What Does Isaiah 28:6 Mean?
And a breath of judgment to the one who sits in judgment, and strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate.
Key words are shown with the Hebrew or Greek and what each word meant.
Selah Decoded Version The Selah Decoded Version renders what the Hebrew and Greek words meant to the people who first heard them.
King James wording
King James Version
And for a spirit of judgment to him that sitteth in judgment, and for strength to them that turn the battle to the gate.THE KEY
The verse locates strength in turning battle back at the gate, while judgment is given breath to hold its seat.
THE MEANING
The breath of discernment animates the one who sits in judgment, and strength meets battle at the gate. The verse joins clear seeing with defense at the threshold, where conflict can be turned back before it enters.
THE ROOT
מְשִׁיבֵי
meshivei
GROWS FROM
שוב
shuv
turn back, return
“turn back the battle at the gate” in this verse is meshivei. The word translated “turn” comes from the root meaning to return or turn back. Here it describes those who make battle turn back, placing their strength where conflict meets the gate.
ALSO GROWS
shuv: to turn or return
שׁוּב
This is the root verb beneath the verse’s image of turning battle back.
teshuvah: return; answer
תְּשׁוּבָה
Its sense of return echoes the reversal of direction in the battle at the gate.
מִשְׁפָּט
mishpat
GROWS FROM
שפט
sh-p-t
judge, render a decision
“breath of judgment” in this verse is mishpat. The root links the judgment with the act of judging and the person who judges. The verse presents judgment as discernment held by someone seated in responsibility.
ALSO GROWS
shaphat: to judge, render a decision
שָׁפַט
This verb names the act carried by the person seated in judgment.
shophet: judge
שֹׁפֵט
The judge is the human counterpart to the judgment named in the verse.
גְּבוּרָה
gevurah
GROWS FROM
גבר
g-b-r
be strong, prevail
The root carries the sense of strength and prevailing; its branches include the mighty one. Here that strength is applied where battle reaches the gate, turning it back.
ALSO GROWS
gavar: to be strong, prevail
גָּבַר
This verb gives the force of prevailing beneath the strength named here.
gibbor: mighty one, warrior
גִּבּוֹר
This branch makes the martial edge of the strength in this verse visible.
THE PATTERN
God gives discernment for judgment and strength to meet battle at the threshold.
So give your servant a heart that hears and responds, to judge your people, so that I may discern between good and bad. For who is able to judge this heavy people of yours?You gird me with strength for war; you make those who rise against me bow beneath me.And they were not strong enough to stand against the wisdom and the breath by which he spoke.THE THREAD
And the breath of the LORD will rest upon him, the breath of wisdom and discernment, of counsel and strength, of knowing and of the awe of the LORD.Isaiah pairs breath and might again, now alongside wisdom, understanding, counsel, knowledge, and awe. That pairing opens this verse as discernment held in judgment and strength exercised where conflict reaches the gate.
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