Isaiah 42:18–23

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The Lord Reasons with His People

^42:18“Listen, you deaf ones!

Take notice,³⁸ you blind ones!

^42:19My servant is truly blind,

my messenger is truly deaf.

My covenant partner,³⁹ the servant of the Lord, is truly blind.⁴⁰

^42:20You see⁴¹ many things, but don’t comprehend;⁴²

their ears are open, but do not hear.”

^42:21The Lord wanted to exhibit his justice

by magnifying his law and displaying it.⁴³

^42:22But these people are looted and plundered;

all of them are trapped in pits⁴⁴

and held captive⁴⁵ in prisons.

They were carried away as loot with no one to rescue them;

they were carried away as plunder, and no one says, “Bring that back!”⁴⁶

^42:23Who among you will pay attention to this?

Who will listen attentively in the future?⁴⁷

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Footnotes

38 Heb “look to see”; , “look and see”; “look up and see.”
39 The precise meaning of מְשֻׁלָּם (méshullam) in this context is uncertain. In later biblical Hebrew the form (which appears to be a Pual participle from the root שָׁלַם, shalam) occurs as a proper name, Meshullam. The Pual of שָׁלַם (“be complete”) is attested with the meaning “repaid, requited,” but that makes little sense here. 1023 שָׁלַם relates the form to the denominative verb שָׁלַם (“be at peace”) and paraphrases “one in a covenant of peace” (J. N. Oswalt suggests “the covenanted one”; Isaiah [], 2:, n. 59) Some emend the form to מֹשְׁלָם (moshélam, “their ruler”) or to מְשֻׁלָּחִי (méshullakhi, “my sent [or “commissioned”] one”), which fits nicely in the parallelism (note “my messenger” in the previous line). The translation above assumes an emendation to כְּמוֹ שֹׁלְמִי (kémo sholémi, “like my ally”). Isaiah uses כְּמוֹ in 30:22 and perhaps 51:5; for שֹׁלְמי (“my ally”) see Ps 7:5 (7:4 ).
40 Heb “Who is blind but my servant, and deaf like my messenger I send? Who is blind like my commissioned one, blind like the servant of the Lord?” The point of the rhetorical questions is that no one is as blind/deaf as this servant. In this context the Lord’s “servant” is exiled Israel (cf. 41:8–9), which is spiritually blind and deaf and has failed to fulfill God’s purpose for it. This servant stands in contrast to the ideal “Israel” of the servant songs.
41 The consonantal text (Kethib) has a perfect, 2nd person masculine singular; the marginal reading (Qere) has an infinitive absolute, which functions here as a finite verb.
42 Heb “but you do not guard [i.e., retain in your memory]”; “but have paid no attention.”
43 Heb “The Lord was pleased for the sake of his righteousness [or “justice”], he was magnifying [the] law and was making [it] glorious.” The Lord contrasts his good intentions for the people with their present crisis (v. 22). To demonstrate his just character and attract the nations, the Lord wanted to showcase his law among and through Israel (Deut 4:5–8). But Israel disobeyed (v. 24) and failed to carry out their commission.
44 The Hebrew text has בַּחוּרִים (bakhurim, “young men”), but the text should be emended to בְּהוֹרִים (béhorim, “in holes”).
45 Heb “and made to be hidden”; , , , “hidden away in prisons.”
46 Heb “they became loot and there was no one rescuing, plunder and there was no one saying, ‘Bring back’.”
47 The interrogative particle is understood in the second line by ellipsis (note the preceding line).

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

Hear, you deaf,

and look, you blind, that you may see!

Who is blind but my servant,

or deaf as my messenger whom I send?

Who is blind as my dedicated one,

or blind as the servant of the Lord?

He sees many things, but does not observe them;

his ears are open, but he does not hear.

The Lord was pleased, for his righteousness’ sake,

to magnify his law and make it glorious.

But this is a people plundered and looted;

they are all of them trapped in holes

and hidden in prisons;

they have become plunder with none to rescue,

spoil with none to say, “Restore!”

Who among you will give ear to this,

will attend and listen for the time to come?

NIVNew International Version (2011)

“Hear, you deaf;

look, you blind, and see!

Who is blind but my servant,

and deaf like the messenger I send?

Who is blind like the one in covenant with me,

blind like the servant of the Lord?

You have seen many things, but you pay no attention;

your ears are open, but you do not listen.”

It pleased the Lord

for the sake of his righteousness

to make his law great and glorious.

But this is a people plundered and looted,

all of them trapped in pits

or hidden away in prisons.

They have become plunder,

with no one to rescue them;

they have been made loot,

with no one to say, “Send them back.”

Which of you will listen to this

or pay close attention in time to come?

CSBChristian Standard Bible

“Listen, you deaf!

Look, you blind, so that you may see.

Who is blind but my servant,

or deaf like my messenger I am sending?

Who is blind like my dedicated one,

or blind like the servant of the Lord?

Though seeing many things, you pay no attention.

Though his ears are open, he does not listen.”

Because of his righteousness, the Lord was pleased

to magnify his instruction and make it glorious.

But this is a people plundered and looted,

all of them trapped in holes

or imprisoned in dungeons.

They have become plunder

with no one to rescue them

and loot, with no one saying, “Give it back!”

Who among you will hear this?

Let him listen and obey in the future.

NLTNew Living Translation

“Listen, you who are deaf!

Look and see, you blind!

Who is as blind as my own people, my servant?

Who is as deaf as my messenger?

Who is as blind as my chosen people,

the servant of the Lord?

You see and recognize what is right

but refuse to act on it.

You hear with your ears,

but you don’t really listen.”

Because he is righteous,

the Lord has exalted his glorious law.

But his own people have been robbed and plundered,

enslaved, imprisoned, and trapped.

They are fair game for anyone

and have no one to protect them,

no one to take them back home.

Who will hear these lessons from the past

and see the ruin that awaits you in the future?

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

Deaf people, listen!

And blind people, look to see!

Who is blind but my servant

or deaf like my messenger whom I sent?

Who is blind like the one who is repaid

or blind like the servant of Yahweh?

You see many things, but you do not observe.

His ears are open, but he does not hear.

Yahweh was willing for the sake of his righteousness;

he showed his teaching to be great and proved it to be glorious.

But this is a people plundered and looted; all of them are trapped in holes,

and they are kept hidden in houses of imprisonment.

They have become like plunder, and there is no one who saves;

like booty, and there is no one who says, “Restore!”

Who among you will heed this,

will listen attentively and listen, for the time to come?

KJV 1900King James Version

Hear, ye deaf;

And look, ye blind, that ye may see.

Who is blind, but my servant?

Or deaf, as my messenger that I sent?

Who is blind as he that is perfect,

And blind as the Lord’s servant?

Seeing many things, but thou observest not;

Opening the ears, but he heareth not.

The Lord is well pleased for his righteousness’ sake;

He will magnify the law, and make it honourable.

But this is a people robbed and spoiled;

They are all of them snared in holes,

And they are hid in prison houses:

They are for a prey, and none delivereth;

For a spoil, and none saith, Restore.

Who among you will give ear to this?

Who will hearken and hear for the time to come?

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