Isaiah 28:14

My Notes

What Does Isaiah 28:14 Mean?

Isaiah addresses the rulers of Jerusalem by their character, not their title — and the character is scorn. "Wherefore hear the word of the LORD" — the command to hear is sharp because what follows is indictment. "Hear" (shim'u) is imperative: you will listen, whether you want to or not. The word of the LORD doesn't request an audience. It demands one.

"Ye scornful men" — the Hebrew (anshey latson) means men of mockery, men of scoffing. Latson is the word for the person who ridicules what deserves reverence — who treats the serious with contempt and the sacred with sarcasm. The leaders of Jerusalem aren't described as wicked in the generic sense. They're scoffers — people who laugh at what should make them tremble.

"That rule this people which is in Jerusalem" — the scoffers aren't fringe voices. They rule. They're in charge. The government of the holy city is led by men whose defining characteristic is mockery. The people living in Jerusalem — the city where God placed His name — are governed by men who scoff at the God whose name the city bears.

The verse that follows (v. 15) reveals what they've been scoffing about: they've made a "covenant with death" and an "agreement with hell," believing their political alliances will protect them from judgment. Their scorn isn't intellectual skepticism. It's the arrogance of men who think they've outsmarted God — who've looked at the coming judgment and decided they're exempt. The scoffing is the sound of leaders who think they're too clever to be accountable.

Reflection Questions

• 1.Have you developed a scoffing posture toward any part of God's word — treating the serious with intellectual contempt or emotional dismissal?
• 2.The scoffers were rulers, not outsiders. Where do you see spiritual mockery coming from people in positions of authority?
• 3.Their scorn was built on false confidence — a 'covenant with death.' What false security are you relying on that might be feeding your own dismissiveness?
• 4.Isaiah commands them to hear despite their scoffing. How does the word of the LORD override your reasons for not listening?

Devotional

The rulers of Jerusalem were scoffers. Not atheists. Not pagans. Scoffers — men who mocked the things of God while sitting in the seats of God's city.

Isaiah identifies them by their posture, not their policy: anshey latson, men of mockery. These are leaders who treat the prophetic word with contempt. Who hear warnings of judgment and laugh. Who've looked at the coming disaster and concluded: we've made arrangements. We're covered. Our political alliances, our strategic partnerships, our covenant with death (v. 15) — these will protect us. The scorn isn't ignorance. It's the specific arrogance of people who think they've outsmarted the system.

"That rule this people." The scoffers aren't bloggers or street-corner critics. They're rulers. Decision-makers. The people holding power in the city where God's name dwells. And their scorn shapes the nation's direction — because what leaders mock, the people dismiss. When the rulers scoff at the word of the LORD, the populace learns to scoff too.

The prophetic word doesn't care about the scoffing. "Hear the word of the LORD" isn't a request that respects your sophistication. It's a command that overrides your contempt. Isaiah doesn't negotiate with the scornful. He tells them to listen. Because the word of the LORD doesn't need their permission to be true. And the judgment they're laughing at doesn't need their belief to arrive.

If you've developed a posture of scoffing toward things you once took seriously — if the prophetic urgency of Scripture has become something you intellectually dismiss or emotionally roll your eyes at — Isaiah's address is for you. The men of scorn were rulers in Jerusalem. They had credentials, positions, and reasons for their confidence. And the word of the LORD came for them anyway.

Commentary

Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.

Cross References

Related passages throughout Scripture