Isaiah 29:10
8 as when a hungry man dreams he is eating, then awakens still hungry; as when a thirsty man dreams he is drinking, then awakens faint and parched. So will it be for all the many nations who go to battle against Mount Zion.
9 Stop and be astonished; blind yourselves and be sightless; be drunk, but not with wine; stagger, but not from strong drink.
For the LORD has poured out on you a spirit of deep sleep. He has shut your eyes, O prophets; He has covered your heads, O seers.
11 And the entire vision will be to you like the words sealed in a scroll. If it is handed to someone to read, he will say, “I cannot, because it is sealed.”
12 Or if the scroll is handed to one unable to read, he will say, “I cannot read.”
This was said to Israel at a particular time, so it is wise to read it together with the surrounding text. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- For the LORD has poured out on you a spirit of deep sleep. He has shut your eyes, O prophets; He has covered your heads, O seers.
- KJV
- 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.
- WEB
- For the LORD has poured out on you a spirit of deep sleep, and has closed your eyes, the prophets; and he has covered your heads, the seers.
- ASV
- For Jehovah hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes, the prophets; and your heads, the seers, hath he covered.
- DARBY
- For Jehovah hath poured out upon you a spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes; the prophets and your chiefs, the seers, hath he covered.
- BLB
- For YHWH has poured out on you⁺ a spirit of deep sleep, and He has closed your⁺ eyes, O prophets, and He has covered your⁺ heads, O seers.
- ÅB
- For Herren har utøst over dere en dyp søvns ånd, og han har tillukket deres øyne, profetene, og tildekket deres hoder, seerne.
- OTB
- For Herren har utøst over dere en ånd av dyp søvn; Han har lukket deres øyne, profetene, og dekket deres hoder, seerne.
- B1930
- For Herren har utøst over eder en dyp søvns ånd, og han har tillukket eders øine, profetene, og tildekket eders hoder, seerne.
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Romans 11:8
as it is written: “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that could not see, and ears that could not hear, to this very day.”
Read in contextIsaiah 44:18
They do not comprehend or discern, for He has shut their eyes so they cannot see and closed their minds so they cannot understand.
Read in context2 Thessalonians 2:9–12
The coming of the lawless one will be accompanied by the working of Satan, with every kind of power, sign, and false wonder,
Read in contextIsaiah 6:9–10
And He replied: “Go and tell this people, ‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’
Read in contextActs 28:26–27
‘Go to this people and say, “You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.”
Read in contextIsaiah 30:10
They say to the seers, “Stop seeing visions!” and to the prophets, “Do not prophesy to us the truth! Speak to us pleasant words; prophesy illusions.
Read in context2 Corinthians 4:4
The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers so they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
Read in contextJeremiah 26:8–11
and as soon as he had finished telling all the people everything the LORD had commanded him to say, the priests and prophets and all the people seized him, shouting, “You must surely die!
Read in context