Isaiah 28:27-28
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What's easy to miss here is that God uses different methods for different people and situations. He doesn't use a harsh threshing sledge for delicate seeds like dill and cumin, just like He doesn't use the same heavy-handed discipline for everyone. This shows God's incredible wisdom and care in how He applies His refining processes to each of us individually.
Dill is not threshed with a threshing sledge, nor is a cart wheel rolled over cumin, but dill is beaten out with a stick, and cumin with a rod. Does one crush grain for bread? No, he does not thresh it forever; when he drives his cart wheel over it with his horses, he does not crush it.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This passage comes in the middle of a warning to the leaders of Judah about their arrogance and misplaced trust in political alliances. God, through Isaiah, has been detailing how their superficial understanding of God's dealings will lead to their downfall, likening their shallow grasp of divine truth to repetitive, elementary lessons. This verse, describing the careful, varied methods of threshing different grains, serves as an illustration of God’s nuanced approach to judgment and instruction, contrasting with the people's own stubborn refusal to learn.
Why would a farmer use different tools for different crops? It seems like a lot of extra work. But there's a deeper wisdom at play.
This verse highlights the incredible wisdom found in God's creation and in the practices of skilled laborers. Isaiah points out that the farmer doesn't use the same heavy, robust threshing tools for delicate spices like dill and cumin as he would for hardy grains like wheat.
This isn't just about farming; it's a picture of God's own wisdom in how He interacts with His people. He uses different methods for different situations and different individuals.
Does God always deal with everyone the same way? Or is there something more nuanced in His dealings with us?
The agricultural imagery in Isaiah 28:27 serves as a powerful metaphor for God's justice and mercy. The passage is part of a larger prophetic message to Israel, a people often prone to pride and spiritual dullness.
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This verse assures us that God's wisdom extends even to the details of His justice, ensuring that His people are refined, not crushed.
This passage uses agricultural imagery of careful threshing to illustrate how God's judgment, while severe, is also discerning and measured, applied according to the nature of the 'crop' – whether it's the proud and hardened leadership or the more delicate seeds of the common people.
Late 8th century BC
Assyrian Power Threatens Northern Kingdom
The Assyrian Empire under rulers like Tiglath-Pileser III and later Sargon II exerted significant pressure on the northern Kingdom of Israel, leading to deportations and eventual destruction.
722 BC
Fall of Samaria and Destruction of Northern Kingdom
The capital city of Samaria fell to the Assyrians, marking the end of the northern Kingdom of Israel and the deportation of its people, a significant trauma for the Israelites.
Early 7th century BC
Hezekiah's Reforms and Assyrian Conflicts
King Hezekiah of Judah implemented religious reforms and faced a major siege by the Assyrian king Sennacherib, who eventually withdrew from Jerusalem.
c. 701 BC— this verse
Sennacherib's Siege of Jerusalem
The Assyrian king Sennacherib campaigned in Judah, besieging Jerusalem. While the city was not conquered, the event caused great distress and fear among the people.
605 BC
First Babylonian Deportation to Babylon
Under Nebuchadnezzar II, the Babylonians defeated the Egyptians and Assyrians, and began deporting segments of the Judean population and nobility to Babylon.
586 BC
Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
The Babylonians, led by Nebuchadnezzar II, destroyed Jerusalem and its magnificent Temple, exiling most of the remaining population to Babylon.
This passage describes Gideon threshing wheat in a winepress to hide it from the Midianites, illustrating the use of a more gentle method (beating with a stick) when necessary, similar to the delicate crops in Isaiah.
Ruth 2:17Ruth gleans grain and brings it home, where she beats it out, suggesting a method suitable for smaller, more manageable amounts, echoing the careful handling of delicate crops.
Deuteronomy 25:4This verse commands not to muzzle the ox while it treads out the grain, highlighting a method of threshing meant for sturdier grains, contrasting with the gentle methods described for dill and cumin.
Micah 4:13This passage uses the imagery of threshing with sharp threshing instruments and an ox treading grain, but here God promises Israel victory and the crushing of their enemies, using the threshing metaphor for judgment.
Matthew 11:28Jesus invites those who are weary to come to Him for rest, drawing a parallel to how gentle methods are used for delicate crops, suggesting God's own invitation to a less burdensome way of life for His followers.
barnesIsaiah 28:27: "For the fitches are not threshed with a threshing instrument, neither is a cart wheel turned about upon the cummin; but the fitches are beaten out with a staff, and the cummin with a rod."
For the fitches are not threshed with a threshing instrument - The word used here (חרוּץ chârûts) denotes properly that which is pointed or sharp, and is joined with מורג môrag in Isaiah 41:15 - meaning there the threshing dray or sledge; a plank with iron or sharp stones that was drawn by…
bensonIsaiah 28:27: "For the fitches are not threshed with a threshing instrument, neither is a cart wheel turned about upon the cummin; but the fitches are beaten out with a staff, and the cummin with a rod."
Isaiah 28:27-29 . “Four methods of thrashing are here mentioned, by different instruments: the flail, the drag, the wain, and the treading of cattle. The staff, or flail, was used for the grain that was too tender to be treated in the other methods. The drag consisted of a sort of frame of stro…
What's easy to miss here is that God uses different methods for different people and situations. He doesn't use a harsh threshing sledge for delicate seeds like dill and cumin, just like He doesn't use the same heavy-handed discipline for everyone. This shows God's incredible wisdom and care in how He applies His refining processes to each of us individually.
This passage comes in the middle of a warning to the leaders of Judah about their arrogance and misplaced trust in political alliances. God, through Isaiah, has been detailing how their superficial understanding of God's dealings will lead to their downfall, likening their shallow grasp of divine truth to repetitive, elementary lessons. This verse, describing the careful, varied methods of threshing different grains, serves as an illustration of God’s nuanced approach to judgment and instruction, contrasting with the people's own stubborn refusal to learn.
This passage comes in the middle of a warning to the leaders of Judah about their arrogance and misplaced trust in political alliances. God, through Isaiah, has been detailing how their superficial understanding of God's dealings will lead to their downfall, likening their shallow grasp of divine truth to repetitive, elementary lessons. This verse, describing the careful, varied methods of threshing different grains, serves as an illustration of God’s nuanced approach to judgment and instruction, contrasting with the people's own stubborn refusal to learn.
"Dill is not threshed with a threshing sledge, nor is a cart wheel rolled over cumin, but dill is beaten out with a stick, and cumin with a rod. Does one crush grain for bread? No, he does not thresh it forever;…" — What's easy to miss here is that God uses different methods for different people and situations. He doesn't use a harsh threshing sledge for delicate seeds like dill and cumin, just like He doesn't…
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Last reviewed October 2026
