Isaiah 29:9-14

9 Be stunned and amazed, blind yourselves and be sightless; be drunk, but not from wine, stagger, but not from beer.
10 The LORD has brought over you a deep sleep: He has sealed your eyes (the prophets); he has covered your heads (the seers).
11 For you this whole vision is nothing but words sealed in a scroll. And if you give the scroll to someone who can read, and say, “Read this, please,” they will answer, “I can’t; it is sealed.”
12 Or if you give the scroll to someone who cannot read, and say, “Read this, please,” they will answer, “I don’t know how to read.”
13 The Lord says: “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught.[a]
14 Therefore once more I will astound these people with wonder upon wonder; the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish.”

Isaiah 29:9-14 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 18

  • 1. ver 14; Jeremiah 4:9; Habakkuk 1:5
  • 2. S Isaiah 6:10
  • 3. Isaiah 51:17; Isaiah 63:6; Jeremiah 13:13; Jeremiah 25:27
  • 4. S Leviticus 10:9; Isaiah 28:1; Isaiah 51:21-22
  • 5. S Psalms 60:3; S Isaiah 3:12
  • 6. S Judges 4:21; John 1:5
  • 7. Psalms 69:23; S Isaiah 6:9-10; Isaiah 44:18; Romans 11:8*; 2 Thessalonians 2:9-11
  • 8. Micah 3:6
  • 9. S 1 Samuel 9:9
  • 10. S Isaiah 28:7
  • 11. S Isaiah 8:16; Daniel 8:26; Daniel 12:9; Matthew 13:11; Revelation 5:1-2
  • 12. Jeremiah 14:11; Haggai 1:2; Haggai 2:14
  • 13. S Psalms 50:16
  • 14. S Psalms 119:70; Isaiah 58:2; Jeremiah 12:2; Ezekiel 33:31
  • 15. Matthew 15:8-9*; Mark 7:6-7*; Colossians 2:22
  • 16. S Job 10:16; Habakkuk 1:5
  • 17. S Job 5:13; Jeremiah 8:9; Jeremiah 49:7
  • 18. Isaiah 6:9-10; 1 Corinthians 1:19*

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. Hebrew; Septuagint "They worship me in vain;" / "their teachings are merely human rules"
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