And the destruction of the transgressors and of the sinners shall be together, and they that forsake the LORD shall be consumed.
the destruction.
Job 31:3 Is not destruction to the wicked? and a strange punishment to the workers of iniquity?
Psalm 1:6 For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.
Psalm 5:6 Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing: the LORD will abhor the bloody and deceitful man.
they that
Isaiah 30:13 Therefore this iniquity shall be to you as a breach ready to fall, swelling out in a high wall, whose breaking cometh suddenly at an instant.
Isaiah 50:11 Behold, all ye that kindle a fire, that compass yourselves about with sparks: walk in the light of your fire, and in the sparks that ye have kindled. This shall ye have of mine hand; ye shall lie down in sorrow.
Isaiah 65:11 But ye are they that forsake the LORD, that forget my holy mountain, that prepare a table for that troop, and that furnish the drink offering unto that number.
and those who forsake the LORD will perish
Forsaking the LORD implies a deliberate abandonment of faith and covenant relationship with God. Historically, this was a recurring issue for Israel, as they often turned to idolatry and alliances with pagan nations, forsaking their unique relationship with Yahweh (Jeremiah 2:13). The consequence of perishing is not merely physical death but spiritual separation from God, which is the ultimate penalty for apostasy. This warning is consistent with the broader biblical narrative, where turning away from God leads to destruction (Hebrews 10:26-31). The phrase also foreshadows the New Testament teaching on the necessity of abiding in Christ to avoid spiritual death (John 15:6).
• “Rebels” are those who know God’s commands yet defiantly resist His authority (1 Samuel 15:23; Romans 1:18).
• “Sinners” highlights the universal scope—every person who falls short of God’s holiness (Romans 3:23).
• Isaiah’s opening chapter shows Judah practicing religion while ignoring righteousness (Isaiah 1:11-17), so the terms confront hypocrisy head-on.
• Cross references remind us that rebellion and sin are inseparable (1 John 3:4), and both call for God’s just response (Proverbs 28:13).
• However united rebels may seem, judgment comes “together.” Psalm 2:1-5 paints nations raging only to be broken—“You will shatter them like pottery” (Psalm 2:9).
• God’s justice is certain and simultaneous; no alliance can shield the wicked (Proverbs 11:21).
• Jeremiah 30:11 shows God preserving a remnant yet “making a full end” of unrepentant oppressors.
• The verb “shattered” conveys utter ruin, echoed by Jesus: “Everyone on whom [the Stone] falls will be crushed” (Matthew 21:44).
• To “forsake” is more than momentary lapse; it is willful abandonment of covenant relationship (Deuteronomy 31:16-17).
• Jeremiah 17:13 warns, “All who abandon You will be put to shame… for they have forsaken the LORD, the fountain of living water”.
• Hebrews 10:29 underscores the gravity of trampling underfoot God’s grace.
• Isaiah ties forsaking the LORD to social injustice and empty ritual—external piety without heart obedience (Isaiah 1:21-23).
• The end of persistent rebellion is death in its fullest sense—separation from God (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9).
• John 3:16 contrasts perishing with eternal life, revealing God’s heart to rescue, not merely condemn.
• Jesus’ warning, “Unless you repent, you too will all perish” (Luke 13:3), applies Isaiah’s truth to every generation.
• Revelation 21:8 describes the “second death” for those who refuse God’s mercy, affirming Isaiah’s sober declaration.
Isaiah 1:28 delivers a clear, loving warning: persistent rebellion, sin, and forsaking the LORD lead inevitably to ruin. God’s justice is sure, collective, and final, yet His larger message throughout Scripture offers rescue through repentance and faith in His Son. Taking the verse to heart urges us to abandon rebellion, cling to the LORD, and experience the life He freely gives.
(28) Of the transgressors and of the sinners.--The first of the two words presents evil in its aspect of apostasy, the second in that of the open sin which may accompany the apostasy or exist without it.Verse 28. - Transgressors... sinners... they that forsake the Lord (comp. vers. 2 and 4). These are scarcely distinct classes - rather different names for the ungodly. All of them, by whatever name they were called, would perish "together."