King James Bible
For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:

American Standard Version
For it is precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, there a little.

Young's Literal Translation
For rule is on rule, rule on rule, line on line, line on line, A little here, a little there,

Isaiah 28:10 Additional Translations
Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

For precept must be upon precept - The original is remarkably abrupt and sententious. The hemistichs are these: -

לצו צו לצו צו כי latsav tsav latsav tsav ki לקו קו לקו קו lakau kau lakau kau שם זעיר שם זעיר sham zeeir sham zeeir

For, - Command to command, command to command.

Line to line, line to line.

A little there, a little there.

Kimchi says צו tsau, precept, is used here for מצוה mitsuah, command, and is used in no other place for it but here. צו tsau signifies a little precept, such as is suited to the capacity of a child; see Isaiah 28:9. קו kau signifies the line that a mason stretches out to build a layer of stones by. After one layer or course is placed, he raises the line and builds another; thus the building is by degrees regularly completed. This is the method of teaching children, giving them such information as their narrow capacities can receive; and thus the prophet dealt with the Israelites. See Kimchi in loc., and see a fine parallel passage, Hebrews 5:12-14, by which this may be well illustrated.

My old MS. Bible translates oddly: -

For sende efter sende, sende efter sende:

Abide efter abiide, abide efter abiide:

Lytyl ther, lytyl ther.

Coverdale is also singular: -

Commande that may be commanded;

Byd that maye be bydden:

Foorbyd that maye be forbydden;

continued...

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

for precept

Isaiah 28:13 But the word of the LORD was to them precept on precept, precept on precept; line on line, line on line; here a little...

Isaiah 5:4 What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? why, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes...

Deuteronomy 6:1-6 Now these are the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments, which the LORD your God commanded to teach you...

2 Chronicles 36:15,16 And the LORD God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers, rising up betimes, and sending...

Nehemiah 9:29,30 And testified against them, that you might bring them again to your law: yet they dealt proudly, and listened not to your commandments...

Jeremiah 11:7 For I earnestly protested to your fathers in the day that I brought them up out of the land of Egypt, even to this day...

Jeremiah 25:3-7 From the thirteenth year of Josiah the son of Amon king of Judah, even to this day, that is the three and twentieth year...

Matthew 21:34-41 And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the farmers, that they might receive the fruits of it...

Philippians 3:1 Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe.

2 Timothy 3:7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Hebrews 5:12 For when for the time you ought to be teachers...

must be. or, hath been

Isaiah 28:10 Parallel Commentaries
Line Order Precept RuleLine Order Precept RuleTHE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica®.

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