Isaiah issues a solemn declaration that all who rebel against God and abandon His covenant will face inevitable judgment and demise.
But transgressors and sinners will be crushed together, And those who forsake the LORD will come to an end. (v.28)
Here in Isaiah 1:28, the prophet Isaiah, who ministered to the southern kingdom of Judah around 740-681 BC, proclaims dire consequences for those who persist in wrongdoing and refuse to turn back to the LORD. He announces that transgressors and sinners will be crushed together, uniting all who stand against God in their ultimate destruction. The term “transgressors” underscores knowing rebellion, suggesting a willful departure from God’s commandments, while “sinners” points toward a general condition of wrongdoing. Those who forsake the LORD will come to an end underscores the reality that turning away from God leads to spiritual and physical demise, a principle woven throughout Scripture (Romans 6:23).
Isaiah spoke these words to a covenant people living in Judah, a land centered around Jerusalem, the capital city in the southern region of what used to be Israel before its division into two kingdoms (the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah). Although Isaiah does not name a specific city in this particular verse, the core of his ministry took place in or near Jerusalem, which was situated in the hill country of Judah. This region, during Isaiah’s lifetime, frequently found itself under the looming threat of foreign powers such as Assyria. Isaiah’s prophecies often convey a warning that if the nation persists in rebelling against God, He will allow the consequences of their disobedience to unfold, including exile by foreign empires.
But transgressors and sinners will be crushed together, And those who forsake the LORD will come to an end. (v.28) also hints at God’s unwavering justice. Though the people of Judah had a special covenant relationship with their Suzerain LORD, that favored position would not protect them if they spurned Him continually. These warnings set the stage for the nation to either turn toward God in humility and obedience or else share the fate of “transgressors and sinners.” Nevertheless, the larger message of Isaiah holds out hope—that the justice of God is not simply to destroy but also to purify, reserving a faithful remnant who choose to repent (Isaiah 1:9).
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Isaiah 1:28 meaning
But transgressors and sinners will be crushed together, And those who forsake the LORD will come to an end. (v.28)
Here in Isaiah 1:28, the prophet Isaiah, who ministered to the southern kingdom of Judah around 740-681 BC, proclaims dire consequences for those who persist in wrongdoing and refuse to turn back to the LORD. He announces that transgressors and sinners will be crushed together, uniting all who stand against God in their ultimate destruction. The term “transgressors” underscores knowing rebellion, suggesting a willful departure from God’s commandments, while “sinners” points toward a general condition of wrongdoing. Those who forsake the LORD will come to an end underscores the reality that turning away from God leads to spiritual and physical demise, a principle woven throughout Scripture (Romans 6:23).
Isaiah spoke these words to a covenant people living in Judah, a land centered around Jerusalem, the capital city in the southern region of what used to be Israel before its division into two kingdoms (the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah). Although Isaiah does not name a specific city in this particular verse, the core of his ministry took place in or near Jerusalem, which was situated in the hill country of Judah. This region, during Isaiah’s lifetime, frequently found itself under the looming threat of foreign powers such as Assyria. Isaiah’s prophecies often convey a warning that if the nation persists in rebelling against God, He will allow the consequences of their disobedience to unfold, including exile by foreign empires.
But transgressors and sinners will be crushed together, And those who forsake the LORD will come to an end. (v.28) also hints at God’s unwavering justice. Though the people of Judah had a special covenant relationship with their Suzerain LORD, that favored position would not protect them if they spurned Him continually. These warnings set the stage for the nation to either turn toward God in humility and obedience or else share the fate of “transgressors and sinners.” Nevertheless, the larger message of Isaiah holds out hope—that the justice of God is not simply to destroy but also to purify, reserving a faithful remnant who choose to repent (Isaiah 1:9).