John Calvin Commentary Isaiah 28:17

"And I will make justice the line, and righteousness the plummet; and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding-place." — Isaiah 28:17 (ASV)

And I will lay judgment to the line. The ruinous condition of the Church being such that believers hardly ventured to hope that it would be improved, the Prophet shows that God has in His hand the ready means of forming the Church entirely anew. As he recently mentioned a building, so now, by a different metaphor, he shows that there is no reason to fear that God will not eventually finish the work of building that has been begun.

Yet indirectly he reproves the pride and insolence of those who wished to be accounted pillars of the Church, while they were endeavoring, as far as it was in their power, to raze it to the foundation. Although, because of an almost total extinction of the light of faith and a frightful corruption of the worship of God, the state of the people was hideous, they still boasted of their royal priesthood. This is similar to how we see Papists today shamelessly making similar boasts, even though lamentable confusion cries aloud that the form of the Church has completely perished among them. For this reason, the Prophet describes what the reformation of the Church will be.

Judgment to the line, and righteousness to the measure or plummet. It is probable that קו (kāv), a line, and משקלת (mĭshkōlĕth), a plummet, mean the same thing, as can be inferred with greater certainty from another passage:

“I will stretch over Jerusalem the rope or line of Samaria, and the plummet of the house of Ahab” (2 Kings 21:13).

Yet I do not deny that he alludes to the examination of weights; but both metaphors are taken from buildings, in which master builders test everything by a rule, in order to preserve a due proportion in every part. Thus, it is said that the Lord administers impartial judgment when He restores the Church, where otherwise everything is disordered and confused, like a hideous ruin, when the ungodly are exalted and enjoy prosperity, while the godly are despised and sorrowful.

He makes the same statement concerning “righteousness,” that He will measure or test it by His weights, and will regulate everything by a rule; for by righteousness and judgment the Prophet means a proper and lawful administration of the Church, as contrasting with the masks and disguises boasted of by those who revere the title of Bishops. The meaning is, that this foundation is laid, not only that the Church may be begun, but that it may be perfectly restored, to use a common phrase, “from top to bottom” (De fonds en comble).

The hail shall sweep away the reliance of falsehood. This second part of the metaphor also denotes a very exact equality. Then nothing will be lacking in the building, if Christ is laid as the foundation; and, on the other hand, if He is not there, all will be vanity and confusion.

Now, since there was no room for “judgment and righteousness” except by sweeping away false confidences, He declares that they will all be swept away, because the violence of God’s anger will cast down all loftiness, and the flood will penetrate all the hiding-places of thoughtless indifference. He therefore threatens that hypocrites, with all their boasting, will nevertheless perish, even though the Lord preserves the Church; for he (the Prophet) is not speaking of chastisements as if the wicked would be corrected by them, because, on the contrary, they become hardened and more obstinate.

Therefore, the cleansing he shows will be such as to drag them out from their hiding-places and strip them of false and empty confidence. For wicked men think that they are so thoroughly concealed by their falsehood and deceit that they will never feel any blows, and therefore they please and flatter themselves in the midst of their iniquities and crimes; but the waters will easily reach them; that is, the wrath of God, which will rush down upon them like a deluge, will easily break through their lurking-places.