Isaiah 28:16

“Therefore thus says Adonai YHWH: “Look, I have laid as a foundation in Zion a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, a foundation well founded; the one who believes will not hurry.”
Isaiah 28:16 · direct translation from the Hebrew

Study it in the app

With the Hebrew beneath

ThereforeלָכֵןthusכֹּהsaysאָמַרAdonaiאֲדֹנָיYHWH:יְהוִה“Look,הִנְIנִיhave laid as a foundationיִסַּדin Zionבְּצִיּוֹןa stone,אָבֶןa testedבֹּחַןstone,אֶבֶןa preciousיִקְרַתcornerstone,פִּנַּתa foundationמוּסָדwell founded;מוּסָּדthe one who believesהַמַּאֲמִיןwill notלֹאhurry.יָחִישׁ

Quotation · Romans 9:33

Go to Romans 9:33

Paul joins two texts of Isaiah: the stone laid in Zion (28:16) and the stone of stumbling and rock of offense (8:14). Where the Hebrew says “whoever believes will not hurry,” Romans says “will not be put to shame.”

Formula: γέγραπται “it is written” (Romans 9:33)

See the original texts

Greek of the New Testament: καθὼς γέγραπται Ἰδοὺ τίθημι ἐν Σιὼν λίθον προσκόμματος καὶ πέτραν σκανδάλου καὶ ὁ πιστεύων ἐπ’ αὐτῷ οὐ καταισχυνθήσεται

Hebrew (Masoretic text): לָכֵן כֹּה אָמַר אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה הִנְנִי יִסַּד בְּצִיּוֹן אָבֶן אֶבֶן בֹּחַן פִּנַּת יִקְרַת מוּסָד מוּסָּד הַמַּאֲמִין לֹא יָחִישׁ

Septuagint (Isaiah 28:16 in the Septuagint numbering): διὰ τοῦτο οὕτως λέγει Κύριος, Κύριος, ἐγὼ ἐμβαλῶ εἷς τὰ. θεμέλια Σιὼν λίθον πολυτελῆ ἐκλεκτὸν ἀκρογωνιαῖον ἔντιμον, εἷς τὸ, θεμέλια αὐτῆς, καὶ ὃ πιστεύων ἐπ’ αὐτῷ οὔ μὴ καταισχυνθῇ.

The Greek of the NT matches the Septuagint word for word in 6 consecutive words: “καὶ ὁ πιστεύων ἐπ’ αὐτῷ οὐ.”

Septuagint, Swete’s text, First1KGreek transcription (with reading errors), CC BY-SA 4.0

Quotation · Romans 10:11

Go to Romans 10:11

Paul quotes Isaiah 28:16 again and adds “everyone”: “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.”

Formula: λέγει γὰρ ἡ γραφή “for the Scripture says” (Romans 10:11)

See the original texts

Greek of the New Testament: λέγει γὰρ ἡ γραφή Πᾶς ὁ πιστεύων ἐπ’ αὐτῷ οὐ καταισχυνθήσεται

The Greek of the NT matches the Septuagint word for word in 5 consecutive words: “ὁ πιστεύων ἐπ’ αὐτῷ οὐ.”

Septuagint, Swete’s text, First1KGreek transcription (with reading errors), CC BY-SA 4.0

Quotation · 1 Peter 2:6

Go to 1 Peter 2:6

Peter quotes Isaiah 28:16. Where the Hebrew says “whoever believes will not be in haste,” 1 Peter says “will not be put to shame.”

Formula: διότι περιέχει ἐν γραφῇ “for it stands in Scripture” (1 Peter 2:6)

See the original texts

Greek of the New Testament: διότι περιέχει ἐν γραφῇ Ἰδοὺ τίθημι ἐν Σιὼν λίθον ἀκρογωνιαῖον ἐκλεκτὸν ἔντιμον καὶ ὁ πιστεύων ἐπ’ αὐτῷ οὐ μὴ καταισχυνθῇ

The Greek of the NT matches the Septuagint word for word in 8 consecutive words: “καὶ ὁ πιστεύων ἐπ’ αὐτῷ οὐ μὴ καταισχυνθῇ.”

Septuagint, Swete’s text, First1KGreek transcription (with reading errors), CC BY-SA 4.0

Isaiah 28:16, word by word

saysאָמַרamar

say

To say with the mouth to someone what one thinks or wants, or to answer him.

Where else “amar” appears

Adonaiאֲדֹנָadona

Adonai, Lord

"Adonai": "my Lord", said only to God. It is a title of respect that acknowledges his authority. It is not another god besides YHWH: often it goes with his name, "Adonai YHWH", Lord YHWH.

Where else “adona” appears

YHWHיְהוִהyehvi

YHWH (with Adonai)

The four letters of God's name, YHWH (see "YHWH"). They almost always go with "Adonai"; then Jews, when reading, said "Elohim" so as not to repeat "Adonai".

Where else “yehvi” appears

have laid as a foundationיִסַּדyisad

found

To lay the foundations of something on which it will be raised.

Where else “yisad” appears

in Zionצִיּוֹןtsiyon

Zion

See it on the map Where else “tsiyon” appears

a stoneאָבֶןaven

stone

A piece of rock, large or small, used for building, marking or throwing.

Where else “aven” appears

a testedבֹּחַןbochan

testing, tested

Testing; a tested stone, one that has passed the test.

Where else “bochan” appears

a preciousיִקְרַתyikrat

precious

Of great value.

Where else “yikrat” appears

cornerstoneפִּנַּתpinat

corner

The angle of a building; the main stone holding it.

Where else “pinat” appears

a foundationמוּסָדmusad

foundation

Foundation: the act of laying the foundation of a building, and the foundation itself.

Where else “musad” appears

the one who believesמַּאֲמִיןmaamin

believe

To rely on someone and on what they say: Abram with YHWH.

Where else “maamin” appears

hurryיָחִישׁyachish

hurry

To move or act quickly, losing no time.

Where else “yachish” appears

Translation note

Romans 9:33; 10:11 and 1 Peter 2:6 quote this verse with the words “will not be put to shame.”

Parallel passages

Other books that tell the same thing or quote these words.

Quotation · Romans 9:33

See them side by side

Isaiah 28:16

¹⁶Therefore thus says Adonai YHWH: “Look, I have laid as a foundation in Zion a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, a foundation well founded; the one who believes will not hurry.

Romans 9:33

³³as it is written: Look, I am laying in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.

Quotation · Romans 10:11

Paul quotes Isaiah 28:16 again and adds “everyone”: “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.”

See them side by side

Isaiah 28:16

¹⁶Therefore thus says Adonai YHWH: “Look, I have laid as a foundation in Zion a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, a foundation well founded; the one who believes will not hurry.

Romans 10:11

¹¹For the Scripture says: Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.

Quotation · 1 Peter 2:6

Peter quotes Isaiah 28:16. Where the Hebrew says “whoever believes will not be in haste,” 1 Peter says “will not be put to shame.”

See them side by side

Isaiah 28:16

¹⁶Therefore thus says Adonai YHWH: “Look, I have laid as a foundation in Zion a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, a foundation well founded; the one who believes will not hurry.

1 Peter 2:6

⁶For it stands in Scripture: Look, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen, precious, and whoever believes in him will never be put to shame.

Places in this verse

Approximate location. A “?” means it is not known for sure where it was.

Zion
Today: Mount Zion hill, Jerusalem
A hill in Jerusalem; it first named the fortress David captured, and later sometimes the whole city.
David captured the stronghold of Zion and called it the city of David (2 Sam 5:7). The Psalms and prophets call it the place where God lives among his people (Ps 48:2).
2 Samuel 5:7 Psalms 48:2 Hebrews 12:22 Romans 9:33

The context

15Because you have said, “We have made a covenant with death, and with Sheol we have made an agreement; the sweeping whip, when it passes through, will not come to us, for we have made a lie our refuge, and in falsehood we have hidden ourselves.”

16 · This verse (above)

17And I will make justice the measuring line and righteousness the plumb line; and hail will carry away the refuge of lies, and the hiding place, waters will sweep it away.

Read all of Isaiah 28

How to use it