Isaiah 29ASV
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Isaiah29

American Standard Version · Public Domain

1Ho Ariel, Ariel, the city where David encamped! add ye year to year; let the feasts come round:

2then will I distress Ariel, and there shall be mourning and lamentation; and she shall be unto me as Ariel.

3And I will encamp against thee round about, and will lay siege against thee with posted troops, and I will raise siege works against thee.

4And thou shalt be brought down, and shalt speak out of the ground, and thy speech shall be low out of the dust; and thy voice shall be as of one that hath a familiar spirit, out of the ground, and thy speech shall whisper out of the dust.

5But the multitude of thy foes shall be like small dust, and the multitude of the terrible ones as chaff that passeth away: yea, it shall be in an instant suddenly.

6She shall be visited of Jehovah of hosts with thunder, and with earthquake, and great noise, with whirlwind and tempest, and the flame of a devouring fire.

7And the multitude of all the nations that fight against Ariel, even all that fight against her and her stronghold, and that distress her, shall be as a dream, a vision of the night.

8And it shall be as when a hungry man dreameth, and, behold, he eateth; but he awaketh, and his soul is empty: or as when a thirsty man dreameth, and, behold, he drinketh; but he awaketh, and, behold, he is faint, and his soul hath appetite: so shall the multitude of all the nations be, that fight against mount Zion.

9Tarry ye and wonder; take your pleasure and be blind: they are drunken, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink.

10For 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.

11And all vision is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee; and he saith, I cannot, for it is sealed:

12and the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee; and he saith, I am not learned.

13And the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw nigh unto me, and with their mouth and with their lips do honor me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment of men which hath been taught them;

14therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder; and the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid.

15Woe unto them that hide deep their counsel from Jehovah, and whose works are in the dark, and that say, Who seeth us? and who knoweth us?

16Ye turn things upside down! Shall the potter be esteemed as clay; that the thing made should say of him that made it, He made me not; or the thing formed say of him that formed it, He hath no understanding?

17Is it not yet a very little while, and Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field, and the fruitful field shall be esteemed as a forest?

18And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity and out of darkness.

19The meek also shall increase their joy in Jehovah, and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.

20For the terrible one is brought to nought, and the scoffer ceaseth, and all they that watch for iniquity are cut off;

21that make a man an offender in his cause, and lay a snare for him that reproveth in the gate, and turn aside the just with a thing of nought.

22Therefore thus saith Jehovah, who redeemed Abraham, concerning the house of Jacob: Jacob shall not now be ashamed, neither shall his face now wax pale.

23But when he seeth his children, the work of my hands, in the midst of him, they shall sanctify my name; yea, they shall sanctify the Holy One of Jacob, and shall stand in awe of the God of Israel.

24They also that err in spirit shall come to understanding, and they that murmur shall receive instruction.

Study Guide

Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Isaiah 29.

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Chapter Summary

In this chapter: 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).

vv1-8

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.

vv9-16

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.

vv17-24

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.

Cross References

Isaiah 29
v10Romans 11:8quotation

Paul cites this verse as biblical proof of Israel's judicial spiritual blindness and deep sleep.

Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB

v13Matthew 15:8quotation

Jesus directly quotes this verse to condemn empty external worship and human traditions replacing God's word.

Supported by Matthew Henry, John Calvin

Paul alludes to this prophecy that God will destroy the wisdom of the worldly wise.

Supported by Matthew Henry, John Calvin, JFB

v1Ezekiel 43:15thematic

Identifies 'Ariel' as the altar hearth of God, linking the city's name to sacrificial devotion.

Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB

v5Isaiah 37:36fulfillment

The sudden, instant destruction of Sennacherib's vast army outside the gates of Jerusalem.

Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, JFB

v16Isaiah 45:9thematic

Parallels the clay and potter metaphor, rebuking human creation for questioning its divine Creator.

Supported by Matthew Henry, John Calvin

v3Luke 19:43thematic

Jesus uses the same specific siege terminology to predict the Roman destruction of Jerusalem.

Supported by JFB

v8Psalms 73:20thematic

Parallels the dream metaphor: the brief, vanishing illusion of triumph before waking to reality.

Supported by John Calvin, JFB

v11Isaiah 8:16thematic

Connects to the concept of God sealing up His revelation from an unbelieving people.

Supported by JFB

v17Isaiah 32:15thematic

Parallels the restoration metaphor of the wilderness turning into a fruitful field by God's Spirit.

Supported by Matthew Henry

v18Isaiah 35:5thematic

Prophetic parallel depicting the miraculous healing of the deaf and blind, representing spiritual illumination.

Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB

v2Ezekiel 39:17thematic

Uses the metaphor of God's judgment as a great sacrificial slaughter, linking Ariel (altar) to battle.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v4Isaiah 8:19thematic

Links the low, whispering speech from the dust to the sounds of necromancers and wizards.

Supported by JFB

v6Isaiah 30:30thematic

Uses identical storm and devouring fire imagery to describe Jehovah's judgment on Israel's enemies.

Supported by JFB

v16Romans 9:20allusion

Paul echoes this questioning of the potter by the clay to assert God's absolute sovereignty.

Supported by JFB