Isaiah 29 12

Isaiah 29:12 kjv

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

Isaiah 29:12 nkjv

Then the book is delivered to one who is illiterate, saying, "Read this, please." And he says, "I am not literate."

Isaiah 29:12 niv

Or if you give the scroll to someone who cannot read, and say, "Read this, please," they will answer, "I don't know how to read."

Isaiah 29:12 esv

And when they give the book to one who cannot read, saying, "Read this," he says, "I cannot read."

Isaiah 29:12 nlt

When you give it to those who cannot read, they will say, "We don't know how to read."

Isaiah 29 verses

Isaiah 29 12 Meaning

This verse describes the consequences of refusing to listen to God's prophets, resulting in a spiritual blindness and inability to understand divine revelation, as if the prophetic message were a sealed book.

Isaiah 29 12 Context

Isaiah chapter 29 deals with judgment and restoration concerning Jerusalem, specifically targeting its self-righteousness and corrupted religious practices. The immediate context of verse 12 describes a spiritual desolation that will fall upon those who reject God's messengers and twist His word. Historically, this prophecy addresses the people of Judah during Isaiah's time, particularly the leadership and religious elite who were deaf to his warnings of impending Assyrian or Babylonian exile. The "book" refers to the divine message, likely contained in prophetic oracles. The verse foretells a state where even those considered learned and religious will be unable to comprehend God's word, demonstrating a divine abandonment due to persistent disobedience.

Isaiah 29 12 Word analysis

• wə (wə) - "and" - Conjunction, linking the previous divine action (God hiding revelation) to the consequence.
• ‘i (‘iy) - "woe" - Interjection of distress or warning, often used prophetically to announce impending doom or judgment.
• la·kem (lakem) - "to you" - Plural masculine second person pronoun, addressing a group of people.
• ‘o·dê (‘ode) - "saying" or "telling" - Derived from the root ‘âðá, to be or become tired, weary; here likely in a causative sense of making one weary or difficult to understand, or implying a deceptive message. This word can also relate to guidance or counsel.
• hî·nîhî (hînnîhî) - "behold" or "lo" - Particle used to draw attention, emphasize the following statement.
• sê·per (sepher) - "book" or "scroll" - A written document. In this context, it refers to the divine revelation or prophetic message.
• ham (ham) - "the" - Definite article.
• sa·gûr (sagûr) - "sealed" or "closed" - Past participle from the root sāgá“, to shut up, enclose, seal. Indicates that the content is inaccessible.
• hi·‘u·tem (hi‘utem) - "ye are sealed" or "ye have been sealed" - Passive verb, plural, referring to the people being sealed, implying God is the agent.
• tiu (tiu) - "and to the scholars" - Plural masculine noun, meaning knowledgeable men, scribes, or wise men.
• kô·wlam (kolam) - "saying" - Another word for speaking or proclaiming.
• lō’ (lo’) - "not" - Negative particle.
• rû (ru) - "read" - Imperative or infinitive of the root râ‘á, to see, behold, but also used for reading texts.
• ki (ki) - "because" or "for" - Causal conjunction.
• su·lâm (sulam) - "their way" or "their opening" - Root sûl, to step, go. Can mean a stepping out, or a departure, referring to their established path or approach. Some interpretations suggest "my mouth" from related roots or "my instruction".
• se·tu·mâ (setumah) - "sealed" or "hidden" - Feminine passive participle from sā·tám, to cover, close, hide.
• ‘al (‘al) - "upon" - Preposition.
• zeh (zeh) - "this" - Demonstrative pronoun.
• ‘al (‘al) - "not" - Negative particle, in emphasis.
• rû (ru) - "read" - Infinitive absolute of râ‘á, used for emphasis of the verb "read."
• qə·rô·’āw (qero’aw) - "its readers" or "those who read it" - From the root qârâ, to call, meet, read. Refers to those who would attempt to read.
• lî (li) - "me" - First person singular possessive pronoun. This is a significant textual variant/reading, suggesting the scholars cannot read "my" (God's) scroll. Another reading is "it."
• ham (ham) - "the" - Definite article.
• ham·lî·wê (hamliwe) - "their scribes" or "their learners" - Possibly from lamâð, to teach, learn, or from lāwâ, to join, turn aside. Indicates those who are instructed or follow a specific tradition.

Words-group by words-group analysis

• "wə‘iy lachem ôdê hînnîhî sêper ham sa·gûr": The "woe" announces divine judgment upon those who refuse spiritual insight. The "book that is sealed" symbolizes revealed truth made inaccessible to the willfully ignorant.
• "hi‘utem ‘im tiú kôwlam lō’ rû": This speaks of active spiritual blinding, where those considered learned ("scholars") claim they cannot read, implying a chosen inability or rejection of understanding. The dual assertion, "We cannot read," emphasizes their declared impotence.
• "ki su·lam zeh ‘al rû qə·rô·’āw lî ham ham·lî·wê": The reason given is multifaceted: their inherent turning away ("sulam zeh") from God's path, a sealing ("setumah") of divine instruction, and the inability of their readers/learners ("hamliwe") to access it because of this willful alienation. The pronoun variation "li" (me) versus "it" highlights a very personal rejection of God Himself through His Word.

Isaiah 29 12 Bonus section

The concept of a "sealed book" resonates with other scriptural passages where divine knowledge is either revealed or kept hidden. For example, in Daniel 12:4, the prophet is told to seal the words of his prophecy until the time of the end, suggesting that some divine knowledge is period-specific. In Revelation, a scroll sealed with seven seals represents God's ultimate plan, which only the Lamb can open (Revelation 5). This contrasts with Isaiah 29, where the sealing is a judgment, a withholding of understanding from those who have already rejected God. The verse's emphasis on scholars claiming they "cannot read it" speaks to the futility of human wisdom apart from divine illumination, a theme consistently taught throughout scripture. Jesus himself speaks of spiritual blindness in passages like John 9:41, where He states, "If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains."

Isaiah 29 12 Commentary

This verse paints a grim picture of spiritual perversion. It's not that God hides His word in an inaccessible manner, but rather that the hearts of the people, especially the spiritual elite, have become so hardened and turned away from God that they cannot comprehend His divine communication. They profess inability to read the sealed scroll, not due to lack of literal ability, but because their spiritual faculties are dulled. Their traditions and self-proclaimed wisdom prevent them from recognizing the divine message being delivered through the prophets. This condition, a consequence of rejecting God's counsel, leads to profound deception and spiritual deadness. The "book" can be seen as a metaphor for God's plan, His character, and His will as revealed, which these leaders are fundamentally unable to grasp or apply correctly.