Discovery BoxIsaiah 28:6-7 
Context28:6 He will give discernment to the one who makes judicial decisions,
and strength to those who defend the city from attackers. 1
28:7 Even these men 2 stagger because of wine,
they stumble around because of beer –
priests and prophets stagger because of beer,
they are confused 3 because of wine,
they stumble around because of beer;
they stagger while seeing prophetic visions, 4
they totter while making legal decisions. 5
1 tn Heb “and [he will become] a spirit of justice for the one who sits [i.e., presides] over judgment, // and strength [for] the ones who turn back battle at the city gate.” The Lord will provide internal stability and national security.
2 tn Heb “these.” The demonstrative pronoun anticipates “priests and prophets” two lines later.
3 tn According to HALOT 135 s.v. III בלע, the verb form is derived from בָּלַע (bala’, “confuse”), not the more common בָּלַע (“swallow”). See earlier notes at 3:12 and 9:16.
4 tn Heb “in the seeing.”
5 tn Heb “[in] giving a decision.”
