Isaiah 28:15
Because you have said, “We have made a covenant with death, and with Sheol we have an agreement, when the overwhelming whip passes through it will not come to us, for we have made lies our refuge, and in falsehood we have taken shelter”;
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The people boasted they had a "covenant with death" and an "agreement with Sheol," believing they were immune to God's judgment. This wasn't a literal pact, but their actions and arrogant confidence, based on "lies" and "falsehood," amounted to such a secure belief in their own safety that they thought themselves untouchable by the "overflowing scourge" of divine wrath.
The people of Judah, particularly its leaders, are arrogantly convinced of their own security, even in the face of impending judgment that has already devastated the northern kingdom of Israel. They believe they have found a foolproof way to avoid disaster, relying on deceptive alliances and false promises rather than on God. Isaiah declares that this misplaced confidence is a hollow refuge that will ultimately fail them when God's judgment, described as an overwhelming scourge, arrives.
Imagine feeling so sure of your safety that you claim to have a deal with death itself. What kind of arrogance leads to such a dangerous delusion?
The people of Judah, in their pride and spiritual blindness, declared they had a 'covenant with death' and an 'agreement with Sheol' (the grave or underworld). This wasn't a literal contract, but a bold declaration of their supposed invincibility.
They believed that when 'the overwhelming scourge' – a devastating invasion, perhaps by Assyria – swept through the land, it would bypass them. Their confidence stemmed from a reliance on deceit and falsehood, believing their lies and dishonest strategies were a stronger defense than any divine protection.
This 'covenant' highlights a profound misunderstanding of God's justice and the consequences of sin. They were actively choosing a path that led to destruction while proclaiming their safety. It's a stark reminder that true security can never be found in worldly schemes or deceptive practices, especially when they are opposed to God's ways.
What happens when our 'refuge' is built on sand, on things that are fundamentally untrue? It’s like building a house on a lie – it’s bound to crumble.
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The core of Judah's false security lay in their choice of 'lies' and 'falsehood' as their refuge. The prophets identify these lies not just as spoken untruths, but as a whole system of thought and action that rejected God's truth.
This could have included misplaced trust in political alliances (like with Egypt, which is mentioned elsewhere in Isaiah as a 'bruised reed'), reliance on human schemes, or even a distorted understanding of God's mercy that ignored His justice.
Their 'agreement with death' was built on a foundation of deceit. They believed they could manipulate their way out of divine judgment. But the verse makes it clear: these were not reliable shelters. They were illusions that offered no real protection against the 'overwhelming scourge' that was sure to come, a scourge sent by God Himself.
Understand the original words
bərîth · Hebrew Noun
A solemn, binding agreement or treaty, often established by God with His people, characterized by mutual obligations or divine promises of faithfulness.
she’ôl · Hebrew Noun
The realm of the dead or the underworld in the Old Testament, representing the grave or the place where human existence apart from God's presence continues in a shadowy state.
machseh · Hebrew Noun
A place of protection or safety, often used metaphorically for trust in God, but here used ironically to describe the false security found in deceit.
sheqer · Hebrew Noun
Intentional deception, untruth, or vanity; that which is not real or lasting and stands in opposition to the truth of God.
The people of Judah, facing the overwhelming power of the Assyrian Empire and later relying on the deceptive promises of Egypt, felt secure in their alliances and political maneuvering. They believed these 'lies' and 'falsehoods' were a reliable refuge, a 'covenant with death,' as if they had struck a bargain with destruction itself to spare them. This verse powerfully condemns their misplaced trust in human power and deceit over reliance on God's protection.
Late 8th century BC
Assyrian Empire's Dominance
The powerful Assyrian Empire exerted significant influence and control over the region, posing a constant threat to the smaller kingdoms of Israel and Judah.
c. 722 BC
Fall of Samaria and Israelite Exile
The capital of the northern kingdom of Israel, Samaria, fell to the Assyrians, leading to the exile of a large portion of its population and the effective end of the kingdom.
Early 7th century BC
Rise of Egypt's Influence
As Assyrian power began to wane, the kingdom of Egypt in the south started to exert its influence, often drawing Judah into its political machinations as a buffer state.
c. 701 BC— this verse
Assyrian Invasion of Judah
The Assyrian king Sennacherib invaded Judah, conquering many fortified cities and besieging Jerusalem. King Hezekiah's reign was marked by this significant threat.
c. 609 BC
Battle of Carchemish
Egypt, allied with remnants of the Assyrian army, was decisively defeated by the Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar. This marked the end of Egyptian dominance in the region.
605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Following the Battle of Carchemish and subsequent campaigns, Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon began deporting Judean elites and skilled workers to Babylon, initiating the Babylonian exile.
This passage uses similar proverbial language to describe a false sense of security, where one is in league with the stones of the field and at peace with the beasts, highlighting the delusion of self-made safety.
Hosea 2:18This verse speaks of a 'covenant' with wild animals, illustrating a broken relationship with God that results in a perverse peace with destructive forces, mirroring Isaiah's theme of a false covenant.
Isaiah 30:1-7This passage directly critiques reliance on Egypt as a refuge, identifying it as 'lies' and 'vain hope,' which strongly parallels Isaiah 28:15's condemnation of trusting in falsehood.
Jeremiah 8:11This verse condemns prophets who claim 'Peace, peace' when there is no peace, directly mirroring the deceit and falsehood that Isaiah denounces as a refuge for those who have made a false covenant.
1 Corinthians 3:22-23This passage offers a true covenant, stating that all things belong to believers because they belong to Christ, contrasting the illusory 'covenant with death' with the secure reality of belonging to God.
barnesIsaiah 28:15: "Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves:"
We have made a covenant with death - We are not to suppose that they had formally said this, but that their conduct was as if they had said it; they lived as securely as if they had entered into a compact with death not to destroy them,…
clarkeIsaiah 28:15: "Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves:"
A covenant with death - To be in covenant with, is a kind of proverbial expression to denote perfect security from evil and mischief of any sort: - "For thou shalt be in league with the stones of the field; And the beasts of the field sh…
The people boasted they had a "covenant with death" and an "agreement with Sheol," believing they were immune to God's judgment. This wasn't a literal pact, but their actions and arrogant confidence, based on "lies" and "falsehood," amounted to such a secure belief in their own safety that they thought themselves untouchable by the "overflowing scourge" of divine wrath.
The people of Judah, particularly its leaders, are arrogantly convinced of their own security, even in the face of impending judgment that has already devastated the northern kingdom of Israel. They believe they have found a foolproof way to avoid disaster, relying on deceptive alliances and false promises rather than on God. Isaiah declares that this misplaced confidence is a hollow refuge that will ultimately fail them when God's judgment, described as an overwhelming scourge, arrives.
The people of Judah, particularly its leaders, are arrogantly convinced of their own security, even in the face of impending judgment that has already devastated the northern kingdom of Israel. They believe they have found a foolproof way to avoid disaster, relying on deceptive alliances and false promises rather than on God. Isaiah declares that this misplaced confidence is a hollow refuge that will ultimately fail them when God's judgment, described as an overwhelming scourge, arrives.
"Because you have said, “We have made a covenant with death, and with Sheol we have an agreement, when the overwhelming whip passes through it will not come to us, for we have made lies our refuge, and in fal…" — The people boasted they had a "covenant with death" and an "agreement with Sheol," believing they were immune to God's judgment. This wasn't a literal pact, but their actions and arrogant confidence,…
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