Isaiah 29:10
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.
For the LORD
The phrase begins with the acknowledgment of divine sovereignty. The Hebrew word for "LORD" here is "YHWH," the sacred and personal name of God, emphasizing His covenant relationship with Israel. This sets the stage for understanding that the actions described are under God's authority and purpose, reflecting His ultimate control over the spiritual state of His people.

has poured out
The imagery of pouring suggests abundance and intentionality. The Hebrew root "nasak" conveys the idea of anointing or covering, often used in the context of libations or offerings. This indicates that the condition described is not accidental but a deliberate act by God, akin to a ritualistic pouring that signifies a profound spiritual state.

on you
This phrase personalizes the message, directing it specifically to the people of Israel. It underscores the direct impact of God's actions on His chosen people, highlighting the intimate and direct relationship between God and Israel, and the accountability that comes with it.

a spirit of deep sleep
The "spirit of deep sleep" is a metaphor for spiritual insensitivity or stupor. The Hebrew word "tardemah" is used, which can mean a heavy sleep or trance-like state. This suggests a divinely induced inability to perceive or understand spiritual truths, reflecting a judgment on the people's unwillingness to heed God's messages.

He has shut your eyes, the prophets
Prophets were the eyes of the nation, providing vision and guidance. The act of shutting their eyes signifies a withdrawal of divine revelation. The Hebrew word "atam" means to close or stop up, indicating a cessation of prophetic insight. This reflects a period of spiritual darkness where the usual channels of divine communication are obstructed.

He has covered your heads, the seers
Seers, like prophets, were instrumental in interpreting God's will. The Hebrew word "kasah" means to cover or conceal, suggesting that the seers' ability to perceive divine visions is obscured. This covering of the head symbolizes a lack of clarity and understanding, further emphasizing the theme of spiritual blindness and the consequences of turning away from God.

Persons / Places / Events
1. The LORD
The sovereign God of Israel, who is actively involved in the lives of His people and the unfolding of history.

2. Prophets
Individuals chosen by God to deliver His messages to the people. In this context, their ability to see and understand is hindered.

3. Seers
Another term for prophets, emphasizing their role in receiving visions from God.

4. Israel
The nation to whom Isaiah is prophesying, often representing God's chosen people who are in a covenant relationship with Him.

5. Isaiah
The prophet who delivers this message, serving as God's mouthpiece to the people of Israel.
Teaching Points
Spiritual Blindness as Judgment
God sometimes allows spiritual blindness as a form of judgment for persistent disobedience and rebellion.

The Role of Prophets and Seers
Prophets and seers are vital for spiritual guidance, but their effectiveness is nullified when God withholds revelation.

The Importance of Spiritual Vigilance
Believers must remain spiritually vigilant and responsive to God's Word to avoid falling into a state of spiritual slumber.

God's Sovereignty in Revelation
God is sovereign over who receives spiritual insight and understanding, reminding us of our dependence on Him for true wisdom.

The Call to Repentance
Spiritual blindness can be reversed through repentance and turning back to God, who is merciful and willing to restore sight.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does Isaiah 29:10 illustrate the consequences of ignoring God's Word, and what can we learn from this about the importance of spiritual receptivity?

2. In what ways can spiritual blindness manifest in our lives today, and how can we guard against it?

3. How does the theme of spiritual blindness in Isaiah 29:10 connect with Jesus' teachings in the New Testament?

4. What role do prophets and seers play in the spiritual life of a community, and how can we apply this understanding to our church today?

5. How can we actively seek God's revelation and avoid the "spirit of deep sleep" mentioned in Isaiah 29:10?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Deuteronomy 29:4
This verse speaks of God not giving the people a heart to understand, eyes to see, or ears to hear, similar to the spiritual blindness described in Isaiah 29:10.

Romans 11:8
Paul references Isaiah 29:10 to explain the spiritual stupor that has come upon Israel, showing the continuity of this theme in the New Testament.

Matthew 13:13-15
Jesus speaks of people who see but do not perceive, hear but do not understand, echoing the spiritual blindness mentioned in Isaiah.
Concerning ArielE. Johnson Isaiah 29:1-12
Drunken, But not with WineJ. J. Ingram.Isaiah 29:9-12
IntoxicationJ. J. Ingram.Isaiah 29:9-12
Judicial BlindnessH. Melvill, B. D.Isaiah 29:9-12
Spiritual DrunkennessJ. A. Alexander.Isaiah 29:9-12
Spiritual Drunkenness Worse than Bodily, and More PrevaleR. Paisley.Isaiah 29:9-12
Spiritual IncapacityW. Clarkson Isaiah 29:9-12
The Spirit of a Deep SleepJ. H. Jowett, M. A.Isaiah 29:9-12
People
Ariel, David, Isaiah, Jacob
Places
Ariel, Lebanon, Mount Zion
Topics
Chiefs, Closed, Closeth, Covered, Deep, Heads, Poured, Prophets, Rulers, Sealed, Seers, Shut, Sleep, Spirit
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Isaiah 29:10

     1466   vision
     5064   spirit, emotional
     5159   hearing
     5533   sleep, physical
     5534   sleep, spiritual
     7781   seer

Isaiah 29:9-12

     5135   blindness, spiritual

Isaiah 29:10-11

     5518   seal

Isaiah 29:10-12

     8319   perception, spiritual

Library
I am Told, Further, that You Touch with Some Critical Sharpness Upon Some Points of My Letter
13. I am told, further, that you touch with some critical sharpness upon some points of my letter, and, with the well-known wrinkles rising on your forehead and your eyebrows knitted, make sport of me with a wit worthy of Plautus, for having said that I had a Jew named Barabbas for my teacher. I do not wonder at your writing Barabbas for Baranina, the letters of the names being somewhat similar, when you allow yourself such a license in changing the names themselves, as to turn Eusebius into Pamphilus,
Various—Life and Works of Rufinus with Jerome's Apology Against Rufinus.

Thou that Dwellest in the Gardens, the Companions Hearken to Thy Voice; Cause Me to Hear It.
The Bridegroom invites his Spouse to speak in his behalf, and to enter actually upon the Apostolic life by teaching others. Thou, O my Spouse, He says, that dwellest in the gardens, in the ever-flowered parterres of the Divinity, where thou hast not ceased to dwell since the winter has passed, thou hast been in gardens as beautiful for the variety of the flowers with which it was adorned as for the excellence of the fruits which abound there; thou, O My Spouse, whom I keep constantly with Me in these
Madame Guyon—Song of Songs of Solomon

If it is Objected, that the Necessity which Urges us to Pray is not Always...
If it is objected, that the necessity which urges us to pray is not always equal, I admit it, and this distinction is profitably taught us by James: " Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms" (James 5:13). Therefore, common sense itself dictates, that as we are too sluggish, we must be stimulated by God to pray earnestly whenever the occasion requires. This David calls a time when God "may be found" (a seasonable time); because, as he declares in several other
John Calvin—Of Prayer--A Perpetual Exercise of Faith

The Hardening of Nations.
"The election hath obtained it, and the rest were hardened."-- Rom. xi. 7. St. Paul's word, at the head of this article, is strikingly impressive, and its content exceedingly rich and instructive. It clearly announces the fact that the hardening is not exceptional or occasional, but universal, affecting all, who, being in contact with the divine Love, are not saved by it. The last limitation is necessary, for of the heathen it can not be said that they are hardened. Only they can be hardened who
Abraham Kuyper—The Work of the Holy Spirit

Christ Teaching by Miracles
We have seen how many valuable lessons our Saviour taught while on earth by the parables which he used. But we teach by our lives, as well as by our lips. It has passed into a proverb, and we all admit the truth of it, that "Actions speak louder than words." If our words and our actions contradict each other, people will believe our actions sooner than our words. But when both agree together, then the effect is very great. This was true with our blessed Lord. There was an entire agreement between
Richard Newton—The Life of Jesus Christ for the Young

The Upbringing of Jewish Children
The tenderness of the bond which united Jewish parents to their children appears even in the multiplicity and pictorialness of the expressions by which the various stages of child-life are designated in the Hebrew. Besides such general words as "ben" and "bath"--"son" and "daughter"--we find no fewer than nine different terms, each depicting a fresh stage of life. The first of these simply designates the babe as the newly--"born"--the "jeled," or, in the feminine, "jaldah"--as in Exodus 2:3, 6, 8.
Alfred Edersheim—Sketches of Jewish Social Life

The New Testament Canon in the First Three Centuries.
The first Christians relied on the Old Testament as their chief religious book. To them it was of divine origin and authority. The New Testament writings came into gradual use, by the side of the older Jewish documents, according to the times in which they appeared and the names of their reputed authors. The Epistles of Paul were the earliest written; after which came the Apocalypse, the Epistle to the Hebrews, and other documents, all in the first century. After the first gospel had undergone a
Samuel Davidson—The Canon of the Bible

Covenanting a Privilege of Believers.
Whatever attainment is made by any as distinguished from the wicked, or whatever gracious benefit is enjoyed, is a spiritual privilege. Adoption into the family of God is of this character. "He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power (margin, or, the right; or, privilege) to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name."[617] And every co-ordinate benefit is essentially so likewise. The evidence besides, that Covenanting
John Cunningham—The Ordinance of Covenanting

Jesus Fails to Attend the Third Passover.
Scribes Reproach Him for Disregarding Tradition. (Galilee, Probably Capernaum, Spring a.d. 29.) ^A Matt. XV. 1-20; ^B Mark VII. 1-23; ^D John VII. 1. ^d 1 And after these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Judæa, because the Jews sought to kill him. [John told us in his last chapter that the passover was near at hand. He here makes a general statement which shows that Jesus did not attend this passover. The reason for his absence is given at John v. 18.] ^a 1 Then there
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Of Prayer --A Perpetual Exercise of Faith. The Daily Benefits Derived from It.
1. A general summary of what is contained in the previous part of the work. A transition to the doctrine of prayer. Its connection with the subject of faith. 2. Prayer defined. Its necessity and use. 3. Objection, that prayer seems useless, because God already knows our wants. Answer, from the institution and end of prayer. Confirmation by example. Its necessity and propriety. Perpetually reminds us of our duty, and leads to meditation on divine providence. Conclusion. Prayer a most useful exercise.
John Calvin—The Institutes of the Christian Religion

"To what Purpose is the Multitude of Your Sacrifices unto Me? Saith the Lord,"
Isaiah i. 11.--"To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the Lord," &c. This is the word he calls them to hear and a strange word. Isaiah asks, What mean your sacrifices? God will not have them. I think the people would say in their own hearts, What means the prophet? What would the Lord be at? Do we anything but what he commanded us? Is he angry at us for obeying him? What means this word? Is he not repealing the statute and ordinance he had made in Israel? If he had reproved
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

Of the Power of Making Laws. The Cruelty of the Pope and his Adherents, in this Respect, in Tyrannically Oppressing and Destroying Souls.
1. The power of the Church in enacting laws. This made a source of human traditions. Impiety of these traditions. 2. Many of the Papistical traditions not only difficult, but impossible to be observed. 3. That the question may be more conveniently explained, nature of conscience must be defined. 4. Definition of conscience explained. Examples in illustration of the definition. 5. Paul's doctrine of submission to magistrates for conscience sake, gives no countenance to the Popish doctrine of the obligation
John Calvin—The Institutes of the Christian Religion

The Third Commandment
Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain: For the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.' Exod 20: 7. This commandment has two parts: 1. A negative expressed, that we must not take God's name in vain; that is, cast any reflections and dishonour on his name. 2. An affirmative implied. That we should take care to reverence and honour his name. Of this latter I shall speak more fully, under the first petition in the Lord's Prayer, Hallowed be thy name.' I shall
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments

Intercourse of Jesus with the Pagans and the Samaritans.
Following out these principles, Jesus despised all religion which was not of the heart. The vain practices of the devotees,[1] the exterior strictness, which trusted to formality for salvation, had in him a mortal enemy. He cared little for fasting.[2] He preferred forgiveness to sacrifice.[3] The love of God, charity and mutual forgiveness, were his whole law.[4] Nothing could be less priestly. The priest, by his office, ever advocates public sacrifice, of which he is the appointed minister; he
Ernest Renan—The Life of Jesus

Letter ii (A. D. 1126) to the Monk Adam
To the Monk Adam [3] 1. If you remain yet in that spirit of charity which I either knew or believed to be with you formerly, you would certainly feel the condemnation with which charity must regard the scandal which you have given to the weak. For charity would not offend charity, nor scorn when it feels itself offended. For it cannot deny itself, nor be divided against itself. Its function is rather to draw together things divided; and it is far from dividing those that are joined. Now, if that
Saint Bernard of Clairvaux—Some Letters of Saint Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux

"And There is None that Calleth Upon Thy Name, that Stirreth up Himself to Take Hold on Thee,"
Isaiah lxiv. 7.--"And there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold on thee," &c. They go on in the confession of their sins. Many a man hath soon done with that a general notion of sin is the highest advancement in repentance that many attain to. You may see here sin and judgment mixed in thorough other(315) in their complaint. They do not so fix their eyes upon their desolate estate of captivity, as to forget their provocations. Many a man would spend more affection,
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

"But it is Good for Me to Draw Near to God: I have Put My Trust in the Lord God, that I May Declare all Thy
Psal. lxxiii. 28.--"But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all thy works." After man's first transgression, he was shut out from the tree of life, and cast out of the garden, by which was signified his seclusion and sequestration from the presence of God, and communion with him: and this was in a manner the extermination of all mankind in one, when Adam was driven out of paradise. Now, this had been an eternal separation for any thing that
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

Isaiah
CHAPTERS I-XXXIX Isaiah is the most regal of the prophets. His words and thoughts are those of a man whose eyes had seen the King, vi. 5. The times in which he lived were big with political problems, which he met as a statesman who saw the large meaning of events, and as a prophet who read a divine purpose in history. Unlike his younger contemporary Micah, he was, in all probability, an aristocrat; and during his long ministry (740-701 B.C., possibly, but not probably later) he bore testimony, as
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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