Isaiah 29:9-19

9 Astonish yourselves[a] and be astonished; blind yourselves and be blind! Be drunk, but not with wine; 1stagger, but not with strong drink!
10 2For the LORD has poured out upon you a spirit of deep sleep, and has closed your eyes (the prophets), and covered your heads (the seers).
11 And the vision of all this has become to you like the words of a book that is 3sealed. When men give it to one who can read, saying, "Read this," he says, "I cannot, for it is sealed."
12 And when they give the book to one who cannot read, saying, "Read this," he says, "I cannot read."
13 And the Lord said: "Because 4this people 5draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men,
14 therefore, behold, 6I will again do wonderful things with this people, with wonder upon wonder; and 7the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the discernment of their discerning men shall be hidden."
15 Ah, 8you who hide deep from the LORD your counsel, whose deeds are 9in the dark, and who say, "Who sees us? Who knows us?"
16 10You turn things upside down! Shall the potter be regarded as the clay, that the thing made should say of its maker, "He did not make me"; or the thing formed say of him who formed it, "He has no understanding"?
17 Is it not yet a very little while 11until Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field, and the fruitful field shall be regarded as a forest?
18 In that day 12the deaf shall hear 13the words of a book, and out of their gloom and darkness 14the eyes of the blind shall see.
19 15The meek shall obtain fresh joy in the LORD, and the poor among mankind shall exult in the Holy One of Israel.

Isaiah 29:9-19 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO ISAIAH 29

This chapter contains a prophecy concerning the destruction of the temple and city of Jerusalem by the Romans; the character and condition of the people of the Jews, previous to it; the calling of the Gentiles, by the preaching of the Gospel; the ruin of antichrist, and the conversion of the Jews, in the latter day. The siege and destruction of Jerusalem are described in Isa 29:1-6 the disappointment of their enemies, notwithstanding their taking and destroying it, Isa 29:7,8 the stupidity, judicial blindness, and hardness of the Jews, which brought on their ruin, are predicted, Isa 29:9,10 the ignorance of their learned, as well as of their unlearned men, with respect to the Scripture, and the prophecies of it, Isa 29:11,12 their hypocrisy and formality in worship, Isa 29:13 a blast upon all their wisdom and prudence, who thought to be wiser than the Lord, and too many for him, whose folly and atheism are exposed, Isa 29:14-16, and a great change both in Judea and the Gentile world, by the removal of the Gospel from the one to the other, Isa 29:17 the effects of which are, deaf sinners hear the word, dark minds are enlightened, and joy increased among the meek and poor, Isa 29:18,19 the fall of the Jews, or else of antichrist, is foretold, Isa 29:20,21 and the chapter is closed with a promise and prophecy of the conversion of the seed of Abraham and Jacob, Isa 29:22-24.

Cross References 15

  • 1. [Isaiah 19:14; Isaiah 24:20]
  • 2. [Isaiah 6:10; Romans 11:8]
  • 3. Isaiah 8:16; Daniel 12:4
  • 4. Cited Matthew 15:8, 9; Mark 7:6, 7; [Ezekiel 33:31]
  • 5. [Isaiah 1:12; Isaiah 58:2]
  • 6. Habakkuk 1:5; See Isaiah 3:1-4
  • 7. Jeremiah 49:7; Cited 1 Corinthians 1:19
  • 8. [Isaiah 30:1]
  • 9. Ezekiel 8:12
  • 10. See Isaiah 10:15
  • 11. [Psalms 107:33, 35]
  • 12. [Isaiah 32:3; Isaiah 35:5; Matthew 11:5]
  • 13. ver. 12
  • 14. [Isaiah 35:5; Matthew 11:5]
  • 15. Isaiah 61:1; [Isaiah 14:32; Zephaniah 3:12; Matthew 5:3]

Footnotes 1

The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.