Isaiah 42:19 kjv
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?
Isaiah 42:19 nkjv
Who is blind but My servant, Or deaf as My messenger whom I send? Who is blind as he who is perfect, And blind as the LORD's servant?
Isaiah 42:19 niv
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?
Isaiah 42:19 esv
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?
Isaiah 42:19 nlt
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?
Isaiah 42 19 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isa 42:18 | Hear, you deaf; and look, you blind, that you may see. | Direct preceding verse |
| Isa 42:20 | You saw many things, but you did not observe; your ears were open, but you did not hear. | Direct following verse |
| Jer 5:21 | "Hear now this, O foolish people and without understanding, who have eyes but see not, and have ears but hear not." | Theme of spiritual blindness/deafness |
| Eze 12:2 | "Son of man, you dwell in the midst of a rebellious house, which has eyes to see but sees not, and ears to hear but hears not; for they are a rebellious house." | Theme of spiritual blindness/deafness |
| Matt 13:14 | "And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled which says: ‘Hearing you will hear and not understand, and seeing you will see and not perceive.’" | Fulfillment in NT |
| Matt 15:14 | "Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit." | Application of blindness concept |
| John 9:41 | Jesus said to them, "If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, 'We see.' Therefore your sin remains." | Spiritual perception |
| Acts 28:26-27 | "Go and tell this people: ‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand; Keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’ For the hearts of this people have become hardened. Their ears are hard of hearing, and they have shut their eyes, Lest they should see with their eyes, Lest they should hear with their ears, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, And I should heal them.” | Repetition and interpretation |
| Rom 11:8 | Just as it is written: "God has given them a spirit of dullness, Eyes that they should not see and ears that they should not hear, To this very day." | Apostolic confirmation |
| Ps 69:22 | Let their table become a snare and a trap, A stumbling block and a retribution to them. | Imagery of hindrance |
| Ps 119:18 | Open my eyes, that I may see wondrous things from your law. | Plea for spiritual sight |
| Prov 20:12 | The hearing ear and the seeing eye, The LORD has made them both. | Divine creation of senses |
| Prov 29:1 | He who is often rebuked and hardens his neck, Will suddenly be cut off and that without remedy. | Consequence of obstinacy |
| 1 Cor 2:14 | But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. | Natural man's inability |
| 2 Cor 3:14-16 | But their minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ. Yet, even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil is on their heart. Now when he turns to the LORD, the veil is taken away. | Spiritual blindness linked to Law |
| Eph 4:18 | Having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; | Description of unregenerate state |
| 1 Pet 1:14 | As obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; | Contrast of ignorance and obedience |
| Heb 4:2 | For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it. | Efficacy dependent on faith |
| John 12:40 | "He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, Lest they should see with their eyes and understand with their hearts, Lest they should turn, and I heal them.” | Parallel Isaiah prophecy |
Isaiah 42 verses
Isaiah 42 19 Meaning
The Lord declares through Isaiah that His chosen servant, blinded and deaf, has nonetheless received extensive chastisement. This suffering and spiritual disability were designed for the benefit of Israel.
Isaiah 42 19 Context
Isaiah chapter 42 begins with God presenting His chosen servant, the Messiah, who will bring justice to the nations. The preceding verses (42:18-20) speak of a servant, identified with Israel, who is spiritually blind and deaf, despite seeing and hearing many things. This blindness is a consequence of their rebellion and disobedience. This specific verse highlights that despite this chosen servant's impairments, God has purposefully subjected him to trials and chastisements for their ultimate restoration and teaching. The overall context is God's plan of salvation, involving a suffering servant who experiences hardship for the sake of His people.
Isaiah 42 19 Word Analysis
"Who?": An interrogative pronoun, initiating a rhetorical question or identifying the subject. Here, it points to the subject of God's observation.
"is": Verb "to be," indicating existence or state.
"blind?": Hebrew: עוּר (ʿūr). Literal meaning is "blind" or "eyeless." Figuratively, it signifies spiritual blindness, an inability to perceive truth or understand God's will. It implies a state of unawareness.
"and": Conjunction connecting clauses or words.
"deaf?": Hebrew: חֵרֵשׁ (ḥērēš). Literal meaning is "deaf" or "hard of hearing." Figuratively, it denotes an inability or refusal to hear and obey God's word or voice.
"and": Conjunction.
"blind": Hebrew: סוּמָּא (sūmmāʾ). Similar to עוּר (ʿūr), it signifies blindness, emphasizing a lack of sight, both physical and spiritual.
"having": Present participle of "to have," indicating possession or the state of having.
"eyes,": Hebrew: עַיִן (ʿayin). Means "eye." In this context, it refers to the faculty of sight, but also, metaphorically, spiritual perception or understanding.
"though": Conjunction indicating contrast or concession.
"seen": Past participle of "to see."
"and": Conjunction.
"ears": Hebrew: אֹ֫֫זֶן (ʾōzen). Means "ear." Refers to the organ of hearing, and by extension, the ability to listen and comprehend.
"though": Conjunction.
"heard.": Past participle of "to hear."
Word Group Analysis:
- "blind... having eyes... seen": This paradoxical phrase emphasizes that the servant possesses the physical faculty of sight but lacks the spiritual capacity to truly perceive and understand. It speaks to a disconnect between physical capability and spiritual comprehension.
- "deaf... and ears... though heard": Similarly, the servant has the physical sense of hearing but does not grasp the meaning or significance of what is heard. This highlights a wilful or imposed inattentiveness to God's message.
- "My servant, My hands": Though not in this verse, the broader context links this servant to God's "hands," suggesting a tool or agent through whom God works. The spiritual blindness is therefore a tragic state for such an important instrument.
Isaiah 42 19 Bonus Section
The concept of spiritual blindness and deafness is a recurring theme in Scripture, often presented as a consequence of prolonged sin and rebellion against God's clear revelations. It is a state where external knowledge is available, but internal receptivity is shut down. This condition is deeply contrasted with the desired outcome of the Servant's mission – to open the eyes of the blind and bring light to those in darkness (Isaiah 42:7). The prophecies about this blinded servant are powerfully fulfilled in Jesus, who confronted this spiritual blindness in religious leaders and the general populace (John 9:39-41). His lament, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were unwilling!" (Matthew 23:37), echoes the sentiment of the Lord addressing a people who refuse to see or hear, despite abundant evidence. The "chastisement" mentioned refers to suffering, which, in the case of Jesus, is His passion and crucifixion, all part of God's plan to redeem those blinded by sin.
Isaiah 42 19 Commentary
This verse paints a poignant picture of the Lord's servant, identified prophetically with Israel and ultimately with Jesus Christ. Despite possessing the physical senses of sight and hearing, the servant is spiritually "blind" and "deaf." This means they are unable to truly comprehend God's truth or respond to His call. The phrase "seen much" and "heard" points to opportunities and revelations that have been given but not properly understood or acted upon due to this spiritual deficiency. The Lord's question highlights the sorrowful paradox of someone with the capacity to perceive yet failing to do so. This spiritual impairment is not without purpose; it serves a redemptive function, as the verse indicates suffering and chastisement were directed toward the servant for the ultimate benefit of the people. It underscores God's commitment to His people, even when His chosen instrument struggles with spiritual understanding.