Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Isaiah 42:20
Seeing many things, but thou observest not; opening the ears, but he heareth not.
20. seeing many things] Render with R.V. in accordance with the consonantal text, Thou hast seen many things; the form has been quite needlessly changed by the punctuators. The idea of the verse is that the great historical facts of revelation have been within the cognisance of Israel, but it has failed to apprehend their true import. Cf. ch. Isa 6:9 ff.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Seeing many things – That is, the people, the Jews, spoken of here as the servants of God. They had had an opportunity of observing many things pertaining to the law, the government, and the dealing of Yahweh. They had often witnessed his interposition in the days of calamity, and he often rescued them from peril. These things they could not but have observed, much as they had chosen to disregard the lessons which they were calculated to convey.
But thou observest not – Thou dost not keep them ( tshmor); thou dost not regard them.
Opening the ears – Thou hast thine ears open. They heard the words of the law, and the instructions conveyed by tradition from their fathers, but they did not lay them to heart, or give heed to them (see the note at Isa 6:10).
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 20. Seeing many things – “Thou hast seen indeed”] The text has raith rabith, which the Masoretes in the marginal Keri have corrected to reoth rabboth; as indeed one hundred and seven MSS., and five editions, now have it in the text. This was probably the reading of most of the MSS. of their time; which, though they approved of it, out of some superstition they would not admit into their standard text. But these wretched critics, though they perceived there was some fault, yet did not know where the fault lay, nor consequently how to amend it; and yet it was open enough to a judicious eye: rabboth, sic veteres; et tamen forte legendum, reoth, vide cap. Isa 6:9.” – Secker. That is, raith, reoth, seeing, thou shalt see. I believe no one will doubt of admitting this as the true reading.
But he heareth not – “Yet thou wilt not hear”] For yishma, read tishma, in the second person; so all the ancient Versions and forty MSS. of Kennicott’s, (four of them ancient,) and seventeen of De Rossi’s, and perhaps five more. Two others have tishmeu, second person plural.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Thou dost not seriously and impartially consider the plain word and the wonderful works of God, of which thine ears and eyes have been witnesses, which are abundantly sufficient for the conviction of any considering man.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
20. observestThou dost notkeep them. The “many things” are the many proofswhich all along from the first God had given Israel of His goodnessand His power (Deu 4:32-38;Deu 29:2-4; Psa 78:1-72;Psa 105:1-45).
hetransition from thesecond to the third person. “Opening . . . ears,” that is,though he (Israel) hath his ears open (see on Isa6:10). This language, too (see on Isa42:19), applies to Messiah as Jehovah’s servant (Isa 50:5;Psa 40:6).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
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, Isa 6:9.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
The reproof, which affects Israel a potiori , now proceeds still further, as follows. “Thou hast seen much, and yet keepest not; opening the ears, he yet doth not hear. Jehovah was pleased for His righteousness’ sake: He gave a thorah great and glorious. And yet it is a people robbed and plundered; fastened in holes all of them, and they are hidden in prison-houses: they have become booty, without deliverers; a spoil, without any one saying, Give it up again!” In Isa 42:20 “thou” and “he” alternate, like “they” and “ye” in Isa 1:29, and “I” and “he” in Isa 14:30. , which points back to the past, is to be preserved. The reading of the keri is (inf. abs. like , Isa 22:13, and , Hab 3:13), which makes the two half-verses uniform. Israel has had many and great things to see, but without keeping the admonitions they contained; opening its ears, namely to the earnestness of the preaching, it hears, and yet does not hear, i.e., it only hears outwardly, but without taking it into itself. Isa 42:21 shows us to what Isa 42:20 chiefly refers. is followed here by the future instead of by Lamed with an infinitive, just as in Isa 53:10 it is followed by the perfect (Ges. 142, 3, b). Jehovah was pleased for His righteousness’ sake (which is mentioned here, not as that which recompenses for works of the law, but as that which bestows mercy according to His purpose, His promise, and the plan of salvation) to make thorah , i.e., the direction, instruction, revelation which He gave to His people, great and glorious. The reference is primarily and chiefly to the Sinaitic law, and the verbs relate not to the solemnity of the promulgation, but to the riches and exalted character of the contents. But what a glaring contrast did the existing condition of Israel present to these manifestations and purposes of mercy on the part of its God! The intervening thought expressed by Hosea ( Hos 8:12), viz., that this condition was the punishment of unfaithfulness, may easily be supplied. The inf. abs. is introduced to give life to the picture, as in Isa 22:13. Hahn renders it, “They pant ( hiphil of puuach) in the holes all of them,” but kullam (all of them) must be the accusative of the object; so that the true meaning is, “They have fastened ( hiphil of pachach ) all of them,” etc. (Ges. 131, 4, b). Schegg adopts the rendering, “All his youths fall into traps,” which is wrong in two respects; for bachurm is the plural of c hur (Isa 11:8), and it is parallel to the double plural , houses of custodies. The whole nation in all its members is, as it were, put into bonds, and confined in prisons of all kinds (an allegorizing picture of the homelessness and servitude of exile), without any one thinking of demanding it back ( = , as in Eze 21:32; a pausal form here: vid., Ges. 29, 4 Anm.).
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
20. Seeing many things. The Prophet himself explains what is the nature of this blindness of which he spoke, and shews that it is double; and this shews clearly that he spoke of the Jews, who by wicked contempt had quenched God’s light. Our guilt will be double when we shall come to the judgment-seat of God, if we shut our eyes when he exhibits the light, and shut our ears when he teaches by his word. The heathen nations will indeed be without excuse; but the Jews and others to whom the Lord revealed himself in so many ways, will deserve double condemnation for having refused to see or hear God. We, therefore, who have so many and so illustrious examples set before us at the present day, ought to dread this judgment; for in many persons there will now be found not less blindness or obduracy than formerly existed among the Jews, and not more excusable.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(20) Seeing many things . . .With a clear vision into the future, the prophet sees that the future Israel will be as far from the ideal as his contemporaries had been. In the actual work of the Servant we find the fulfilment of his vision. Scribes and Pharisees are as those who learn nothing and forget nothing, on whom all the lessons of experience are cast away, reproducing the state from which Isaiah started (Isa. 6:10; Mat. 13:14; Mar. 4:12; Luk. 8:10; Joh. 12:40; Act. 28:26). The transfer of the words to the sufferings of the Christ, who bore them as though He neither heard nor saw, is scarcely tenable.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
20. Seeing many things Not, therefore, left in entire darkness.
Observest not Because neglectful of using his sight.
Opening the ears, but he heareth not And this, too, at a time when the “ears” of the deaf heathen are being attent. Israel is thus keenly reproved. The prophet’s emotions become tumultuous; the proverb recurs: “Having eyes, they see not,” etc. The prophet, no doubt, thinks that by this time the great things done for Israel should have made him perfect.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Isa 42:20 Seeing many things, but thou observest not; opening the ears, but he heareth not.
Ver. 20. But observest not, ] viz., For holy practice.
But he heareth not.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Seeing . . . opening the ears. As Israel had done. Reference to Pentateuch (Deu 29:1, Deu 29:2). But Israel was blind and deaf (Isa 42:19). Compare Jer 5:21; Jer 6:10. Eze 12:2. Mat 13:14, &c.
he. Some codices, with Syriac, read “thou” (as in the preceding clause); others read “ye”. The pronoun refers to Israel. See Isa 42:19.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Seeing: Isa 1:3, Isa 48:6-8, Num 14:22, Deu 4:9, Deu 29:2-4, Neh 9:10-17, Psa 106:7-13, Psa 107:43, Joh 9:37-40, Joh 11:37-50
opening: Isa 58:2, Jer 42:2-5, Eze 33:31, Mar 6:19, Mar 6:20, Act 28:22-27
Reciprocal: Isa 48:8 – thou heardest Jer 4:22 – For my Eze 12:2 – which Zec 11:17 – the sword Mat 21:27 – We cannot tell Mar 11:33 – We Luk 20:7 – that Joh 12:40 – that they Act 28:26 – Hearing
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
As the Lord had told Isaiah at the beginning of his ministry (Isa 6:9), the Israelites saw but did not perceive, and heard but did not comprehend (cf. Deu 29:2-4). The Israelites’ response to the Mosaic Law is primarily in view.
"The cardinal sin of the people of God is to possess the divine word and to ignore it." [Note: Motyer, p. 328.]