What does Isaiah 28:23 mean by "Give ear and hear my voice"? Full Citation of the Verse “Give ear and hear my voice; pay attention and hear my words.” — Isaiah 28:23 Canonical and Historical Setting Isaiah 28 inaugurates a cluster of “woe” oracles (chs. 28–33) delivered to the northern kingdom of Ephraim and to Jerusalem in the late eighth century BC, just before the Assyrian onslaught (cf. 2 Kings 17; 18). Verse 23 interrupts the judgments with a summons that parallels the covenantal “Hear, O heavens” of Deuteronomy 32:1 and prepares listeners for a teaching parable (vv. 24–29). The Dead Sea Scroll 1QIsaᵃ (ca. 150–125 BC) preserves the verse almost letter-for-letter with the medieval Masoretic Text, underscoring its transmission accuracy. Prophetic Rhetoric: A Covenant Echo Isaiah intentionally echoes the Shema (“Hear, O Israel,” Deuteronomy 6:4) and Moses’ song (“Give ear, O heavens,” Deuteronomy 32:1) to remind the nation of its covenant obligations. The prophet’s authority is Yahweh’s own; to reject Isaiah’s voice is to reject the divine voice (cf. Isaiah 30:12). Transition to the Farmer Parable (Isaiah 28:24–29) The summons inaugurates an agricultural analogy: a farmer plows only until the soil is prepared, then sows differing seeds in tailored ways and threshes each crop with the instrument that best suits it. Yahweh’s judgments are likewise measured, purposeful, and patient, not random destruction. Verse 23 is therefore the listener’s signal: “If you grasp the farming lesson, you will grasp God’s ways with nations.” Divine Wisdom in Measured Judgment Just as intelligent design in creation reveals purpose (Psalm 19:1–4; Romans 1:20), so God’s disciplinary acts reveal wisdom. The orderly sequence—plowing, sowing, harvesting—reflects teleology, mirroring Genesis 8:22’s promise of seed-time and harvest. Modern agronomy confirms that over-plowing exhausts soil; Isaiah’s farmer stops in time. God likewise limits chastisement to achieve repentance, not annihilation (Isaiah 28:28–29). Cross-References Emphasizing the Call to Hear • Deuteronomy 30:20 — “Listen to His voice and hold fast to Him.” • Proverbs 4:1 — “Listen, my sons, to a father’s instruction.” • Jeremiah 25:4 — “You have neither listened nor inclined your ears.” • Matthew 13:9 — “He who has ears, let him hear.” • Revelation 2:7 — “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” The continuity underscores that hearing precedes faith (Romans 10:17). Christological and New Testament Amplification Jesus appropriates Isaiah’s hearing motif in the parable discourse (Matthew 13; Mark 4). The seed is the word; hardened hearts mirror unplowed ground. John 10:3-4 has the Good Shepherd calling by name, “and the sheep listen to his voice.” Isaiah 28:23 prefigures that Messianic summons: attentive hearing leads to salvation, deafness to judgment (John 12:48). Practical Implications for Contemporary Readers 1. Cultivate intentional listening to Scripture—quiet the competing stimuli (Luke 10:39-42). 2. Recognize divine discipline as purposeful, not punitive randomness (Hebrews 12:5-11). 3. Evaluate teachings by their consonance with God’s revealed word; ears attuned to truth discern error (1 John 4:6). Summary Isaiah 28:23 is a covenantal summons demanding active, obedient attention to God’s revelatory voice. It transitions to a parable illustrating Yahweh’s wise, purposeful discipline and foreshadows the New Testament call to hear and follow Christ. Preserved intact through millennia and corroborated by archaeology, the verse stands as a timeless mandate: incline the ear, receive the word, and live. |
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