Isaiah 40 27

Isaiah 40:27 kjv

Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, My way is hid from the LORD, and my judgment is passed over from my God?

Isaiah 40:27 nkjv

Why do you say, O Jacob, And speak, O Israel: "My way is hidden from the LORD, And my just claim is passed over by my God"?

Isaiah 40:27 niv

Why do you complain, Jacob? Why do you say, Israel, "My way is hidden from the LORD; my cause is disregarded by my God"?

Isaiah 40:27 esv

Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, "My way is hidden from the LORD, and my right is disregarded by my God"?

Isaiah 40:27 nlt

O Jacob, how can you say the LORD does not see your troubles?
O Israel, how can you say God ignores your rights?

Isaiah 40 verses

Isaiah 40 27 Meaning

Isaiah 40:27 presents a poignant lament from the nation of Israel (Jacob), expressing deep-seated despair and a feeling of divine neglect during a period of suffering, likely the Babylonian exile. The people question God's awareness and concern, stating their "way" – their life circumstances, their suffering, their path – is hidden from the LORD, implying He does not see or care. Furthermore, they assert that their "just claim" – their rightful plea for justice or their due as God's covenant people – is being ignored or overlooked by their God. This verse encapsulates the human tendency to question God's presence and fairness amidst trials, setting the stage for God's comforting and powerful declarations of His omniscient, omnipotent, and unfailing nature in the subsequent verses.

Isaiah 40 27 Context

Isaiah chapter 40 marks a significant thematic shift within the book of Isaiah, moving from prophecies of judgment (Chapters 1-39) to messages of comfort, hope, and restoration. This "Book of Comfort" (Chapters 40-66) directly addresses the impending, and later actual, exile of Judah in Babylon. The chapter opens with the iconic words "Comfort, comfort my people," signaling a divine message to a disillusioned nation.The people of Judah, devastated by the loss of their land, temple, and identity, felt abandoned by their God. They witnessed the might of the Babylonian empire and its gods, leading them to doubt Yahweh's power and faithfulness. Isaiah 40:27 voices this deep lament: "Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel..." This rhetorical question, posed directly by God through the prophet, expresses the people's feelings of being forgotten ("My way is hidden") and unjustly treated ("my just claim is disregarded"). This sentiment directly challenged God's omnipresence, omniscience, and justice, principles that Isaiah then powerfully reaffirms in the following verses (40:28-31), demonstrating God's incomparable greatness above all human or pagan deities.

Isaiah 40 27 Word analysis

• "Why do you say": לָמָּה תֹאמַר (lamah tomar) - "Why will you say?" or "Why do you declare?". This is a rhetorical question, carrying a tone of rebuke and deep concern. It questions the very basis of their declaration, implying a false accusation.
• "O Jacob, and speak, O Israel": Jacob and Israel are used synonymously here, referring to the whole nation, the covenant people of God. "Jacob" can emphasize the "supplanter" or the one who struggled, highlighting their present weakness and wrestling with God. "Israel" refers to the "prince with God," yet here they are behaving in unbelief. The repetition emphasizes the pervasiveness of this doubt.
• "My way": דַּרְכִּי (darki) - "my path," "my journey," "my course of life," "my circumstances," or "my lot." It encompasses their entire life's experience and present situation, particularly their suffering and oppression under Babylonian rule. They felt their whole existence was obscured from God's view.
• "is hidden": נִסְתְּרָה (nisterah) - "is concealed," "is hidden away." It is a passive verb, implying that the "way" itself has become obscure from an external observer. Here, it implies God is either unaware of their struggles or indifferent to them.
• "from the LORD": מֵיהוה (meYHWH) - "from Yahweh," God's personal covenant name. This makes the complaint particularly poignant, as they are accusing their covenant-keeping God of ignorance or neglect. It underscores the intimacy and expectation implicit in their relationship.
• "and my just claim": וּמִשְׁפָּטִי (u'mishpati) - "and my judgment," "my right," "my due," "my cause," or "my case for justice." This is a legal term. The people are asserting that they have a valid case, a righteous claim for divine intervention and vindication, implying they are being unjustly treated.
• "is disregarded": יַעֲבֹר מֵאֱלֹהַי (ya'avor me'Elohay) - Literally, "passes away from my God" or "goes unheeded by my God." This conveys the sense that their legal cause or plea for justice is being overlooked, bypassed, or not even reaching the ears of their divine Judge. It suggests active negligence or indifference.
• "by my God": מֵאֱלֹהַי (me'Elohay) - "from my God." Using the possessive "my" emphasizes a personal, yet currently strained, relationship. Despite addressing Him as "my God," they perceive Him as failing in His role to defend their righteous cause.

Words-Group by Words-Group Analysis:

• "Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel": This opening sets a confrontational tone, yet one born of deep concern. It is God Himself addressing His people directly, calling out their negative declaration. It highlights a rhetorical question challenging the truthfulness and wisdom of their statement.
• "My way is hidden from the LORD": This phrase captures the feeling of abandonment and invisibility. In a period of suffering and national calamity, the people felt God had either turned His face away or was simply oblivious to their dire situation. It implies a sense of cosmic injustice.
• "and my just claim is disregarded by my God": This extends the complaint from mere suffering to a legal grievance. The people felt that not only were they suffering unseen, but their pleas for justice – based on their covenant relationship and God's nature – were falling on deaf ears. This represents a deep questioning of God's character as a righteous judge.

Isaiah 40 27 Bonus section

The lament in Isaiah 40:27 serves as a vital psychological release for the exiles, giving voice to their deepest fears and frustrations before God. While a complaint, it is still addressed to God, indicating a lingering hope or expectation that He might yet respond, despite their accusation of neglect. This raw honesty is characteristic of many Psalms, where lament often precedes renewed trust and praise (e.g., Ps 13, 22). The verse is not merely a descriptive statement but a theological setup, providing the human error that God then comprehensively corrects through His prophet. It subtly refutes pagan beliefs that a god could be too distant, weak, or asleep to care for his people, emphasizing that the God of Israel is none of these things. It teaches us that even in our darkest moments of questioning, God remains engaged with His people, listening and ultimately revealing His enduring faithfulness.

Isaiah 40 27 Commentary

Isaiah 40:27 gives voice to a profound human and specifically Israelite struggle: the crisis of faith when God's perceived absence coincides with intense suffering. The rhetorical question addresses the Israelites in Babylonian exile, burdened by loss and doubt, who lament that God neither sees their affliction ("My way is hidden") nor champions their cause for justice ("my just claim is disregarded"). This accusation reflects a profound theological error born of despair, implicitly denying God's omniscience and righteous governance.The verse sets a critical tension between human limited perception and divine reality. It immediately precedes one of the most magnificent affirmations of God's nature (v. 28-31), where His eternal, incomparable, omniscient, and omnipotent attributes are proclaimed. The very act of God addressing their complaint shows He is far from hidden or unaware. He hears their thoughts, knows their feelings, and will provide strength. The people’s accusation, while understandable from a human perspective of feeling overwhelmed, fundamentally misunderstands the unchanging, watchful, and just character of their covenant God. It is a moment of deep human spiritual exhaustion that God lovingly, yet firmly, corrects with an outpouring of truth about His majestic being.