Isa 28:1-4

*Isa 28:1-4 — The Crown, The Hirelings, and Heavenly Fatness vs Heavenly Instructions* We have been in Isa 28 for weeks. V5, then 10-29. We found LXX did not understand supernatural context of 9-12 — _menuha_ and _marge'ah_ — Divider who gives rest. Now 1-4 sets up why. *My translation 1-4 with glosses:* *1* Woe! to crown glorious of drunkard Ephraim (LXX: crown of pride, the hirelings of Ephraim) and to garland shameful, army of his glory that at head of valley of fatness (heavenly fatness / beautifully fertile) (P: shameful diadem of strength of his glory which dominates at entrance of fertile valley) (LXX: flower fallen from glory on top of fertile mountain) of those confused with wine (LXX: those drunken without wine). *2* Behold, strong and mighty to Lord — as stream hail, storm destroying — as stream waters many, heavy, thick (כַּבִּירִים) overflowing — He causes to rest to land (P: I will give rest to this land by your hands) (LXX: he shall make rest for land) with power (בְּיָד). *3* With feet trampled — crown glorious of drunkards Ephraim (LXX: crown of pride, hirelings beaten down with hands and feet). *4* And will be garland shameful, power of his glory that at head of valley of fatness (heavenly fatness / beautifully fertile) like first-fruit before summer that he who sees it — whoever sees it — while it is in his hand eats it. *Breakdown:* *Heavenly fatness — man's heavenly vs YHWH's heavenly* MT _gei shemanim_ — valley of fatness — fertile, oil-rich — Samaria. Aramaic _nachla d' shmina_ — valley of _shmina_ — both fat and heavenly. Their fat was their heaven — _tzvi tifarto_ — glorious beauty — man's heavenly — beautifully fertile hill they thought was Zion. But that heavenly cannot produce. V4 — like first-ripe fig before summer — _bikkurah b'terem qaitz_ — he who sees it while in hand swallows it. Fertile ground that *cannot produce enough, eat it as it produces*. Early fig eaten instantly — no harvest — no increase — no rest. Man's heavenly fatness is consumed as soon as seen — Assyria swallows. Contrast v25 — _ha shivvah_ — fertile ground *prepared by _shavah*_ — pressing even, leveling — Divider who gives rest. Farmer levels surface — _shavah p'neiha_ — then sows in rows, each in place — YHWH's heavenly with instructions from above — wonderful counsel — _hifli etzah, higdil tushiyah_ — true heavenly. Man's heavenly fatness — un-leveled, un-pressed, proud crown on head — eaten while in hand. YHWH's heavenly — leveled by heavy waters in v2 — _hiniach_ from _nuach_ — cause to rest — heavy, thick waters overflowing — _mayim kabirim shotephim_ — pressing even, settling, giving rest to land — then ground can receive seed in order. That is _shavah_. *Hirelings drunk without wine — covetousness* Hebrew _shikorey_ — drunkards — LXX _misthotoi_ — hirelings — same Shin-Kaf-Resh — _sachar_ — hire. LXX adds — drunk *without wine* — _aneu oinou_ — Isa 29:9 _shikru ve lo yayin_. Not physical wine. Why without wine? LXX answers in 28:8 — MT vomit tables — LXX: curse shall devour this counsel, for this counsel for sake of *covetousness*. Hirelings drunk on covetous counsel — wages — not wine. Peshitta keeps drunkards but calls garland shameful — _gadla matz'ara_ — shame of covetous. *Contrast drunk with or without — Acts 2* Two drunkennesses without wine — same phrase, opposite spirit: - Isa 28 LXX hirelings — drunk without wine on *covetousness* — false prophets — tables full of vomit / counsel for pay — man's heavenly that cannot produce. - Acts 2 disciples — mocked as full of new wine — _gleukous_ — Peter says not drunk with wine — third hour — but Spirit — drunk without wine on *Holy Spirit* — fulfilling Isa 28:11-12 — _with stammering lip and another tongue_ — Paul cites in 1 Cor 14:21 — tongues. Scoffers in both — Samaria says they are drunk with wine — Jerusalem says disciples drunk with new wine — both miss supernatural. Peter brings true _marge'ah_ — Isa 28:12 — _le'mor zot ha-menuha hani'chu la'ayeph ve zot ha-marge'ah_ — To whom He said, Here is rest, give rest to weary, here is *marge'ah* — *Divider who gives rest* — repose. You taught us — _marge'ah_ not just resting place — but *Divider who causes rest* — from _raga_ — to divide, to settle, to press even — same as _shavah_ — pressing even to give rest. The Divider divides and settles ground so weary can rest — not early fig eaten in hand, but harvest in rows. Man's heavenly fatness in 28:1,4 — beautiful but shameful — eaten as it produces — cannot give rest. YHWH's heavenly in 28:2,5,25-29 — heavy waters _shavah_ — level, press even, *cause to rest* — _hiniach la'aretz_ — give rest to land with power — then in that day YHWH of Hosts becomes crown of glory to remnant — true crown, not fading flower — and teaches with line upon line — instructions from above. Hirelings drunk without wine on covetousness cannot give _marge'ah_. Disciples drunk without wine on Spirit give _marge'ah_ — Divider who gives rest. That is why LXX hireling matters — sets up 28:9-12 — whom will He teach? Weaned? — need Divider. Man's heavenly fatness vs Heavenly with instructions from יהוה above.