Isaiah 29:10-20

10 For Yahweh has poured out upon you a spirit of deep sleep, and he has shut your eyes, the prophets, and he has covered your heads, the seers.
11 And the vision of all this has become for you like [the] words of [a] sealed document. When they give it to one who knows the document, saying, "{Read} this now!" He says, "I am not able, for it [is] sealed."
12 And [if] the document is given to [one] who does not {know how to read}, saying, "{Read} this now!" he says, "I do not {know how to read}."
13 And the Lord said, "Because this people draw near with its mouth, and with its lips it honors me, and its heart is far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment of men that has been taught,
14 therefore look, I am again doing something spectacular and a spectacle with this spectacular people. And the wisdom of its wise men shall perish, and the discernment of its discerning ones shall keep itself hidden."
15 Ah! Those who make a plan deep, to hide [it] from Yahweh, and their deeds are in a dark place. And they say, "Who sees us? And who knows us?"
16 Your perversity! As if {a potter} shall be regarded as [the] clay! That [the] product of its maker [says], "He did not make me," and [the] thing made into shape says of its {potter}, "He has no understanding."

Blessing after Punishment

17 {In a very little while} shall not Lebanon change into [a] fruitful land, and the fruitful land be regarded as [a] forest?
18 And on that day, the deaf shall hear [the] words of a scroll, and [the] eyes of [the] blind shall see out of gloom and darkness.
19 And [the] meek {have joy after joy} in Yahweh, and [the] needy of [the] people shall rejoice in the holy one of Israel.
20 For [the] tyrant shall be no more, and [the] scoffer shall come to an end. And all those lying in wait for evil shall be cut off;

Isaiah 29:10-20 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.

Footnotes 10

  • [a]. The reading tradition (Qere) has "a" instead of "the"
  • [b]. Literally "Call"
  • [c]. Literally "know a document"
  • [d]. Literally "Call"
  • [e]. Literally "know a document"
  • [f]. The Hebrew is singular
  • [g]. Literally "of the one who creates"
  • [h]. Literally "one who creates"
  • [i]. Literally "Not still a trifling [of time]"
  • [j]. Literally "shall add joy"
Scripture quotations marked (LEB) are from the Lexham English Bible. Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software.