This verse highlights a chilling divine reversal: the very instructions meant to guide and save become the means of their downfall. When God's word is treated with contempt and reduced to mere fragments, it transforms from a lamp to a snare, causing those who reject it to stumble backward into judgment.
And the word of the LORD will be to them precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little, that they may go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The prophet Isaiah has just been mocked by the people of Jerusalem for his prophecies, dismissing them as childish and simplistic. In response, God declares that His word will continue to be delivered to them in small, repeated portions, just as they described. This persistent, yet scorned, message will ultimately lead to their downfall, causing them to stumble, fall, and be captured.
Why would God's own word cause people to fall and be broken? This verse reveals a dangerous disconnect between hearing God's message and truly obeying it.
Isaiah 28:13 paints a picture of people who hear God's word, but not to understand or obey. The repetition of "precept upon precept, line upon line, here a little, there a little" wasn't meant to be a gentle, drawn-out lesson for children. Instead, the people of Judah were mocking these simple instructions, treating them with contempt.
God’s response? He would give them exactly what they were mockingly asking for: more of the same simple, repetitive message. But the purpose would change. Instead of leading them to wisdom, this constant barrage of God's word, delivered through judgment and consequence, would become the very thing causing them to "fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken."
Their scorn turned God's intended blessing of instruction into a curse of judgment. They were given enough of God's word to condemn them, to make their falling inevitable.
Have you ever felt like you're just not 'getting it,' no matter how many times something is explained? This verse touches on a profound concept of God allowing people to remain in their chosen blindness.
The phrase 'here a little, there a little' suggests a gradual unfolding of truth. However, for the people of Judah, this gradualness, and the repetitive nature of the message, was not leading them to deeper understanding but to deeper ruin.
This is the concept of judicial blindness. Because they refused to see and understand God's clear word, God, in His justice, gave them over to a state where they see. Their sin became their punishment. They treated God's clear instructions like childish babble, so God allowed His word, delivered through prophets and eventually through judgment, to become a stumbling block.
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They were 'ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth' (as one commentary puts it). The very means intended for their salvation became the instrument of their condemnation because of their persistent rebellion.
Understand the original words
dābār · Hebrew Noun
The revealed utterance, commandment, or communication from God to humanity, possessing divine authority and creative power to accomplish His purposes.
tsav · Hebrew Noun
A specific rule, commandment, or authoritative instruction given by God to guide the conduct and worship of His people.
This prophecy was delivered during a time of intense geopolitical pressure on Judah from the Assyrian Empire. The 'precept upon precept' language highlights God's persistent, clear message, which the people, blinded by their own pride and unfaithfulness, twisted into a means of their own judgment rather than salvation.
Late 8th Century BC
Assyrian Dominance over Israel
The Northern Kingdom of Israel, weakened by internal strife and idolatry, faces increasing pressure and tribute demands from the powerful Neo-Assyrian Empire.
c. 722 BC
Fall of Samaria and Deportation
The capital of the Northern Kingdom, Samaria, falls to the Assyrians, leading to the exile of many Israelites. This event marks the end of the Northern Kingdom.
Early 7th Century BC
Hezekiah's Reforms in Judah
King Hezekiah of Judah attempts to cleanse the Southern Kingdom of idolatry and re-establish true worship of Yahweh, a stark contrast to the spiritual decay in the North.
c. 705-701 BC— this verse
Assyrian Invasion of Judah
Sennacherib, king of Assyria, invades Judah and lays siege to Jerusalem. This is a critical moment for the Southern Kingdom and the focus of much of Isaiah's prophecy.
Mid-7th Century BC
Josiah's Reforms and Discovery of Law
King Josiah of Judah institutes major religious reforms after the discovery of the Book of the Law in the Temple, attempting to restore obedience to God's commands.
586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem and Babylonian Exile
The Babylonians conquer Jerusalem, destroy the Temple, and exile the remaining population of Judah, marking a devastating fulfillment of prophetic warnings.
This passage directly links the idea of God being a 'stone of stumbling' and a 'rock of offense' to the consequence of falling, mirroring the physical and spiritual downfall described in Isaiah 28:13.
1 Corinthians 1:23This New Testament passage echoes the theme of Christ being a stumbling block to some, a concept that aligns with the idea of God's word and actions leading to ruin for those who reject them, as seen in Isaiah 28:13.
Matthew 21:44Jesus' words here about the stone rejected by builders becoming the cornerstone, and those who fall on it being broken, directly reflects the imagery of falling and being broken in Isaiah 28:13, connecting divine judgment with rejection of God's provision.
Romans 11:8This verse speaks of God giving people a spirit of stupor, with eyes that do not see and ears that do not hear, which explains the 'precept upon precept' instruction that leads to downfall in Isaiah 28:13, highlighting judicial blindness as a consequence of rejecting God.
Hebrews 12:15The warning to 'see to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God, that no 'root of bitterness' springs up and causes trouble and thus defiles many' connects to the idea that continued rejection and hardening of heart, as implied in Isaiah 28:13, can lead to widespread spiritual decay.
bensonIsaiah 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 28:13. But the word of the Lord was unto them, &c. — The sense of the passage thus rendered, may be, that they spake of God’s word with scorn and contempt, repeating the prophet’s words, (which are as peculiar in sound, as they are strong and expres…
cambridgeIsaiah 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."
13 . But the word of the Lord was ] Render: And ( so ) the word of Jehovah shall be —all that they had scoffingly said about Isaiah’s message ( Isaiah 28:10 ), a monotonous, intolerable, yet unavoidable, succession of judgments (cf. Isaiah 28:19 ). that th…
This verse highlights a chilling divine reversal: the very instructions meant to guide and save become the means of their downfall. When God's word is treated with contempt and reduced to mere fragments, it transforms from a lamp to a snare, causing those who reject it to stumble backward into judgment.
The prophet Isaiah has just been mocked by the people of Jerusalem for his prophecies, dismissing them as childish and simplistic. In response, God declares that His word will continue to be delivered to them in small, repeated portions, just as they described. This persistent, yet scorned, message will ultimately lead to their downfall, causing them to stumble, fall, and be captured.
The prophet Isaiah has just been mocked by the people of Jerusalem for his prophecies, dismissing them as childish and simplistic. In response, God declares that His word will continue to be delivered to them in small, repeated portions, just as they described. This persistent, yet scorned, message will ultimately lead to their downfall, causing them to stumble, fall, and be captured.
"And the word of the LORD will be to them precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little, that they may go, and fall backward, and be broken, and sna…" — This verse highlights a chilling divine reversal: the very instructions meant to guide and save become the means of their downfall. When God's word is treated with contempt and reduced to mere fragme…
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Last reviewed October 2026
