Breakdown of Isaiah 28:11-12

"For by people of strange lips and with a foreign tongue the LORD will speak to this people, to whom he has said, “This is rest; give rest to the weary; and this is repose”; yet they would not hear." — God declares He will speak to His people not through their own language, but through the "stammering lips" of foreigners. This isn't just about invaders; it's a divine, punitive action, showing that…

Isaiah 28:11-12 Meaning Explained

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Isaiah 28:11-12

For by people of strange lips and with a foreign tongue the LORD will speak to this people, to whom he has said, “This is rest; give rest to the weary; and this is repose”; yet they would not hear.

English Standard Version (ESV)

God declares He will speak to His people not through their own language, but through the "stammering lips" of foreigners. This isn't just about invaders; it's a divine, punitive action, showing that those who refused to hear God's clear message will be forced to learn through harsh, alien sounds.

What Isaiah 28:11-12 means

The people of Judah have been mocking God's prophet, dismissing his messages as simplistic and childish. In response, God declares that He will speak to them through a foreign, harsh language—the language of their conquerors. This foreign tongue will be a judgment upon their refusal to listen to His own words delivered plainly through His prophet.

The Language of Judgment

What happens when God's message becomes incomprehensible? Isaiah reveals a divine strategy that sounds strangely familiar.

The people of Judah had become deaf to God's messengers, treating God's clear words as simplistic pronouncements meant for children. Because they refused to listen to the message delivered in their own language, God declared He would speak to them through 'strange lips and a foreign tongue.'

This wasn't just about a literal foreign language, though the Assyrian invaders' speech would indeed sound barbarous to them. It was about God using circumstances and agents that would be unintelligible and unsettling, forcing them to confront the gravity of their rebellion. Their rejection of God's clear call to rest and refreshment led to a judgment where God's word would be conveyed through harsh, foreign sounds – a profound spiritual disconnect.

Refusal of Rest, Embrace of Judgment

God offered His people rest, but they wouldn't hear it. Discover the inevitable consequence of rejecting divine peace.

The core of Isaiah's message to Judah was a rejection of God's offer of rest. God’s prophets had presented His word as the way to find peace and refreshment from weariness (Isaiah 28:12). But the people, filled with pride and perhaps the false security of their alliances, scorned this offer. They found God's message too simple, 'precept upon precept, line upon line' (Isaiah 28:10).

As a result, God’s response wasn't to simplify further, but to intensify the judgment. Instead of the comforting 'rest' they refused, they would experience the disorienting 'stammering lips and foreign tongue' of their oppressors. Their rejection of God's offered peace and clarity led them directly into the harsh reality of His judgment, delivered through means they could not ignore, even if they couldn't fully understand.

Understand the original words

Original language

LORDיְהוָה

YHWH · Hebrew Proper Noun

The personal, covenantal name of God, revealed to Israel, emphasizing His self-existence and faithfulness to His promises. It is the name by which He makes Himself known as the Redeemer of His people.

restמְנוּחָה

menūchāh · Hebrew Noun

A cessation from labor or struggle, often denoting a state of peace, security, and trust in God’s provision, particularly in the context of His covenant promises.

Historical context

Written: Mid-8th century BC
Author: Isaiah, a prophet of Judah.
Location: Written to the people of Judah, likely from Judah itself.
Genre: Prophecy; characterized by vivid imagery and direct address.

Historical background

This prophecy was delivered as Assyria's power loomed, threatening Judah with invasion and exile. The 'strange lips and foreign tongue' refer to the language of the Assyrian conquerors, whose harsh speech would be God's judgment on a people who refused to listen to His prophets in their own language.

c. 745-730 BC
Assyrian Empire's Expansion
Under rulers like Tiglath-Pileser III, the Neo-Assyrian Empire aggressively expanded its territory, posing a significant threat to the kingdoms of Israel and Judah.
c. 722 BC
Fall of Samaria and Northern Kingdom
The Assyrian army conquered the northern Kingdom of Israel, deporting many of its citizens and scattering them across the empire. This event served as a stark warning to Judah.
c. 701 BC— this verse
Assyrian Siege of Jerusalem
King Sennacherib of Assyria besieged Jerusalem during the reign of King Hezekiah. While the city was not captured, the surrounding areas were devastated and tribute was exacted.
605 BC
First Babylonian Deportation
Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon defeated the Egyptians and Assyrians, beginning his rise to power. He deported some Judean citizens, including members of the royal family, to Babylon.

Key themes

01Divine judgment through foreigners
02God's persistent teaching
03Consequences of rejection

Cross-references

1 Corinthians 14:21

This passage directly quotes Isaiah 28:11, applying the concept of speaking in 'tongues' (languages not understood by the listeners) to the spiritual gift within the church, highlighting the idea of divine communication through unfamiliar means.

Deuteronomy 28:49

This verse prophesies a similar judgment where a distant nation, speaking a foreign language, will attack Israel, illustrating the historical context and consequence of hearing God's message through foreign conquerors.

Jeremiah 5:15

This verse also speaks of a foreign nation with a language the people do not understand being brought against Judah, echoing the theme of divine judgment delivered through incomprehensible speech.

Habakkuk 1:7

This passage describes the Chaldeans as a formidable nation whose language and dominion are feared, providing further context for the 'strange lips' and 'foreign tongue' of oppressive invaders mentioned in Isaiah.

Scholarly commentary

Isaiah 28:11: "For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people."

Isaiah 28:11-12 . For — Or, rather, therefore, as the particle כי is often used. For the prophet here evidently intends to express the punishment of their dulness. With stammering lips, and another tongue — By people of a strange language, whom he will bring among them, and into whose power he will deliver them; will he speak to this people — Seeing they will not hear him speaking by his prophets and minis…
benson

Isaiah 28:11: "For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people."

11 . Isaiah parries the gibe with a terrible threat. Jehovah is about to employ a more uncouth language, to which their mocking description will fully apply, viz., the harsh barbarous accents of the Assyrian invaders. stammering lips ] either “stammerings of lip” or “stammerers of lip” (cf. the Greek use of βάρβαρος ). Comp. 1 Corinthians 14:21 .
cambridge

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What Isaiah 28:11-12 means

Original language

LORDיְהוָה

YHWH · Hebrew Proper Noun

restמְנוּחָה

menūchāh · Hebrew Noun

A cessation from labor or struggle, often denoting a state of peace, security, and trust in God’s provision, particularly in the context of His covenant promises.

Historical background

c. 745-730 BC

Assyrian Empire's Expansion

Under rulers like Tiglath-Pileser III, the Neo-Assyrian Empire aggressively expanded its territory, posing a significant threat to the kingdoms of Israel and Judah.

c. 722 BC

Fall of Samaria and Northern Kingdom

The Assyrian army conquered the northern Kingdom of Israel, deporting many of its citizens and scattering them across the empire. This event served as a stark warning to Judah.

c. 701 BC— this verse

Assyrian Siege of Jerusalem

King Sennacherib of Assyria besieged Jerusalem during the reign of King Hezekiah. While the city was not captured, the surrounding areas were devastated and tribute was exacted.

605 BC

First Babylonian Deportation

Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon defeated the Egyptians and Assyrians, beginning his rise to power. He deported some Judean citizens, including members of the royal family, to Babylon.