Isaiah 29:9-19

9 ¹Be delayed and wait, Blind yourselves and be blind; They ²become drunk, but not with wine, They stagger, but not with strong drink.

10 For the LORD has poured over you a spirit of deep ³sleep, He has ⁴shut 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 ⁵book, 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 * ⁶this 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 ⁷marvelously with this people, wondrously marvelous; And ⁸the wisdom of their wise men will perish, And the discernment of their discerning men will be concealed."

15 Woe to those who deeply ⁹hide their plans from the LORD, And whose ¹⁰deeds are done in a dark place, And they say, "¹¹Who sees us?" or "Who knows us?"

16 You turn things around! Shall the potter be considered as equal with the clay, That ¹²what is made would say to its maker, "He did not make me"; Or what is formed say to him who formed it, "He has no understanding "?

Blessing after Discipline

17 Is it not yet just a little while Before Lebanon will be turned into a ¹³fertile field, And the fertile field will be considered as a forest?

18 On that day the ¹⁴deaf will hear ¹⁵words of a book, And out of their gloom and darkness the ¹⁶eyes of the blind will see.

19 The ¹⁷afflicted also will increase their gladness in the LORD, And the ¹⁸needy of mankind will rejoice 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

• 1. Isaiah 29:1
• 2. Is 51:17, 21, 22; Isaiah 63:6
• 3. Psalms 69:23; Isaiah 6:9, 10; Micah 3:6; Romans 11:8
• 4. Isaiah 44:18; 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12
• 5. Isaiah 8:16; Daniel 12:4, 9; Matthew 13:11
• 6. Ezekiel 33:31; Matthew 15:8, 9; Mark 7:6, 7
• 7. Isaiah 6:9, 10; Isaiah 28:21; Isaiah 65:7; Habakkuk 1:5
• 8. Isaiah 44:25; Jeremiah 8:9; Jeremiah 49:7; 1 Corinthians 1:19
• 9. Psalms 10:11, 13; Isaiah 28:15; Isaiah 30:1
• 10. Job 22:13; Isaiah 57:12; Ezekiel 8:12
• 11. Psalms 94:7; Isaiah 47:10; Malachi 2:17
• 12. Isaiah 45:9; Isaiah 64:8; Jeremiah 18:1-6; Romans 9:19-21
• 13. Psalms 84:6; Psalms 107:33, 35; Isaiah 32:15
• 14. Isaiah 35:5; Isaiah 42:18, 19; Isaiah 43:8; Matthew 11:5; Mark 7:37
• 15. Isaiah 29:11
• 16. Psalms 119:18; Proverbs 20:12; Isaiah 32:3
• 17. Psalms 25:9; Psalms 37:11; Isaiah 11:4; Isaiah 61:1; Matthew 5:5; Matthew 11:29
• 18. Isaiah 3:14, 15; Isaiah 11:4; Isaiah 14:30, 32; Isaiah 25:4; Isaiah 26:6; Matthew 11:5; James 1:9; James 2:5

Footnotes

• [a] Or "scroll"
• [b] Lit "knows books"
• [c] Or "scroll"
• [d] Lit "does not know books"
• [e] Lit "do not know books"
• [f] Lit "mouth"
• [g] Lit "lips"
• [h] Lit "fear of Me"
• [i] Lit "is"
• [j] Lit "commandment of rulers"
• [k] Lit "counsel"
• [l] Lit "like"
• [m] Lit "And"