Isaiah 28:11 (KJV)

What does Isaiah 28:11 mean?

Isaiah 28:11 says that God will address his people through speakers whose language sounds foreign to them. In the passage, this is a troubling answer to people who have resisted a message they could understand. The unfamiliar speech points to a coming encounter with outsiders, rather than a welcome lesson.

After the mocking response in verse 10, Isaiah pictures words reaching the people in an altered form. The KJV’s “stammering lips” describes how the foreign speech sounds to its hearers, not necessarily a speech problem in the speakers.

The Hebrew behind Isaiah 28:11

• “stammering” — לָעֵג (laʿeg): The word can describe speech that sounds strange or unintelligible. Here, the phrase suggests the experience of hearing speakers whose words the listeners cannot readily understand.
• “tongue” — לָשׁוֹן (lashon): The word can mean the physical tongue or a language. Alongside “another,” it points to the speech of people from elsewhere.

Why Isaiah 28:11 matters

• The foreign speech is part of the passage’s warning. Isaiah 28:12 says the people “would not hear” when offered “rest,” which helps explain the sharp turn in verse 11.
• The people’s response remains important after verse 11. Isaiah 28:13 describes them falling and being taken, giving the strange speech a place in a larger warning of danger.
• The verse later appears in a discussion about understandable speech. In 1 Corinthians 14:21–22, Paul quotes this passage while discussing speech in other languages among believers.