Isaiah 28:9
“To whom will he teach knowledge, and to whom will he explain the message? Those who are weaned from the milk, those taken from the breast?
English Standard Version (ESV)
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This verse isn't actually God asking who He should teach; it's the scoffing leaders of Judah mocking the prophet Isaiah. They scornfully imply that Isaiah's teachings are so simplistic and repetitive that they're only suitable for infants who are still nursing, not for sophisticated religious leaders like themselves.
The prophet Isaiah has just pronounced woes on the drunkards of Samaria and Jerusalem, but now he turns to address the scoffers among the religious leaders. They mock his prophetic pronouncements, dismissing them as simple lessons fit only for infants. Isaiah, in turn, uses their own dismissive words to declare God's judgment: because they refuse the simple, repeated message of God's word, they will be taught by a foreign tongue and a stammering lip, a stark contrast to the clarity they scorn.
Have you ever felt like your faith is being treated like a children's lesson, oversimplified and condescending? Isaiah's opponents felt that way, and their mocking reveals something about how we can miss God's wisdom.
In Isaiah 28:9, the prophet quotes the scornful words of religious leaders who were drunk on power and perhaps literal wine. They say, 'Whom shall he teach knowledge? And whom shall he make to understand doctrine? Them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts?'
A Scornful Question
When people refuse to listen to God's gentle guidance, He sometimes uses a harsher method. What happens when God's 'teaching' turns into judgment?
The scoffers in Isaiah 28:9-10 mock God's method of instruction, demanding to know who is so immature as to need such basic teaching. God's response, implied in the following verses and the broader context, is to turn their mocking into a terrifying reality.
From Repetition to Captivity
Understand the original words
da'ath · Hebrew Noun
The faculty of understanding or divine truth; biblically, it refers to the spiritual insight that comes from knowing God and His commands.
shemu'ah · Hebrew Noun
A divine word or announcement; specifically, the revelation or warning that God intends for His people to heed.
Isaiah's message is directed at the corrupt leadership in Judah, specifically priests and prophets who, caught up in feasting and intoxication, mock the divine instruction they receive. They dismiss God's messages as simplistic, suitable only for babes, reflecting a deep spiritual immaturity and rejection of genuine understanding.
Late 8th Century BC
Assyrian Expansion Threatens Israel
The powerful Neo-Assyrian Empire under rulers like Tiglath-Pileser III and Shalmaneser V is expanding its influence, leading to tribute demands and military campaigns against the northern Kingdom of Israel and surrounding regions.
c. 722 BC
Fall of Samaria and Israel's Exile
The capital of the northern Kingdom of Israel, Samaria, falls to the Assyrians, leading to the deportation of a significant portion of the Israelite population. This marks the end of the northern kingdom as a distinct entity.
Early 7th Century BC
Hezekiah's Reforms and Assyrian Conflicts
King Hezekiah of Judah institutes religious reforms and, with Isaiah's counsel, rebels against Assyrian dominance, leading to a siege of Jerusalem by Sennacherib. Despite the Assyrian threat, Jerusalem is miraculously spared.
c. 701 BC
Assyrian Siege of Jerusalem
The Assyrian army under King Sennacherib invades Judah and besieges Jerusalem. The city is miraculously delivered by divine intervention, but the event leaves a profound impact on Judah's political and religious landscape.
This passage uses a similar idea to contrast childish understanding with spiritual maturity, highlighting how believers should not be immature in their thinking, much like Isaiah's audience was being called out for their immaturity in spiritual understanding.
Hebrews 5:12-13The author of Hebrews speaks about the difficulty of teaching those who are still on 'milk' instead of solid food, which directly parallels Isaiah's critique of an audience that requires elementary, repetitive instruction.
Matthew 11:28While Isaiah describes those who reject knowledge as needing 'precept upon precept,' Jesus offers rest to the weary. This contrast shows the opportunity being missed by Isaiah's audience who, instead of accepting clear teaching, demanded simple, repetitive pronouncements.
Romans 10:14-17Paul quotes from Isaiah 28 to discuss how people hear the message of salvation. This shows the continuity of Isaiah's theme: effective teaching and understanding depend on the receptiveness of the listener, much like those 'weaned from the milk' in Isaiah's prophecy.
barnesIsaiah 28:9: "Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts."
whom shall he teach knowledge? - This verse commences a statement respecting another form of sin that prevailed among the people of Judah. That sin was contempt for the manner in which God instructed them by the prophets, and a disregard for his communications as if they were suited to children and not to adults. That "scoffing" was the pri…
bensonIsaiah 28:9: "Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts."
Isaiah 28:9-10 . Whom shall he — Namely, God, or his prophet, or minister; teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? — Who is there among this people, that are capable and willing to be taught the good knowledge of God? them that are wearied from the milk, &c. — A minister may as soon teach a young child as these men.…
This verse isn't actually God asking who He should teach; it's the scoffing leaders of Judah mocking the prophet Isaiah. They scornfully imply that Isaiah's teachings are so simplistic and repetitive that they're only suitable for infants who are still nursing, not for sophisticated religious leaders like themselves.
The prophet Isaiah has just pronounced woes on the drunkards of Samaria and Jerusalem, but now he turns to address the scoffers among the religious leaders. They mock his prophetic pronouncements, dismissing them as simple lessons fit only for infants. Isaiah, in turn, uses their own dismissive words to declare God's judgment: because they refuse the simple, repeated message of God's word, they will be taught by a foreign tongue and a stammering lip, a stark contrast to the clarity they scorn.
The prophet Isaiah has just pronounced woes on the drunkards of Samaria and Jerusalem, but now he turns to address the scoffers among the religious leaders. They mock his prophetic pronouncements, dismissing them as simple lessons fit only for infants. Isaiah, in turn, uses their own dismissive words to declare God's judgment: because they refuse the simple, repeated message of God's word, they will be taught by a foreign tongue and a stammering lip, a stark contrast to the clarity they scorn.
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c. 650-620 BC— this verse
Period of Religious Decay and Idolatry in Judah
Following the Assyrian threat and periods of instability, Judah experiences a decline in spiritual faithfulness. Corruption and idolatry become more prevalent, especially among religious and political leaders.
"“To whom will he teach knowledge, and to whom will he explain the message? Those who are weaned from the milk, those taken from the breast?" — This verse isn't actually God asking who He should teach; it's the scoffing leaders of Judah mocking the prophet Isaiah. They scornfully imply that Isaiah's teachings are so simplistic and repetitive…
