Isaiah 29 15

Isaiah 29:15 kjv

Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the LORD, and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who seeth us? and who knoweth us?

Isaiah 29:15 nkjv

Woe to those who seek deep to hide their counsel far from the LORD, And their works are in the dark; They say, "Who sees us?" and, "Who knows us?"

Isaiah 29:15 niv

Woe to those who go to great depths to hide their plans from the LORD, who do their work in darkness and think, "Who sees us? Who will know?"

Isaiah 29:15 esv

Ah, you who hide deep from the LORD your counsel, whose deeds are in the dark, and who say, "Who sees us? Who knows us?"

Isaiah 29:15 nlt

What sorrow awaits those who try to hide their plans from the LORD,
who do their evil deeds in the dark!
"The LORD can't see us," they say.
"He doesn't know what's going on!"

Isaiah 29 verses

Isaiah 29 15 Meaning

This verse highlights a profound spiritual blindness and deafness inflicted upon those who willfully hide their actions or thoughts from the Lord. It signifies a deliberate turning away from God's guidance, resulting in self-deception and ultimately, divine judgment.

Isaiah 29 15 Context

Isaiah chapter 29 is a prophecy against Jerusalem, referred to as "Ariel" (Lion of God). The chapter describes a siege and conquest of the city, but also speaks of a future deliverance and restoration. Verse 15, specifically, addresses a group within Judah who are actively deceiving themselves and acting with deliberate spiritual blindness. They think their actions are hidden from God, reflecting a rejection of divine authority and a reversal of the proper relationship between Creator and creation. This was particularly relevant during the period of Assyrian threats or the Babylonian exile when defiance and secret plotting characterized some leadership.

Isaiah 29 15 Word Analysis

• Woe (הוֹי - hoy): An interjection expressing grief, distress, or denunciation. It signifies impending doom or judgment.

• those who (אֶל־הַמַּטִּים - el hammatim): Literally "to those who dip" or "sink." Refers to those who go down into counsel or engage in secret, perhaps even in prayer to humanly devised sources rather than God. It can also imply those who are lost in their own ways.

• deep (מְזִמָּה - mezimmah): Counsel, plan, or purpose. It carries a connotation of secrecy or craftiness, often in a negative sense.

• from (מִן־יְהוָה - min-Yehovah): From Jehovah, the LORD. Emphasizes the deliberate turning away from God's perspective.

• and (וּפָעֳלָם — ūp‘olam): And their work or deed. The active doing of their plans.

• in the dark (בַּחֹשֶׁךְ — bachóshech): In darkness. Signifies secrecy, concealment, and actions that are not brought into the light of God's truth.

• say (לֵאמֹר — lē’mōr): To say. The words spoken from their hearts.

• Who sees us? (מִי־רֹאָנוּ — mi-ro’ēnu): An expression of arrogance and self-assurance that their actions are unobserved.

• Who knows our deeds? (וּמִי־יְדָעֵנוּ — ūmi-ydā‘ēnu): Reinforces the belief that their actions are hidden from any authoritative observer, particularly God.

• turn things upside down (מַעֲשֵׂיכֶם — ma‘aśēkem): Your doing, your work. The text transitions here. While the original Hebrew for "turn things upside down" is not directly represented by this singular phrase, the implication is that their hidden deeds invert the truth and proper order. The following phrases clarify this:

• as if the potter (כִּֽי־הַיֹּצֵר — ki-hayyōtzēr): As if the potter. The figurative language of God as the Potter and humanity as the clay is introduced.

• were equal to (כְּחֹמֶר — kechōmer): Like the clay or the material. They are asserting an equality or a denial of the Potter's authority over the clay.

• the clay (יֹאמַר — yo’mar): Shall say. The statement of denial attributed to the created.

• Shall what is produced (וְיֹאמַר־הַמַּעֲשֶׂה — wəyō’mar-hammā‘aśēh): And the thing made shall say. Again, the denial of the Maker's sovereignty.

• say of the one who produced it (אֶל־יֹצְרוֹ — ’el-yōtzrō): To its former. The accusation leveled against the Creator.

• 'He did not make me'? ('לֹא־עָשָֽׂנִי — ’lō-‘āśāni’): He did not make me. A radical denial of God's creation and His rights over His creation.

• Or shall the thing formed (וְהַיֹּצֵר — wəhayyōtzēr): Or the thing formed. The sentence structure contrasts the object formed with the former.

• say of him who formed it (יֹאמַר אֶל־יֹצְרוֹ — yō’mar ’el-yōtzrō): Shall say to its former. Repeating the denial of the Maker's role.

• "He has no understanding"? (“אֵין־בּוֹ תְבוּנָה — ’ên-bō ṯəvunāh): There is no understanding in it. This phrase is the second part of the reversed thought; the clay claiming the potter has no understanding, thus presuming a higher wisdom than the Creator.

• Word Group Analysis:

  • The phrase "those who dip their counsel deep from the LORD" signifies a proactive withdrawal from God's guidance, seeking private, possibly sinful, strategies.
  • The question "Who sees us?" and "Who knows our deeds?" reveals a false sense of invisibility from God, leading to presumption and secrecy in sin.
  • The analogy of the clay and potter ("Shall what is produced say... 'He did not make me'?" or "'He has no understanding'?") forcefully illustrates the ultimate rebellion: denying God as Creator and sovereign, thus negating His right to direct, judge, or even understand His creation. This shows a total inversion of God's ordered universe and man's relationship to Him.

Isaiah 29 15 Bonus Section

The imagery of the potter and clay is a recurring motif in Scripture, powerfully illustrating God's sovereignty and humanity's dependence. This verse stands in contrast to the posture of humility and submission, such as that expressed by Isaiah himself in Isaiah 6:5 ("Woe is me! For I am a man of unclean lips...") or David's plea in Psalm 51:10 ("Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me."). The rebellion described here is the antithesis of true spiritual insight, which begins with acknowledging God's authority and His absolute understanding. This deliberate distortion of truth mirrors the broader theme in Romans 1 where humanity, suppressing the truth, turns to worthless thoughts and practices, leading to spiritual blindness and moral decay.

Isaiah 29 15 Commentary

This verse is a stark indictment of self-sufficient rebellion against God. It's not about forgetting God, but about actively hiding from Him and asserting autonomy, even to the point of denying His role as Creator and His inherent wisdom. This willful spiritual blindness makes people ineffective witnesses for God and leads them to misjudge His plans and purposes. They are convinced their actions are concealed, but God sees all. Their arrogance, in believing they are beyond His oversight and judgment, is met with God's judgment on their warped thinking. They are acting as if they, the created, possess superior understanding to the Creator. This perversion of relationship will lead to their downfall, highlighting the essential truth that our existence and wisdom are derived entirely from Him.