Isaiah Chapter 29
1 Woe to Ariel! Ariel, the city where David encamped! Add year to year; let the feasts come around;
2 then I will distress Ariel, and there will be mourning and lamentation. She shall be to me as an altar hearth.
3 I will encamp against you all around you, and will lay siege against you with posted troops. I will raise siege works against you.
4 You will be brought down, and will speak out of the ground. Your speech will mumble out of the dust. Your voice will be as of one who has a familiar spirit, out of the ground, and your speech will whisper out of the dust.
5 But the multitude of your foes will be like fine dust, and the multitude of the ruthless ones like chaff that blows away. Yes, it will be in an instant, suddenly.
6 She will be visited by the LORD of Armies with thunder, with earthquake, with great noise, with whirlwind and storm, and with the flame of a devouring fire.
7 The multitude of all the nations that fight against Ariel, even all who fight against her and her stronghold, and who distress her, will be like a dream, a vision of the night.
8 It will be like when a hungry man dreams, and behold, he eats; but he awakes, and his hunger isn't satisfied; or like when a thirsty man dreams, and behold, he drinks; but he awakes, and behold, he is faint, and he is still thirsty. The multitude of all the nations that fight against Mount Zion will be like that.
9 Pause and wonder! Blind yourselves and be blind! They are drunken, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink.
10 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.
11 All vision has become to you like the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one who is educated, saying, "Read this, please;" and he says, "I can't, for it is sealed;"
12 and the book is delivered to one who is not educated, saying, "Read this, please;" and he says, "I can't read."
13 The Lord said, "Because this people draws near with their mouth and honours me with their lips, but they have removed their heart far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment of men which has been taught;
14 therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work amongst this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder; and the wisdom of their wise men will perish, and the understanding of their prudent men will be hidden."
15 Woe to those who deeply hide their counsel from the LORD, and whose deeds are in the dark, and who say, "Who sees us?" and "Who knows us?"
16 You turn things upside down! Should the potter be thought to be like clay; that the thing made should say about him who made it, "He didn't make me;" or the thing formed say of him who formed it, "He has no understanding?"
17 Isn't it yet a very little while, and Lebanon will be turned into a fruitful field, and the fruitful field will be regarded as a forest?
18 In that day, the deaf will hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind will see out of obscurity and out of darkness.
19 The humble also will increase their joy in the LORD, and the poor amongst men will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.
20 For the ruthless is brought to nothing, and the scoffer ceases, and all those who are alert to do evil are cut off-
21 who cause a person to be indicted by a word, and lay a snare for the arbiter in the gate, and who deprive the innocent of justice with false testimony.
22 Therefore the LORD, who redeemed Abraham, says concerning the house of Jacob: "Jacob shall no longer be ashamed, neither shall his face grow pale.
23 But when he sees his children, the work of my hands, in the middle 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.
24 They also who err in spirit will come to understanding, and those who grumble will receive instruction."
Footnotes
- Verse 2 (altar hearth)
- or, Ariel
Version: World English Bible
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Isaiah Chapter 29 Guide
This is the first of a series of declamations concerning the chosen people, and sets forth the purpose of Jehovah in judgment. The message opens with a description of the judgment (verses Isaiah 29:1-4), and declares how suddenly all the foes of Jerusalem shall be discomfited (verses Isaiah 29:5-8). The prophet then breaks out into a mourning description of the condition of the people. They are blind, and unable to understand the messages delivered (verses Isaiah 29:9-12). This blindness he declares to be the result of their infidelity to God.
In the remaining part of the prophecy he continues his declaration of the purpose of Jehovah concerning them. After denouncing the conspirators who were attempting to mislead the people, and warning them that they cannot be hidden from Jehovah, he breaks out into a fine description of the coming deliverance. This deliverance is to be characterized by a restoration of sensibility to the people who have been blind and stupid. This is to be followed by a restoration of order in which all the oppressed will obtain the justice which so long has been lacking. And, finally, there will be the restoration of the true order in sanctification of the holy name and establishment of right relationship with Jehovah.
From "An Exposition of the Whole Bible" by G. Campbell Morgan.
Isaiah Chapter 29 Commentary
Chapter Outline
- Judgements on Jerusalem and on its enemies. -- (1-8)
- The senselessness and hypocrisy of the Jews. -- (9-16)
- The conversion of the Gentiles, and future blessings for the Jews. -- (17-24)
Verses 1-8
Ariel may signify the altar of burnt-offerings. Let Jerusalem know that outward religious services will not make men free from judgements. Hypocrites never can please God, nor make their peace with him. God had often and long, by a host of angels, encamped round about Jerusalem for protection and deliverance; but now he fought against it. Proud looks and proud language shall be brought down by humbling providences. The destruction of Jerusalem's enemies is foretold. The army of Sennacherib went as a dream; and thus the multitudes, that through successive ages fight against God's altar and worship, shall fall. Speedily will sinners awake from their soothing dreams in the pains of hell.
Verses 9-16
The security of sinners in sinful ways, is cause for lamentation and wonder. The learned men, through prejudice, said that the Divine prophecies were obscure; and the poor urged their want of learning. The Bible is a sealed book to every man, learned or unlearned, till he begins to study it with a simple heart and a teachable spirit, that he may thence learn the truth and the will of God. To worship God, is to approach him. And if the heart be full of his love and fear, out of the abundance of it the mouth will speak; but there are many whose religion is lip-labour only. When they pretend to be speaking to God, they are thinking of a thousand foolish things. They worship the God of Israel according to their own devices. Numbers are only formal in worship. And their religion is only to comply with custom, and to serve their own interest. But the wanderings of mind, and defects in devotion, which are the believer's burden, are very different from the withdrawing of the heart from God, so severely blamed. And those who make religion no more than a pretence, to serve a turn, deceive themselves. And as those that quarrel with God, so those that think to conceal themselves from him, in effect charge him with folly. But all their perverse conduct shall be entirely done away.
Verses 17-24
The wonderful change here foretold, may refer to the affairs of Judah, though it looks further. When a great harvest of souls was gathered to Christ from among the Gentiles, then the wilderness was turned into a fruitful field; and the Jewish church, that had long been a fruitful field, became as a deserted forest. Those who, when in trouble, can truly rejoice in God, shall soon have cause greatly to rejoice in him. The grace of meekness contributes to the increase of our holy joy. The enemies who were powerful shall become mean and weak. To complete the repose of God's people, the scorners at home shall be cut off by judgements. All are apt to speak unadvisedly, and to mistake what they hear, but it is very unfair to make a man an offender for a word. They did all they could to bring those into trouble who told them of their faults. But He that redeemed Abraham out of his snares and troubles, will redeem those who are, by faith, his true seed, out of theirs. It will be the greatest comfort to godly parents to see their children renewed creatures, the work of God's grace. May those who now err in spirit, and murmur against the truth, come to understanding, and learn true doctrine. The Spirit of truth shall set right their mistakes, and lead them into all truth. This should encourage us to pray for those that have erred, and are deceived. All who murmured at the truths of God, as hard sayings, shall learn and be aware what God designed in all. See the change religion produces in the hearts of men, and the peace and pleasure of a humble and devout spirit.
From the "Concise Commentary on the Bible" by Matthew Henry.