The Meaning of Isaiah 28:21 Explained

Isaiah 28:21

KJV: For the LORD shall rise up as in mount Perazim, he shall be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon, that he may do his work, his strange work; and bring to pass his act, his strange act.

YLT: For as at mount Perazim rise doth Jehovah, As at the valley in Gibeon He is troubled, To do His work -- strange is His work, And to do His deed -- strange is His deed.'

Darby: For Jehovah will rise up as on mount Perazim, he will be moved with anger as in the valley of Gibeon; that he may do his work, his strange work, and perform his act, his unwonted act.

ASV: For Jehovah will rise up as in mount Perazim, he will be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon; that he may do his work, his strange work, and bring to pass his act, his strange act.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

For the LORD  shall rise up  as [in] mount  Perazim,  he shall be wroth  as [in] the valley  of Gibeon,  that he may do  his work,  his strange  work;  and bring to pass  his act,  his strange  act. 

What does Isaiah 28:21 Mean?

Verse Meaning

A second reason for the Jerusalemites" terror (cf. Isaiah 28:18-19) would be divine hostility. The Lord would rise up against His people to defeat them, as He formerly rose up to defeat the Philistines at Mount Perazim (lit. breaking forth) "like the break-through of waters" ( 2 Samuel 5:20; 1 Chronicles 14:11). He had also defeated the Canaanites in the valley of Gibeon with hailstones ( Joshua 10:11). Defeating the Israelites was strange work for the Lord because He customarily defended them. Judgment is His "strange work," especially judgment of His own people, a work foreign to what He usually does, namely: bless.

Context Summary

Isaiah 28:14-29 - Truth The Only Refuge
In the beginning of Hezekiah's reign the Jewish leaders had made an alliance with Assyria, on whom they relied to protect them against any and all foes. But the prophet told them plainly that they would be disappointed, and that when the Assyrian scourge passed through the land toward Egypt, it would involve them also in disaster, Isaiah 28:18. Then he broke out with this sublime description of the only foundation of security that could never fail. The deep meaning of this prediction of the precious corner-stone is unfolded in later Scriptures, Matthew 21:42; Ephesians 2:20; 1 Peter 2:7. Christ was tried by Satan and by man: He is precious: He unites the walls of Jew and Gentile that were at right-angles to each other. All our excuses and professions are too short and too narrow when God enters into judgment. Outside of Christ there is neither peace nor safety. See that thou buildest Him a holy character of gold, silver, and precious stones, 1 Corinthians 3:10, etc. [source]

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 28

1  The prophet threatens Ephraim for their pride and drunkenness
5  The residue shall be advanced in the kingdom of Christ
7  He rebukes their error
9  Their unwillingness to learn
14  And their security
16  Christ the sure foundation is promised
17  Their security shall be tried
23  They are incited to the consideration of God's providence

What do the individual words in Isaiah 28:21 mean?

For as [at] Mount Perazim will rise up Yahweh as in the Valley of Gibeon He will be angry that He may do His work awesome His work and bring to pass His act unusual His act
כִּ֤י כְהַר־ פְּרָצִים֙ יָק֣וּם יְהוָ֔ה כְּעֵ֖מֶק בְּגִבְע֣וֹן יִרְגָּ֑ז לַעֲשׂ֤וֹת מַעֲשֵׂ֙הוּ֙ זָ֣ר מַעֲשֵׂ֔הוּ וְלַֽעֲבֹד֙ עֲבֹ֣דָת֔וֹ נָכְרִיָּ֖ה עֲבֹדָתֽוֹ

כְהַר־  as  [at]  Mount 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: הַר  
Sense: hill, mountain, hill country, mount.
פְּרָצִים֙  Perazim 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: פְּרָצִים  
Sense: a mountain in Palestine.
יָק֣וּם  will  rise  up 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: קוּם 
Sense: to rise, arise, stand, rise up, stand up.
יְהוָ֔ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
כְּעֵ֖מֶק  as  in  the  Valley 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֵמֶק  
Sense: valley, vale, lowland, open country.
בְּגִבְע֣וֹן  of  Gibeon 
Parse: Preposition-b, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: גִּבְעֹן  
Sense: a Levitical city of Benjamin, modern ‘el-Jib’, which lies 5 miles or 8 km from Jerusalem.
יִרְגָּ֑ז  He  will  be  angry 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: רָגַז  
Sense: tremble, quake, rage, quiver, be agitated, be excited, be perturbed.
לַעֲשׂ֤וֹת  that  He  may  do 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
מַעֲשֵׂ֙הוּ֙  His  work 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: מַעֲשֶׂה  
Sense: deed, work.
זָ֣ר  awesome 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: זוּר 
Sense: to be strange, be a stranger.
מַעֲשֵׂ֔הוּ  His  work 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: מַעֲשֶׂה  
Sense: deed, work.
וְלַֽעֲבֹד֙  and  bring  to  pass 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: עָבַד  
Sense: to work, serve.
עֲבֹ֣דָת֔וֹ  His  act 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: עֲבֹדָה  
Sense: labour, service.
נָכְרִיָּ֖ה  unusual 
Parse: Adjective, feminine singular
Root: נָכְרִי  
Sense: foreign, alien.
עֲבֹדָתֽוֹ  His  act 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: עֲבֹדָה  
Sense: labour, service.