Chapter 27
Themes, discussion questions, Christ connections, and denomination lenses.
Just read this chapter →Scripture
KJV1In that day the LORD with his sore and great and strong sword shall punish leviathan the piercing serpent, even leviathan that crooked serpent; and he shall slay the dragon that is in the sea.
2In that day sing ye unto her, A vineyard of red wine.
3I the LORD do keep it; I will water it every moment: lest any hurt it, I will keep it night and day.
4Fury is not in me: who would set the briers and thorns against me in battle? I would go through them, I would burn them together.
5Or let him take hold of my strength, that he may make peace with me; and he shall make peace with me.
6He shall cause them that come of Jacob to take root: Israel shall blossom and bud, and fill the face of the world with fruit.
7Hath he smitten him, as he smote those that smote him? or is he slain according to the slaughter of them that are slain by him?
8In measure, when it shooteth forth, thou wilt debate with it: he stayeth his rough wind in the day of the east wind.
9By this therefore shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged; and this is all the fruit to take away his sin; when he maketh all the stones of the altar as chalkstones that are beaten in sunder, the groves and images shall not stand up.
10Yet the defenced city shall be desolate, and the habitation forsaken, and left like a wilderness: there shall the calf feed, and there shall he lie down, and consume the branches thereof.
11When the boughs thereof are withered, they shall be broken off: the women come, and set them on fire: for it is a people of no understanding: therefore he that made them will not have mercy on them, and he that formed them will shew them no favour.
12And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall beat off from the channel of the river unto the stream of Egypt, and ye shall be gathered one by one, O ye children of Israel.
13And it shall come to pass in that day, that the great trumpet shall be blown, and they shall come which were ready to perish in the land of Assyria, and the outcasts in the land of Egypt, and shall worship the LORD in the holy mount at Jerusalem.
“And it shall come to pass in that day, that the great trumpet shall be blown, and they shall come which were ready to perish in the land of Assyria, and the outcasts in the land of Egypt, and shall worship the LORD in the holy mount at Jerusalem.”
Overview
In that day, God will punish leviathan the piercing serpent and slay the dragon in the sea — cosmic symbols of evil and chaos. God then sings over His vineyard (contrast with chapter 5), promising to water and guard it continually. Israel's punishment has been measured — not total destruction but purifying discipline. A great trumpet will sound, and the outcasts and dispersed will come to worship the Lord in the holy mount at Jerusalem.
Key Themes
God's Victory Over the Cosmic Serpent
The Lord will slay leviathan and the dragon — the ancient symbols of chaos and evil — demonstrating His ultimate triumph over all forces opposed to His reign.
God's Tender Care for His Vineyard
Unlike chapter 5 where God abandoned His vineyard, here He waters it every moment and keeps it night and day — after purifying judgment, God restores and tenderly cares for His people.
The Great Trumpet of Restoration
A great trumpet will sound to gather the scattered and outcast back to worship God in Jerusalem — exile is not forever; God will regather His own.
Study Questions
What does the slaying of leviathan and the dragon (v. 1) symbolize about God's victory over evil?
How does God's treatment of His vineyard in this chapter differ from chapter 5, and what does this teach about restoration after judgment?
What does it mean that God's fury is 'not in me' toward His vineyard (v. 4)?
How does the promise of the great trumpet (v. 13) offer hope to the scattered and exiled?
What does the image of making peace with God (v. 5) suggest about the possibility of reconciliation?
Connection to Christ
Christ is the ultimate serpent-slayer who crushes the head of the ancient dragon (Revelation 12:9, 20:2). The great trumpet that gathers the scattered echoes Jesus' promise that He will 'send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet' to gather His elect (Matthew 24:31).
Personal Reflection
Take time to journal or meditate on what God is teaching you through Isaiah 27. How can these truths transform your thinking and actions today?