Isaiah 28:23-29 Meaning: God's Wisdom in Judgment and Mercy
23Give ear, and hear my voice! Listen, and hear my speech!
24Does he who plows to sow plow continually? Does he keep turning the soil and breaking the clods?
25When he has leveled its surface, doesn’t he plant the dill, and scatter the cumin seed, and put in the wheat in rows, the barley in the appointed place, and the spelt in its place?
26For his God instructs him in right judgment and teaches him.
27For the dill isn’t threshed with a sharp instrument, neither is a cart wheel turned over the cumin; but the dill is beaten out with a stick, and the cumin with a rod.
28Bread flour must be ground; so he will not always be threshing it. Although he drives the wheel of his threshing cart over it, his horses don’t grind it.
29This also comes out from Yahweh of Armies, who is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in wisdom.
23Give ye ear, and hear my voice; hearken, and hear my speech.
24Doth the plowman plow all day to sow? doth he open and break the clods of his ground?
25When he hath made plain the face thereof, doth he not cast abroad the fitches, and scatter the cummin, and cast in the principal wheat and the appointed barley and the rie in their place?
26For his God doth instruct him to discretion, and doth teach him.
27For 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.
28Bread corn is bruised; because he will not ever be threshing it, nor break it with the wheel of his cart, nor bruise it with his horsemen.
29This also cometh forth from the Lord of hosts, which is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in working.
23Give ye ear, and hear my voice; hearken, and hear my speech.
24Doth he that ploweth to sow plow continually? doth he continually open and harrow his ground?
25When he hath levelled the face thereof, doth he not cast abroad the fitches, and scatter the cummin, and put in the wheat in rows, and the barley in the appointed place, and the spelt in the border thereof?
26For his God doth instruct him aright, and doth teach him.
27For the fitches are not threshed with a sharp 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.
28Bread grain is ground; for he will not be always threshing it: and though the wheel of his cart and his horses scatter it, he doth not grind it.
29This also cometh forth from Jehovah of hosts, who is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in wisdom.
23Give ear, and hear my voice, Attend, and hear my saying:
24The whole day plougheth the ploughman to sow? He openeth and harroweth his ground!
25Hath he not, if he have made level its face, Then scattered fitches, and cummin sprinkle, And hath placed the principal wheat, And the appointed barley, And the rie in its own border?
26And instruct him for judgment doth his God, He doth direct him.
27For not with a sharp-pointed thing threshed are fitches, And the wheel of a cart on cummin turned round, For with a staff beaten out are fitches, And cummin with a rod.
28Bread- corn is beaten small, For not for ever doth he sorely thresh it, Nor crushed it hath a wheel of his cart, Nor do his hoofs beat it small.
29Even this from Jehovah of Hosts hath gone out, He hath made counsel wonderful, He hath made wisdom great!
23Give ear, and hear my voice; hearken, and hear my speech.
24Doth the ploughman plough all day to sow? Is he [all day] opening and breaking the clods of his land?
25Doth he not, when he hath levelled the face thereof, cast abroad dill, and scatter cummin, and set the wheat in rows, and the barley in an appointed place, and the rye in its border?
26His God doth instruct him in [his] judgment, he doth teach him.
27For the dill is not threshed with a threshing instrument, neither is a cart-wheel turned about upon the cummin; but dill is beaten out with a staff, and cummin with a rod.
28Bread [corn] is crushed, because he will not ever be threshing it; and if he drove the wheels of his cart and his horses [over it], he would not crush it.
29This also cometh forth from Jehovah of hosts; he is wonderful in counsel, great in wisdom.
Meaning in one sentence
Why does God use different methods with His people? Isaiah 28:23-29 explains through an agricultural parable, His wisdom is wonderful in counsel.
Context
Isaiah has spent much of chapter 28 warning the rulers in Jerusalem who scoff at God's messages. They think they are safe, but judgment is coming. Then the prophet switches tone. He calls for attention and offers a parable drawn from farming, something every listener would know. The passage that follows is a kind of answer to the question behind all the warnings: why does God seem to treat people so differently? Why judgment for some and mercy for others? Why waiting and then sudden action?
The farmer image shows that God is not arbitrary. Plowing, sowing, and threshing each have their season. The farmer treats each crop differently, delicate cumin gets a light rod, sturdy wheat gets the heavy threshing cart. The same God who warned now explains. He is wonderful in counsel, excellent in wisdom. This is not a new thought for Isaiah; it is the anchor of hope in the middle of hard words.
Key Words
Three Hebrew terms anchor this passage and give it weight.
The first is the word for “instructs” in verse 26, yasar (H3256). It means to teach, but also to discipline. In Proverbs it is the word for parental correction. The farmer learns from God, but so does the people of God. The same hand that teaches the farmer when to sow also teaches Israel when to repent. Discipline and instruction come from the same source.
Second, “wonderful” in verse 29 is pala (H6381), something extraordinary, beyond human ability. When Isaiah says God has made His counsel wonderful, he means it is not ordinary wisdom. It is the kind of wisdom that sees the whole field while you only see the row you are walking.
Third, the word for “wisdom” at the end is tushiyyah (H8454). It appears only a handful of times in the Old Testament and carries the sense of effective, sound wisdom, the kind that actually works. God’s methods are not just clever in theory. They accomplish what He intends. That is the kind of wisdom a farmer trusts when he decides which tool fits which grain.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians across traditions see this parable as a key to understanding God's varied dealings. The Cambridge Bible highlights two movements: verses 24-26 show that the farmer plows in order to sow, judgment has a purpose beyond itself. Verses 27-29 show that threshing methods vary with the crop, God measures His dealings to each situation.
Many Reformed commentators, like Calvin and Matthew Henry, read this as a justification of God's providence: the same wisdom that teaches the farmer teaches God's people to trust His timing. Baptist writer John Gill emphasizes that God gives discretion to the farmer and therefore we can trust His discretion toward us. Wesley calls it a reminder that God “has his times and seasons for several works.”
All traditions agree on the central point: the God who is “wonderful in counsel” does not act without purpose or proportion. What looks like harsh judgment may be preparation for a harvest.
A common misunderstanding
Some readers assume this passage is simply about agriculture, a break from the heavy prophecies around it. They miss that the farmer is the point. The mistake is to treat verses 23-29 as a pleasant illustration detached from the warnings that come before. In fact, the parable is the explanation for the warnings. The same God who judges through Assyria is the farmer who plows, sows, and threshes with perfect wisdom. The scoffers thought God's patience meant He would never act. The parable says: He acts, but always with purpose.
Living This Out
This passage asks you to trust God's methods, not only His promises. You may be in a season that feels like plowing, the ground of your life turned over, everything disrupted. The question isn't whether God is at work. The question is what He is growing.
Pay attention to the difference between crops. Not every hardship means the same thing. A light touch may mean you are being handled with care. A heavier weight may mean you can bear it, and that the harvest will be worth it. The farmer knows the grain. He knows you.
This week, when you feel pressure, ask: Is God threshing to separate what is good from what is chaff, or is He preparing the soil for something new? Either way, He knows what He is doing. You are not being treated carelessly.
Main takeaway: God is wonderful in counsel, He knows when to plow, when to sow, and how much pressure each life can bear.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
A farmer knows just how to treat each plant. Some seeds he pats gently, some he presses harder. God is like that farmer. He knows exactly what you need.
For ages 9, 12
Have you ever watched someone use different tools for different jobs? A hammer for a nail, a screwdriver for a screw. God uses different methods in our lives too. Sometimes He works gently, sometimes He lets us face hard things. But He always knows what He is doing, like a farmer who picks the right tool for the right grain. You can trust His judgment even when you don't understand the method.
Questions People Ask
Why does Isaiah use an agricultural parable in the middle of judgment prophecies?
The parable explains God's method. The judgment prophecies sounded harsh, and people mocked them (Isaiah 28:14). So Isaiah shows that God's actions are not random, they are as careful as a farmer choosing when to plow and how to thresh. The parable defends God's wisdom and assures the faithful that He knows what He is doing.
What does 'wonderful in counsel' mean in Isaiah 28:29?
The Hebrew word pala means extraordinary, beyond human ability. God's counsel, His plan and purpose, is not ordinary wisdom. It is the kind that sees the big picture we cannot see. The passage ends with this phrase to say: if you don't understand God's methods, it is because His counsel is higher than yours, not because He is careless.
Does this passage mean God treats everyone differently?
Yes and no. God's ultimate purposes, to save His people and bring justice, are the same for everyone. But He adapts His methods. Some are judged more severely, some more gently, depending on what they need and what they can bear. The parable uses different threshing tools for different grains to show that God is not a machine; He is a wise farmer.
What is the 'threshing instrument' in Isaiah 28:27?
It was a heavy wooden sledge with iron or stone spikes on the bottom, dragged over grain by oxen. It was used for tough grains like wheat. But tender seeds like dill and cumin would be crushed by it, so farmers beat them out with a stick or rod instead. The point: God doesn't use the same heavy treatment on everyone.
How should this passage encourage someone going through a hard time?
It says that God's judgment, or any hard season, is not pointless. The farmer plows to sow, and threshes to get grain for bread. The hardship has a purpose. And God knows how much pressure you can take. He won't use a heavy cart on tender grain. You can trust the Farmer's wisdom even when you feel the weight.
For pastors & researchers
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