Isaiah 42:20

20 You have seen many things, but you pay no attention; your ears are open, but you do not listen.”

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Isaiah 42:20 in Other Translations

KJV

20 Seeing many things, but thou observest not; opening the ears, but he heareth not.

ESV

20 He sees many things, but does not observe them; his ears are open, but he does not hear.

NLT

20 You see and recognize what is right but refuse to act on it. You hear with your ears, but you don’t really listen.”

MSG

20 You've seen a lot, but looked at nothing. You've heard everything, but listened to nothing.

CSB

20 Though seeing many things, you do not obey. Though [his] ears are open, he does not listen."

Isaiah 42:20 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 42:20

Seeing many things, but thou observest not
The Scribes and Pharisees, saw Christ in the flesh; they saw the miracles he did; they saw the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers cleansed, the deaf hear, and the dead raised; yet they did not give note to these things, and keep them in their minds, and regard them as clear proofs of his being the Messiah: opening the ears, but he heareth not;
they heard John Baptist preach, the forerunner of Christ, and the testimony he bore of him; they heard Christ himself and his apostles; they sometimes opened their ears, and seemed to listen and hear with attention, and wonder at what they heard; and some would own, that never man spake like Jesus; and yet understood not his speech, and hardened their hearts against him; they saw many things with their bodily eyes, but perceived them not with the eyes of their understandings; they heard with their ears, but understood not in their hearts; for their eyes were shut and their ears heavy, ( Isaiah 6:9 ) ( Matthew 13:14 Matthew 13:15 ) .

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Isaiah 42:20 In-Context

18 “Hear, you deaf; look, you blind, and see!

19 Who is blind but my servant, and deaf like the messenger I send? Who is blind like the one in covenant with me, blind like the servant of the LORD?

20 You have seen many things, but you pay no attention; your ears are open, but you do not listen.”

21 It pleased the LORDfor the sake of his righteousness to make his law great and glorious.

22 But this is a people plundered and looted, all of them trapped in pits or hidden away in prisons. They have become plunder, with no one to rescue them; they have been made loot, with no one to say, “Send them back.”