John Calvin Commentary Isaiah 28:14

"Wherefore hear the word of Jehovah, ye scoffers, that rule this people that is in Jerusalem:" — Isaiah 28:14 (ASV)

Therefore hear the word of the Lord. He goes on to address them with still stronger reproof, and at the same time mingles with it a consolation to encourage the hearts of the godly. While he threatens utter destruction against the wicked, he leaves for believers grounds for consolation, by declaring that their salvation is dear and precious in God's sight.

You scornful men. By this term he means men who are addicted to sophistry and deceit, who think that by jeers and cunning they can escape the judgment of God; for לוץ (lūtz) signifies to jeer or scorn. Now, he addresses not ordinary men, but rulers and governors, who, in governing the people, thought that they surpassed other men in sharpness and dexterity, but turned their acuteness to cunning, by which they acted hypocritically toward God himself, and therefore, in keen irony, he calls them “scorners;” as if he had said,

“You think that you have enough craftiness to mock God,
but you will not succeed in mocking him” (Galatians 6:7).

The Prophet’s chief and most severe contest was with the nobles; for although all ranks were exceedingly corrupted, yet the nobles, being puffed up with a false belief in their own wisdom, were more obstinate than the rest.

It has commonly been found in almost every age that the common people, though often characterized by unrestrained fierceness and violence, do not reach such a level of wickedness as nobles or courtiers, or other crafty men, who think that they surpass others in ability and wisdom.

Therefore, ministers of the word ought primarily to arm themselves against ingenious adversaries. None can be more destructive, for they not only do injury themselves but also incite others to the same kind of scorn and wickedness. Frequently, through the high regard in which they are held and the splendor of their reputation, they dazzle the common people who are less discerning.

It is a dreadful and monstrous thing when the leaders of the Church not only are themselves blinded but also blind others, inciting them to despise God, ridicule godly doctrine, and taunt it with their jeers; in short, they use all their ingenuity to overturn religion.

But in opposing such people, we ought to take courage from the Prophet's example, so that we may not falter or lose heart in this conflict. He also shows us how we ought to treat such people: we should not spend much time teaching them (for instruction would be of little use) but must threaten them severely and terrify them with God's judgment.

This people which is in Jerusalem. Their guilt is highly aggravated by the fact that they inhabit the very sanctuary of God and infect God’s chosen people with their pollution.