Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Isaiah 29:10
For the LORD hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered.
10. Their infatuation is caused by Jehovah; see on ch. Isa 6:10.
deep sleep ] The word ( tardmh) is nearly always used of a profound slumber due to supernatural agency (1Sa 26:12) and favourable for the reception of Divine revelations (Job 4:13). The expressions the prophets and the seers are obviously glosses, based on a misconception of the meaning of the verse. Render: hath closed your eyes, and your heads hath he covered (or muffled).
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
For the Lord hath poured out upon you – The word rendered hath poured out ( nasak) is usually referred to the act of pouring out a libation, or drink-offering in worship Exo 30:9; Hos 9:4; Isa 30:1. Here it means that Yahweh had, as it were, drenched them (Septuagint, pepotike) with a spirit of stupefaction. This is traced to God in accordance with the usual custom in the Bible, by which his providential agency is recognized in all events (see the notes at Isa 6:9-10). Compare the notes at Rom 11:8), where this passage is quoted from the Septuagint, and is applied to the Jews in the time of the apostle Paul.
The spirit of deep, sleep – The word rendered deep sleep, is the same as is used in Gen 2:21, to denote the sleep that God brought on Adam; and in Gen 15:12, to denote the deep sleep that fell on Abraham, and when a horror of great darkness fell upon him; and in 1Sa 26:12, to denote the deep sleep that came upon Saul when David approached and took away the spear and the cruise of water from his bolster. Here it means spiritual sluggishness, inactivity, stupidity, that prevailed everywhere among the people in regard to the things of religion.
The seers – Those that see visions, another name for the prophets (see the note at Isa 1:1).
Hath he covered – That is, he has covered their eyes; or they are all blind.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Hath poured out upon you; which phrase notes the plenty and vehemency of this judgment.
The spirit of deep sleep; hardness of heart, and insensibleness of your danger and misery, which God is said to send, because he denies or withdraws his fight and grace, which alone can cure those maladies. The prophets and your rulers, the seers; your magistrates and ministers, whose blindness or stupidity is a great curse and plague to the people. Or, the prophets, even the chief (for the head is oft put for the chief of persons or things, as Exo 30:23; 1Ch 12:18, and elsewhere) of your seers. Hath he covered with the veil of ignorance and stupidity, or as to their eyes, which is understood out of the former clause. And this last clause is and may be rendered thus, The eyes (which may be repeated out of the foregoing clause) of your prophets, and of, or even of, your principal seers, (or, and of your most intelligent rulers,) hath he covered.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
10. Jehovah gives them upjudicially to their own hardness of heart (compare Zec14:13). Quoted by Paul, with variations from the Septuagint,Ro 11:8. See Isa 6:10;Psa 69:23.
eyes; the prophets,c.rather, “hath closed your eyes, the prophets and your heads(Margin; see also Isa 3:2),the seers, He hath covered.” The Orientals cover the head tosleep; thus “covered” is parallel to “closed youreyes” (Jud 4:19). Coveringthe face was also preparatory to execution (Es7:8). This cannot apply to the time when Isaiah himselfprophesied, but to subsequent times.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
For the Lord hath poured out upon you a spirit of deep sleep,…. Gave them up to a stupid frame of spirit; to a reprobate mind, a mind void of judgment and sense; to judicial blindness and hardness of heart: this was remarkably fulfilled in the Jews, in the times of Christ and his apostles, who choosing darkness rather than the light of the Gospel, which shone around them, were righteously given up to such a temper of mind; and to nothing else can be imputed their obstinate rejection of the Messiah, against the most glaring light and evidence. The Apostle Paul produces this passage, in proof of that blindness that had happened unto them in his time, Ro 11:7:
and hath closed your eyes; that is, the eyes of their understandings, so that they could not see the characters of the Messiah, and the fulfilment of prophecies in Jesus of Nazareth; nor the danger they were in, nor the ruin that was coming upon their nation, nor even when it was come, still flattering themselves with safety and deliverance:
the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered; the eyes of them, as before; not only the common people were blinded, but even the Scribes and Pharisees, the elders of the people, their ecclesiastical rulers, who pretended to be seers, and to know more than others; even “for judgment”, for the judicial blindness and hardness of these Christ “came, that they which see might be made blind”, Joh 9:39. The words may be rendered, “your heads, the seers, hath he covered” t; and there may be an allusion to the covering of the head with a veil, an emblem of that veil of ignorance and infidelity which still remains upon the Jews. The Targum renders it,
“the prophets, and the Scribes, and the teachers that teach the law.”
t “et capita vestra, videntes, operuit”, Montanus. So Cocceius.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
10. Because Jehovah hath overpowered you with the spirit of slumber. For the purpose of shewing more clearly the source of this blindness, he attributes it to the judgment of God, who determined to punish in this manner the wickedness of the people. As it belongs to him to give eyes to see, and to enlighten minds by the spirit of judgment and understanding, so he alone deprives us of all light, when he sees that by a wicked and depraved hatred of the truth we of our own accord wish for darkness. Accordingly, when men are blind, and especially in things so plain and obvious, we perceive his righteous judgment.
Your prophets and principal seers. (266) He adds, that the people are deprived of those aids and helps which ought to have imparted light to the understanding and given direction to others. (267) Such was the office of the prophets, whom he describes by both of these names, נביאים, ( nēbīīm,) and חזים, ( chōzīm,) “prophets” and “seers.” In short, he means not only that men who are endued with reason and understanding will be deprived of common sense, but that their teachers also, whose duty it was to enlighten others, will be altogether senseless so as not to know the road, and, being covered with the darkness of ignorance, will shamefully go astray, and will be so far from directing others that they will not even be able to guide themselves.
(266) Bogus footnote
(267) “ Et monstrer le chemin aux autres;” — “And point out the way to others.”
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(10) The Lord hath poured out upon you . . .The prophet sees in the stupor and panic of the chief of the people what we call a judicial blindness, the retribution of those who had wilfully closed their eyes against the light. (Comp. Rom. 11:8.)
Your rulers.Literally, your heads, the word being in apposition with the seers. The word is emphasised with a keen irony, precisely because they did not see. They were as those who sleep, and are covered, their mantle wrapped round their head, as when men settle themselves to sleep.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Isa 29:10 For the LORD hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered.
Ver. 10. For the Lord hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep. ] By a judiciary hardness he hath rolled a stone upon your hearts, and given you up to a reprobate sense. He hath cast you into a dead lethargy, a dedolent disposition; so that “because of the blindness of their hearts,” this people are “past feeling,” Eph 4:18-19 and because they have wilfully winked, he hath even dashed out their eyes, bereaving them of the light against which they rebelled, Job 24:13 so that they have neither sight nor light, lemosorum instar oculos mentis concretos habent; they are miserably benighted.
The prophets, &c.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
the LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah. App-4.
hath poured, &c. Quoted in Rom 11:8.
spirit. Hebrew. ruach. App-9.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
the Lord: Isa 29:14, Isa 6:9, Isa 6:10, 1Sa 26:12, Psa 69:23, Mic 3:6, Act 28:26, Act 28:27, Rom 11:8
hath closed: Isa 44:18, Eze 14:9, 2Co 4:4, 2Th 2:9-12
rulers: Heb. heads, Isa 3:2, Isa 3:3, Mic 3:1
the seers: Isa 30:10, 1Sa 9:9, Jer 26:8-11, Amo 7:12, Amo 7:13
Reciprocal: 2Ch 33:18 – the seers Psa 119:18 – Open Psa 143:10 – the land Isa 9:15 – the prophet Isa 19:14 – hath mingled Isa 29:9 – they are Isa 29:18 – the deaf Isa 29:24 – also Isa 48:8 – thou heardest Isa 56:10 – are blind Jer 2:8 – priests Jer 4:9 – and the priests Jer 4:22 – For my Lam 4:14 – have wandered Dan 5:15 – General Amo 8:9 – that I Zep 1:17 – they shall Zec 11:17 – the sword Zec 12:5 – the governors Mat 11:25 – because Mat 13:11 – Because Mat 13:15 – their eyes Mat 21:27 – We cannot tell Luk 11:34 – but Luk 19:42 – but Luk 24:45 – General Joh 3:10 – Art Joh 9:39 – might be Joh 12:40 – hath Act 13:11 – thou Eph 1:18 – eyes 1Jo 4:6 – and
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
The people already found it more difficult to see God’s will and act obediently because God had shut their eyes and covered their heads (cf. Isa 6:9-10; 1Sa 26:12; 1Ki 22:22; 2Th 2:9-12). He had not given most of their prophets and seers insight into what was coming that they could share with the people. Isaiah and a few other faithful spokesmen were the exceptions.
". . . determined spiritual insensitivity becomes judicial spiritual paralysis." [Note: Motyer, p. 239.]