Isaiah 28:15
Translations
King James Version (KJV)
Because you have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing whip shall pass through, it shall not come to us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves:
American King James Version (AKJV)
Because you have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing whip shall pass through, it shall not come to us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves:
American Standard Version (ASV)
Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with Sheol 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:
Basic English Translation (BBE)
Because you have said, We have made death our friend, and with the underworld we have made an agreement; when the overflowing waters come through they will not come near us; for we are looking to false words for help, taking cover in what is untrue:
Webster's Revision
Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we in agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not reach us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves:
World English Bible
"Because you have said, 'We have made a covenant with death, and with Sheol are we in agreement. When the overflowing scourge passes through, it won't come to us; for we have made lies our refuge, and we have hidden ourselves under falsehood.'"
English Revised Version (ERV)
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:
Definitions for Isaiah 28:15
Clarke's Isaiah 28:15 Bible Commentary
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 shall be at peace with thee."
Barnes's Isaiah 28:15 Bible Commentary
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, and with hell not to devour them. The figure is a very bold one, and is designed to express the extraordinary stupidity of the nation. It is most strikingly descriptive of the great mass of people. They are as little anxious about death and hell as if they had made a compact with the king of terrors and the prince of darkness not to destroy them. They are as little moved by the appeals of the gospel, by the alarms of God's providence, by the preaching of his word, and by all the demonstrations that they are exposed to eternal death, as though they had proved that there was no hell, or had entered into a solemn covenant that they should be unmolested. A figure similar to this occurs in Job 5:23 :
For thou shalt be in league with the stones of the field;
And the beasts of the field shall be at peace with thee.
Compare Hosea 2:18.
And with hell - Hebrew, 'Sheol' - the land of shades, or of departed spirits (see the note at Isaiah 5:14). It is nearly synonymous here with death.
When the overflowing scourge shall pass through - There is here, in our translation, a little confusion of metaphor, since we speak usually of an overflowing "stream," and not of an overflowing "scourge." The word 'scourge' (שׁיט shayiṭ) means usually "a whip, a scourge," the same as שׁוט shôṭ, and then means any punishment or calamity (see the note at Isaiah 10:26; compare Job 9:23; Job 5:21. Here its means severe judgments or calamities, as overflowing like water, or inundating a people.
We have made lies ... - That is, they acted as if they had a safe refuge in falsehood. They sought security in false doctrines, and regarded themselves as safe from all that the prophets had denounced.
Wesley's Isaiah 28:15 Bible Commentary
28:15 Said - In your hearts. We - We are as safe from death, and hell, or the grave, as if they had entered into covenant with us.The scourge - The judgment of God. Through - The land. For - We shall secure ourselves by lying and dissimulation.