,
לָקָ֖ו (lā·qāw)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6957: A cord, for, measuring, a rule, a rim, a musical string, accord

line
קַ֣ו (qaw)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6957: A cord, for, measuring, a rule, a rim, a musical string, accord

on line,
לָקָ֑ו (lā·qāw)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6957: A cord, for, measuring, a rule, a rim, a musical string, accord

a little
זְעֵ֥יר (zə·‘êr)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2191: A little

here,
שָׁ֖ם (šām)
Adverb
Strong's 8033: There, then, thither

a little
זְעֵ֥יר (zə·‘êr)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2191: A little

there.”
שָֽׁם׃ (šām)
Adverb
Strong's 8033: There, then, thither


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OT Prophets: Isaiah 28:10 For it is precept on precept precept (Isa Isi Is)
Isaiah 28:9
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