Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Isaiah 29:15
Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the LORD, and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who seeth us? and who knoweth us?
15. Cf. Isa 30:1, Isa 31:1. that seek deep to hide their counsel from the Lord ] that hide a plan deep from Jehovah. The Egyptian party at court had done their utmost to conceal their project from Isaiah; this attempt to deceive God’s prophet is an act of rebellion, an attempt to steal a march on Jehovah. That they had other reasons for working in the dark is no doubt true; but these were of small moment compared with the sin of refusing to Jehovah a voice in their counsels of state.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Ch. Isa 29:15-24 A Messianic forecast
The third “Woe” ( Isa 29:15), directed against the political intrigue with Egypt, merely serves as a point of attachment for a glowing description of the regenerated Israel. The course of thought is as follows:
The prophet, having unmasked the designs of the conspirators, expostulates with them for pitting their foolish plans against the purpose of the Almighty ( Isa 29:15-16).
Ere long, Jehovah will prove His power by a marvellous transformation of nature and society; the word of the Lord will be received by the people, now deaf and dumb to spiritual things; the poor and oppressed shall rejoice in their God ( Isa 29:17-19).
In that glorious age there shall be neither tyrant nor scoffer, neither oppression from without, nor injustice within the state ( Isa 29:20-21).
The time of Israel’s humiliation shall soon pass away, never to return; and those who at present are perplexed and discontented shall accept the instruction of true religion ( Isa 29:22-24).
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Woe unto them that seek deep … – That is, who attempt to conceal their real intentions under a plausible exterior, and correct outward deportment. This is most strikingly descriptive of the character of a hypocrite who seeks to conceal his plans and his purposes from the eyes of people and of God. His external conduct is fair; his observance of the duties of religion exemplary; his attendance on the means of grace and the worship of God regular; his professions loud and constant, but the whole design is to conceal his real sentiments, and to accomplish some sinister and wicked purpose by it.
From the Lord – This proves that the design of the hypocrite is not always to attempt to deceive his fellowmen, but that he also aims to deceive God.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Isa 29:15-16
Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the Lord
The folly of acting separately from God
I.
THEIR POLITICS DESCRIBED (Isa 29:15). The consultations they had about their own safety they kept to themselves, and never asked Gods advice concerning them. See what foolish, fruitless pains sinners take in their sinful ways; they seek deep, they sink deep, to hide their counsel from the Lord, who sits in heaven and laughs at them. A practical disbelief of Gods omniscience is at the bottom both of the carnal worship and carnal confidences of the hypocrites (Psa 94:7; Eze 8:12; Eze 9:9).
II. THE ABSURDITY OF THEIR POLITICS DEMONSTRATED (Isa 29:16). Your inverting the order of things, and thinking to make Gods providence give attendance on your projects, and that God must know no more than you think fit, which is perfectly turning things upside down, and beginning at the wrong end,–it shall be esteemed as the potters clay; i.e., God will turn and manage you, and all your counsels, with as much ease, and as absolute a power, as the potter forms and fashions his clay. They that think to hide their counsels from God–
1. In effect deny Him to be their Creator.
2. Or, which comes to the same thing, deny Him to be a wise
Creator. (M. Henry.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
That seek deep, Heb. that make deep. A metaphor from men who use to dig deep into the earth, that they may hide any thing there which they would keep safe and unknown.
To hide their counsel from the Lord; vainly imagining that they can keep all their hypocrisy and secret wickedness out of Gods sight, and that they can deceive, not only man, but God, by their external professions and services. Their works are in the dark; their wicked counsels are contrived, and their idolatry is practised, in secret and dark places, of which see Eze 8:12.
Who seeth us? and who knoweth us? we act so cunningly, that neither God nor man can discover us.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
15. seek deep to hiderather,”That seek to hide deeply,” c. (compare Isa 30:1Isa 30:2). The reference is tothe secret plan which many of the Jewish nobles had of seekingEgyptian aid against Assyria, contrary to the advice of Isaiah. Atthe same time the hypocrite in general is described, who, under aplausible exterior, tries to hide his real character, not only frommen, but even from God.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Woe unto them,…. Or, “O ye”,
that seek deep to hide their counsel from the Lord; which they consulted against Christ, to take away his life, to persecute his apostles, and hinder the spread of his Gospel; which though they consulted in private, and formed deep schemes, imagining they were not observed by the Lord, yet he that sits in the heaven saw them, and laughed at their vain imaginations, Ps 2:1:
and their works are in the dark; in the dark night, as if the darkness could conceal them from the all seeing eye of God; such works are truly works of darkness, but cannot be hid, though they flatter themselves they will:
and they say, Who seeth us? and who knoweth us? as no man, they imagined, did, so not God himself; into such atheism do wicked men sink, when desirous of bringing their schemes into execution, they have taken great pains to form; and which they please themselves are so deeply laid, as that they cannot fail of succeeding; but hear what follows Isa 29:16.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Their hypocrisy, which was about to be so wonderfully punished according to the universal law (Psa 18:26-27), manifested itself in their self-willed and secret behaviour, which would not inquire for Jehovah, nor suffer itself to be chastened by His word. “Woe unto them that hide plans deep from Jehovah, and their doing occurs in a dark place, and they say, Who saw us then, and who knew about us? Oh for your perversity! It is to be regarded as potters’ clay; that a work could say to its maker, He has not made me; and an image to its sculptor, He does not understand it!” Just as Ahaz had carefully kept his appeal to Asshur for help secret from the prophet; so did they try, as far as possible, to hide from the prophet the plan for an alliance with Egypt. is a syncopated hiphil for , as in Isa 1:12; Isa 3:8; Isa 23:11. adds the adverbial notion, according to our mode of expression (comp. Joe 2:20, and the opposite thought in Joe 2:26; Ges. 142). To hide from Jehovah is equivalent to hiding from the prophet of Jehovah, that they might not have to listen to reproof from the word of Jehovah. We may see from Isa 8:12 how suspiciously they watched the prophet in such circumstances as these. But Jehovah saw them in their secrecy, and the prophet saw through the whole in the light of Jehovah. is an exclamation, like in Jer 49:16. They are perverse, or ( ‘im ) “is it not so?” They think they can dispense with Jehovah, and yet they are His creatures; they attribute cleverness to themselves, and practically disown Jehovah, as if the pot should say to the potter who has turned it, He does not understand it.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
15. Woe to them that conceal themselves from Jehovah. The Prophet again exclaims against those wicked and profane despisers of God, whom he formerly called לצים, ( lētzīm,) “scorners,” who think that they have no other way of being wise than to be skilful in mocking God. They regard religion as foolish simplicity, and hide themselves in their cunning, as in a labyrinth; and on this account they mock at warnings and threatenings, and, in short, at the whole doctrine of godliness. From this verse it is sufficiently evident that the pestilence, which afterwards spread more widely, prevailed even at that time in the world, namely, that hypocrites delighted in mocking inwardly at God, and in despising prophecies. The Prophet therefore exclaims against them, and calls them מעמיקים, ( măgnămīkīm,) that is, “diggers,” (275) as if they “dug” for themselves concealment and lurking-places, that by means of them they might deceive God.
That they may hide counsel. This clause is added for the sake of exposition. Some interpret the beginning of this verse, as if the Prophet condemned that excessive curiosity by which some men, with excess of hardihood, search into the secret judgments of God. But that interpretation cannot be admitted; and the Prophet plainly shews to whom he refers, when he immediately adds the mockeries of those who thought that their wickedness was committed in a manner so secret and concealed, that they could not be detected. The “hiding of counsel” means nothing else than hardihood in wickedness, by which wicked men surround themselves with clouds, and obscure the light, that their inward baseness may not be seen. Hence arises that daring question —
Who seeth us? For, although they professed to be worshippers of God, yet they thought that, by their sophistry, they had succeeded not only in refuting the prophets, but in overturning the judgment of God; not openly, indeed, for even wicked men wish to retain some semblance of religion, that they may more effectually deceive, but in their heart they acknowledge no God but the god which they have contrived. This craftiness, therefore, in which wicked men delight and flatter themselves, is compared by Isaiah to a hiding-place, or to coverings. They think that they are covered with a veil, so that not even God himself can see and punish their wickedness. As rulers are principally chargeable with this vice, it is chiefly to them, in my opinion, that the Prophet’s reproof is directed; for they do not think that they have sufficient acuteness or dexterity, if they do not scoff at God, and despise his doctrine, and, in short, believe no more than what they choose. They do not venture to reject it altogether, or rather, they are constrained, against their will, to hold by some religion; but they do so only as far as they think that they can promote their own convenience, and are not moved by any fear of the true God.
At the present day this wickedness has been abundantly manifested, and especially since the gospel was revealed. Under Popery men found it easy to transact with God, because the Pope had contrived a god who changed himself so as to suit the disposition of every individual. Every person had a different method of washing away his sins, and many kinds of worship for appeasing his deity. Consequently, none ought to wonder that wickedness was not seen at that time, for it was concealed by coverings of that sort; and when these had been taken away, men declared openly what they had formerly been. Yet not less common in our age is the disease which Isaiah bewailed in his nation; for men think that they can conceal themselves from God, when they have interposed their ingenious contrivances, as if “all things were not naked and open to his eyes,” (Heb 4:13,) or as if any man could deceive or be concealed from him. For this reason he says, by way of explanation —
For their works are in darkness. He assigns this as the cause of that foolish confidence by which ungodly men are intoxicated. Though they are surrounded by light, they are so slow of perception, that when they do not see it, they endeavour to flee from the presence of God. They even promise to themselves full escape from punishment, and commit sin with as much freedom as if they had been protected and fortified on all sides against God. Such is the import of their question, Who seeth us? Not that wicked men ventured openly to utter these words, as we have said, but because they thus spoke or thus thought in their hearts, which was manifested by their presumption and vain confidence. They abandoned themselves to all wickedness, and despised all warnings, in such a manner as if there would never be a judgment of God. The Prophet, therefore, had to do with ungodly men, who in appearance and name professed to have some knowledge of God, but in reality denied him, and were very bitter enemies of pure doctrine. Now, this is nothing else than to affirm that God is not a Judge, and to cast him down from his seat and tribunal; for God cannot be acknowledged without doctrine; and where that is set aside and rejected, God himself must be set aside and rejected.
(275) Bogus footnote
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(15) Woe unto them . . .The words sound like an echo of Isa. 5:8; Isa. 5:11; Isa. 5:18, and show that Isaiah had not lost the power of adding to that catalogue of woes. The sins of which he speaks here may have been either the dark sensualities which lay beneath the surface of religion, or, more probably, their clandestine intrigues with this or that foreign powerEgypt, Ethiopia, Babylonagainst the Assyrian invader, instead of trusting in the Lord of hosts.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
15. Seek deep to hide Irony on the conceit of these leaders, in impiously supposing even God did not see their intent as to Egypt, and the motive of their disloyalty to him. Their absurdity is exposed in the next verse.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
The Third Woe: Against Those Who Seek To Hide What They Do From God, But Yahweh Will Triumph In Spite Of It ( Isa 29:15-24 ).
Analysis.
a Woe to those who seek deep, to hide their counsel from Yahweh, and their works are in the dark, and they say, “Who sees us?”, and “Who knows us?” (Isa 29:15).
b You turn things upside down. Will the potter be counted as clay, that the thing made should say of him who made it, “He did not make me,” or the thing framed say of him who framed it, “He has no understanding”? (Isa 29:16).
c Is it not yet a very little while, and Lebanon will be turned into a fruitful field, and the fruitful field will be counted as a forest? (Isa 29:17).
d And in that day will the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind will see out of obscurity and out of darkness (Isa 29:18).
d The meek also will increase their joy in Yahweh, and the poor among men will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel (Isa 29:19).
c For the terrible one is brought to naught, and the scornful one ceases, and all those who watch for iniquity are cut off, who make a man an offender in a cause, and lay a snare for him who reproves in the gate, and turn aside the righteous in a thing of naught (Isa 29:20-21).
b Therefore thus says Yahweh, who redeemed Abraham, concerning the house of Jacob. Jacob will not now be ashamed, nor will his face now grow pale. But when he sees his children, the work of my hands, in the midst of him, they will sanctify my name, yes, they will sanctify the Holy One of Jacob, and will stand in awe of the God of Israel (Isa 29:22-23).
a Those also who err in spirit will come to understanding, and those who murmur will learn instruction (Isa 29:24).
In ‘a’ the people seek to hide what they do from Yahweh, but in the parallel those who err will come to understanding, and those who murmur will learn instruction. In ‘b’ His people are turning things upside down, forgetting that Yahweh is the Potter who made them and framed them, and saying that He has no understanding, and in the parallel Jacob’s children are the work of His hands, and thus His people set Him apart as holy and stand in awe of Him. In ‘c’ Lebanon which is being crushed by the enemy will be turned into a fruitful field, and all will prosper, the fruitful field will be counted as a forest, and in the parallel the terrible one is to be brought to naught, and all will prosper for the scornful one will cease, and all those who watch for iniquity will be cut off, who make a man an offender in a cause, and lay a snare for him who reproves in the gate, and turn aside the righteous in a thing of naught. In ‘d’ ‘in that day’ the deaf will hear the words of the book (which was previously a mystery – Isa 29:11), and the eyes of the blind will see out of obscurity and out of darkness, while in the parallel the meek will increase their joy in Yahweh, and the poor among men will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.
Isa 29:15
‘Woe to those who seek deep, to hide their counsel from Yahweh,
And their works are in the dark,
And they say, “Who sees us?”, and “Who knows us?”.’
The verbs are important. The opening participle is speaking of something continual. These men are always seeking to go deep and hide their discussions and ideas from Yahweh. It is their practise. The imperfect then refers this to their present continuing activity, they are choosing to perform their works out of sight.
The picture is of men digging themselves a hideout where they can hide what they are thinking and doing from God. They then go into their hideout and assert their independence of God. It is not literal but figurative. It refers to all who think that they can carry on their activities without God knowing, who think that they can hide their ways from God. It is the example of ultimate folly, for ‘all things are open to the eyes of Him with Whom we have to do’ (Heb 4:13).
So here Woe is declared on them. They come under God’s direct condemnation. In the background is the thought of all the plans and activities of men seeking to counter the Assyrian threat without recourse to God, especially those who have gone to Egypt for consultation and to make alliance, and have kept what they are doing secret from Isaiah. But it applies finally to the plans of men of all ages.
Isa 29:16
‘You turn things upside down.
Will the potter be counted as clay,
That the thing made should say of him who made it,
“He did not make me,”
Or the thing framed say of him who framed it,
“He has no understanding”?’
These people who are ignoring God should consider. They have got things the wrong way round. They are treating Him as though He is but the clay. But it is He Who is the Potter, and it is they who are the clay. It is He Who made them and fashioned their frame. They would therefore be wise to recognise that they are responsible to Him as their Creator, and to recognise that as such He has more understanding than they. But they rather reject His authority and question His wisdom. What folly!
If we were more aware that He is the Potter and we are the clay we might well find that we were more responsive to Him. Indeed it can be a comforting thought. It means that He takes final responsibility for what we become if we trust in Him (see Isa 29:23). But some of us still tend to treat God as the clay with His ways to be fashioned by us.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Isa 29:15-16. Woe unto them, &c. Woe unto them who with deep dissimulation seek to hide their counsel, &c. Isa 29:16. This perverseness of yours is as if the potter were reputed as clay; that the work should say of its maker, He made me not; or the thing framed, say of him that framed it, He hath no understanding. Vitringa. The plain meaning of the prophet is, that their proceedings who attempted to hide their worldly counsels and subtle devices from Jehovah, were as absurd as if the clay should set itself against the potter. This reproof is levelled against the Sadducees, the Herodians, and those other sects among the Jews who, disclaiming dependence upon God, were for relying on the aid and protection of the Roman powers.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Isa 29:15 Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the LORD, and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who seeth us? and who knoweth us?
Ver. 15. Woe unto them that seek deep to hide. ] That carry two faces under a hood, as all formalists and double-minded persons do, desirous to deceive the world, and, if it were possible, God himself also, with their pretences and professions, and to cozen him of heaven.
To hide their counsel.
From the Lord.
Their works are in the dark.
And say, Who seeth us? and who knoweth us?
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Isa 29:15-16
15Woe to those who deeply hide their plans from the LORD,
And whose deeds are done in a dark place,
And they say, Who sees us? or Who knows us?
16You turn things around!
Shall the potter be considered as equal with the clay,
That what 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?
Isa 29:15 hide their plans from the Lord This refers to Judah’s leadership’s plan for a political alliance with Egypt (cf. Isa 28:7-22; Isa 30:1-5; Isa 31:1-3) to protect them from Assyria. They are trusting in Egypt, not YHWH!
Who sees us? or Who knows us This is basically a denial of God’s personal presence. Isa 29:16 expresses the logic and foolishness of these statements.
Isa 29:16 the potter God as potter is a common biblical metaphor (cf. Isa 45:9; Isa 64:8; Jer 18:4 ff; Job 10:9). It possibly developed from the initial creation of humanity in Gen 2:7. Paul alludes to this text in Rom 9:20. Romans 9 is the affirmation of the complete and total sovereignty of God!
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley
seek: Isa 5:18, Isa 5:19, Isa 28:15, Isa 28:17, Isa 30:1, Job 22:13, Job 22:14, Psa 10:11-13, Psa 64:5, Psa 64:6, Psa 139:1-8, Jer 23:24, Eze 8:12, Eze 9:9, Zep 1:12, Rev 2:23
and their works: Job 24:13-17, Job 34:22, Luk 12:1-3, Joh 3:19, 1Co 4:5, 2Co 4:2
Who seeth: Isa 47:10, Psa 59:7, Psa 73:11, Psa 94:7-9, Mal 2:17
Reciprocal: Jos 7:21 – they are hid 1Sa 23:12 – They will 2Sa 11:8 – go down 2Sa 16:20 – Give counsel 2Ki 5:24 – and bestowed 2Ki 6:12 – telleth Psa 139:3 – and art acquainted Psa 139:11 – Surely Isa 31:6 – deeply Jer 16:17 – General Eze 8:8 – General Hos 5:2 – profound Act 5:3 – lie to
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Isa 29:15-16. Wo unto them that seek deep Hebrew, , that make, or dig deep; a metaphor from persons digging deep into the earth, that they may hide what they wish to keep safe and unknown. To hide their counsel from the Lord Who vainly imagine that they can conceal their hypocrisy and secret wickedness from him, and can deceive, not only men, but God, by their external professions and services; or, who think they can carry on their projects without the observation or interposition of Providence. And their works are in the dark Their wicked counsels are contrived, and their idolatry is practised, in secret and dark places, of which see Eze 8:12. And they say, Who seeth us? Neither God nor man can discover us. Surely your turning of things upside down Your giving things unexpected turns, or false appearances, to hide your true designs, shall signify no more toward producing the intended effect, than the clay does without the artificer. Dr. Waterland renders the verse, This perverseness of yours is as if the potter were reputed as clay; that the work should say of its maker. He made me not; or the thing framed, say of him that framed it, He hath no understanding. Bishop Lowth reads the passage in the interrogative form, and thereby gives it still more force: Perverse as ye are! shall the potter be esteemed as the clay? Shall the work say of the workman, He hath not made me? &c. We, and all our works are in the hands of God, as clay in the hands of the potter, to give what form and fashion to them he pleases; and when the finest schemes are laid, he can work things to a quite contrary end. Lowth.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
29:15 Woe to them that {n} seek deep to hide their counsel from the LORD, and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who seeth us? and who knoweth us?
(n) This is spoken of them who in heart despised God’s word, and mocked at the admonitions but outwardly bore a good face.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
The remedy for spiritual blindness 29:15-24
The remedy for this spiritually blind state is the subject of the next "woe" (Isa 29:15-24). It begins with a word of condemnation for deception (Isa 29:15-16), proceeds to explain what God will do (Isa 29:17-21), and ends with a summary statement (Isa 29:22-24).
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)
"Woe" announces divine condemnation of another trait of the Jerusalemites: their habitual and determined decision to try to hide from God (cf. Gen 3:8). The political strategists seem to be particularly in view. [Note: Ibid., p. 389.] They tried to hide their plans from the Lord so they could be their own masters, as they thought, to live as they pleased rather than as He instructed them. Previously King Ahaz had tried to hide his appeal to Assyria for help (ch. 7).