This verse reminds us that any “covenant with death” people trust in apart from God is doomed to fail.
Isaiah the prophet, who proclaimed God’s message primarily in the southern kingdom of Judah during the late 8th century BC, issues a severe warning to the leaders of his people in this verse. He places their own words in front of them: “Because you have said, ‘We have made a covenant with death, And with Sheol we have made a pact. The overwhelming scourge will not reach us when it passes by, For we have made falsehood our refuge and we have concealed ourselves with deception.’” (v.15). Under pressure from foreign threats, these leaders believed they could strike deals or form alliances they imagined would shield them from disaster. The language of having a “covenant with death” and a pact with “Sheol” (the realm of the dead) underscores the extreme folly of placing confidence in anything other than faithfulness to the LORD.
In the ancient Near East, to speak of “Sheol” was to speak of the grave—the unknown underworld where the dead resided. By saying they had made a pact with it, Israel’s rulers openly proclaimed that no calamity could touch them. Yet Isaiah shows that trusting in deceptive schemes is no true refuge at all. They took false comfort in the idea that their clever partnerships and dishonest strategies would outmaneuver God’s judgment. In reality, no treaty, no matter how cunningly crafted, could prevent the consequences of disobedience from overtaking them. Jesus would later echo this principle, teaching that building on any foundation besides the truth of God is like building a house on sand—certain to crumble when storms rage (Matthew 7:27).
The phrase “we have concealed ourselves with deception” highlights the spiritual reality that turning away from God’s word in favor of human invention always results in self-deceit. Isaiah implies that judgment will eventually sweep in—despite all stony defenses, false beliefs, or political ploys—leaving those who rely on these illusions tragically exposed. Scripture points instead to the LORD as the only safe place, calling us to remove our trust from all false covenants and stand upon His unshakable truth.
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Isaiah 28:15 meaning
Isaiah the prophet, who proclaimed God’s message primarily in the southern kingdom of Judah during the late 8th century BC, issues a severe warning to the leaders of his people in this verse. He places their own words in front of them: “Because you have said, ‘We have made a covenant with death, And with Sheol we have made a pact. The overwhelming scourge will not reach us when it passes by, For we have made falsehood our refuge and we have concealed ourselves with deception.’” (v.15). Under pressure from foreign threats, these leaders believed they could strike deals or form alliances they imagined would shield them from disaster. The language of having a “covenant with death” and a pact with “Sheol” (the realm of the dead) underscores the extreme folly of placing confidence in anything other than faithfulness to the LORD.
In the ancient Near East, to speak of “Sheol” was to speak of the grave—the unknown underworld where the dead resided. By saying they had made a pact with it, Israel’s rulers openly proclaimed that no calamity could touch them. Yet Isaiah shows that trusting in deceptive schemes is no true refuge at all. They took false comfort in the idea that their clever partnerships and dishonest strategies would outmaneuver God’s judgment. In reality, no treaty, no matter how cunningly crafted, could prevent the consequences of disobedience from overtaking them. Jesus would later echo this principle, teaching that building on any foundation besides the truth of God is like building a house on sand—certain to crumble when storms rage (Matthew 7:27).
The phrase “we have concealed ourselves with deception” highlights the spiritual reality that turning away from God’s word in favor of human invention always results in self-deceit. Isaiah implies that judgment will eventually sweep in—despite all stony defenses, false beliefs, or political ploys—leaving those who rely on these illusions tragically exposed. Scripture points instead to the LORD as the only safe place, calling us to remove our trust from all false covenants and stand upon His unshakable truth.