Ésaïe 42:18

18 Sourds, écoutez; et vous, aveugles, regardez et voyez!

Ésaïe 42:18 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 42:18

Hear, ye deaf; and look, ye blind, that ye may see.
] Jarchi and Kimchi think these words are spoken to Israel, who, as Aben Ezra says, were deaf and blind in heart; but they are rather an exhortation to the Gentiles that remained impenitent and unbelieving, and who were deaf to the voice of the Gospel, and blind as to the knowledge of it; and the purport of the exhortation is, that they would make use of their external hearing and sight, which they had, that they might attain to a spiritual hearing and understanding of divine things; "for faith comes by hearing, and hearing the word of God", ( Romans 10:17 ) to hear the Gospel preached, and to look into the Scriptures, and read the word of God, are the means of attaining light and knowledge in spiritual things; and these are within the compass of natural men, who are internally deaf and blind.

Ésaïe 42:18 In-Context

16 Je ferai marcher les aveugles par un chemin qu'ils ne connaissent pas; je les conduirai par des sentiers inconnus; je changerai devant eux les ténèbres en lumière, et les lieux montueux en plaine. Je leur ferai cela, et ne les abandonnerai point.
17 Mais ils reculeront et seront couverts de honte, ceux qui se fient aux images taillées, qui disent aux idoles de fonte: Vous êtes nos dieux!
18 Sourds, écoutez; et vous, aveugles, regardez et voyez!
19 Qui est aveugle sinon mon serviteur, et sourd comme le messager que j'envoie? Qui est aveugle comme celui qui fut comblé de biens, aveugle comme le serviteur de l'Éternel?
20 Tu as vu beaucoup de choses, mais tu n'y as pas pris garde; vous avez les oreilles ouvertes, et vous n'entendez rien.
The Ostervald translation is in the public domain.