Isaiah 29:1-14

Jerusalem Is Warned

1 Woe, O Ariel, Ariel the city where David once 1camped! Add year to year, 2observe your feasts on schedule.
2 I will bring distress to Ariel, And she will be a city of lamenting and 3mourning; And she will be like an Ariel to me.
3 I will 4camp against you encircling you, And I will set siegeworks against you, And I will raise up battle towers against you.
4 Then you will 5be brought low; From the earth you will speak, And from the dust where you are prostrate Your words will come. Your voice will also be like that of a spirit from the ground, And your speech will whisper from the dust.
5 But the multitude of your enemies will become like fine 6dust, And the multitude of the 7ruthless ones like the chaff which blows away; And it will happen 8instantly, suddenly.
6 From the LORD of hosts you will be 9punished with 10thunder and earthquake and loud noise, With whirlwind and tempest and the flame of a consuming fire.
7 And the 11multitude of all the nations who wage war against Ariel, Even all who wage war against her and her stronghold, and who distress her, Will be like a dream, a 12vision of the night.
8 It will be as when a hungry man dreams - And behold, he is eating; But when he awakens, his hunger is not satisfied, Or as when a thirsty man dreams - And behold, he is drinking, But when he awakens, behold, he is faint And his thirst is not quenched. 13Thus the multitude of all the nations will be Who wage war against Mount Zion.
9 14Be delayed and wait, Blind yourselves and be blind; They 15become drunk, but not with wine, They stagger, but not with strong drink.
10 For the LORD has poured over you a spirit of deep 16sleep, He has 17shut your eyes, the prophets; And He has covered your heads, the seers.
11 The entire vision will be to you like the words of a sealed 18book, which when they give it to the one who is literate *, saying, "Please read this," he will say, "I cannot *, for it is sealed."
12 Then the book will be given to the one who is illiterate * *, saying, "Please read this." And he will say, "I cannot read *."
13 Then the Lord said, "Because * 19this people draw near with their words And honor Me with their lip service, But they remove their hearts far from Me, And their reverence for Me consists of tradition * learned by rote,
14 Therefore behold, I will once again deal 20marvelously with this people, wondrously marvelous; And 21the wisdom of their wise men will perish, And the discernment of their discerning men will be concealed."

Isaiah 29:1-14 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 21

  • 1. 2 Samuel 5:9
  • 2. Isaiah 1:14; Isaiah 5:12; Isaiah 22:12, 13; Isaiah 29:9, 13
  • 3. Isaiah 3:26; Lamentations 2:5
  • 4. Luke 19:43, 44
  • 5. Isaiah 8:19
  • 6. Isaiah 17:13; Isaiah 41:15, 16
  • 7. Isaiah 13:11; Isaiah 25:3; Isaiah 29:20
  • 8. Isaiah 17:14; Isaiah 30:13; Isaiah 47:11; 1 Thessalonians 5:3
  • 9. Isaiah 10:3; Isaiah 26:14, 21
  • 10. 1 Samuel 2:10; Matthew 24:7; Mark 13:8; Luke 21:11; Revelation 11:13, 19; Revelation 16:18
  • 11. Micah 4:11, 12; Zechariah 12:9
  • 12. Job 20:8; Psalms 73:20; Isaiah 17:14
  • 13. Isaiah 54:17
  • 14. Isaiah 29:1
  • 15. Is 51:17, 21, 22; Isaiah 63:6
  • 16. Psalms 69:23; Isaiah 6:9, 10; Micah 3:6; Romans 11:8
  • 17. Isaiah 44:18; 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12
  • 18. Isaiah 8:16; Daniel 12:4, 9; Matthew 13:11
  • 19. Ezekiel 33:31; Matthew 15:8, 9; Mark 7:6, 7
  • 20. Isaiah 6:9, 10; Isaiah 28:21; Isaiah 65:7; Habakkuk 1:5
  • 21. Isaiah 44:25; Jeremiah 8:9; Jeremiah 49:7; 1 Corinthians 1:19

Footnotes 20

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