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:

ISAIAH 28:15KJV
Know the Bible

Isaiah 28:15 (KJV)

What does Isaiah 28:15 mean?

Isaiah 28:15 describes people who claim they have made an agreement with death and the grave, believing that disaster will not touch them because they have taken refuge in lies and hidden themselves in falsehood. The verse shows their confidence in their own schemes and deceptions as a way to avoid coming judgment.

In this verse, the prophet Isaiah is speaking to leaders in Jerusalem who feel secure because of their own plans and alliances, rather than trusting God. Isaiah uses strong language to show how these leaders think they can escape trouble by relying on falsehoods and making deals, even with death itself. The verse sets up a warning that such confidence is misplaced and will not protect them from the consequences of their actions.

The Hebrew behind Isaiah 28:15

  • "Covenant" (בְּרִית, berit): This word means a formal agreement or treaty. Here, it is used ironically, as if the people have made a binding pact with death itself, highlighting the absurdity of their confidence.
  • "Hell" (שְׁאוֹל, sheol): In Hebrew thought, שְׁאוֹל (sheol) refers to the realm of the dead or the grave, not a place of punishment. The leaders claim to have made an "agreement" (חָזוּת, chazut) with sheol, showing their belief that they can avoid death’s threat.
  • "Lies" (כָּזָב, kazav) and "falsehood" (שֶׁקֶר, sheqer): Both words point to deception. The verse emphasizes that the people are relying on things that are not true as their protection, underlining the emptiness of their security.

Why Isaiah 28:15 matters

  • Isaiah 28:15 clears up the misunderstanding that human schemes or alliances can guarantee safety from judgment or disaster; the verse exposes the false security people sometimes place in their own plans.
  • The verse highlights the seriousness of relying on deception, showing that making lies a "refuge" is not just foolish but dangerous.
  • Isaiah 28:15 connects to the wider passage by setting up God’s response in the following verses, where He promises a true foundation and warns of the consequences of rejecting it.

Where else these words appear

“scourge” Hebrew H7885 · used in 2 verses

  • Isaiah 33:21 But there the glorious LORD will be unto us a place of broad rivers and streams; wherein shall go no galley with oars, neither shall gallant ship pass thereby.

“scourge” Hebrew H7752 · used in 11 verses

  • 1 Kings 12:11 And now whereas my father did lade you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke: my father hath chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.
  • 2 Chronicles 10:14 And answered them after the advice of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add thereto: my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.
  • Proverbs 26:3 A whip for the horse, a bridle for the ass, and a rod for the fool's back.

“refuge” Hebrew H4268 · used in 20 verses

  • Job 24:8 They are wet with the showers of the mountains, and embrace the rock for want of a shelter.
  • Psalms 71:7 I am as a wonder unto many; but thou art my strong refuge.
  • Psalms 142:5 I cried unto thee, O LORD: I said, Thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living.

“agreement” Hebrew H2374 · used in 22 verses

  • 2 Samuel 24:11 For when David was up in the morning, the word of the LORD came unto the prophet Gad, David's seer, saying,
  • 2 Chronicles 19:2 And Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him, and said to king Jehoshaphat, Shouldest thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate the LORD? therefore is wrath upon thee from before the LORD.
  • Isaiah 30:10 Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits: