Isaiah 42:20 kjv
Seeing many things, but thou observest not; opening the ears, but he heareth not.
Isaiah 42:20 nkjv
Seeing many things, but you do not observe; Opening the ears, but he does not hear."
Isaiah 42:20 niv
You have seen many things, but you pay no attention; your ears are open, but you do not listen."
Isaiah 42:20 esv
He sees many things, but does not observe them; his ears are open, but he does not hear.
Isaiah 42:20 nlt
You see and recognize what is right
but refuse to act on it.
You hear with your ears,
but you don't really listen."
Isaiah 42 20 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isa 6:9-10 | "Go and tell this people: 'Be ever hearing, but never understanding... make the ears dull..." | Prophetic judgment of spiritual insensitivity |
| Jer 5:21 | "Hear this, you foolish and senseless people, who have eyes but do not see..." | Rebukes Israel's lack of spiritual discernment |
| Ezek 12:2 | "Son of man, you live in the midst of a rebellious house, who have eyes to see but do not see..." | God's people's inability to perceive divine truth |
| Deut 29:2-4 | "...until this day the LORD has not given you a heart to perceive or eyes to see or ears to hear." | Moses' reminder of their stubborn unresponsiveness |
| Zech 7:11-12 | "But they refused to pay attention... They made their hearts as hard as flint..." | Rejection of God's law and prophetic words |
| Ps 115:5-6 | "They have mouths, but do not speak; eyes have they, but they do not see..." | Critique of idols, ironically reflects Israel's state |
| Mt 13:13-15 | "Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand." | Jesus' explanation for using parables to hidden truths |
| Mk 4:11-12 | "...so that 'they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding...'" | Parallel to Matthew, spiritual blindness explained |
| Lk 8:10 | "...so that 'they may see but not perceive, and hear but not understand.'" | Parable purpose, spiritual separation |
| Jn 9:39-41 | "I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind." | Jesus' mission and the spiritual blindness of Pharisees |
| Rom 11:8 | "God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that could not see and ears that could not hear, to this very day." | God's hardening of Israel due to unbelief |
| 2 Cor 3:14-15 | "...their minds were made dull... the veil remains... still covers their hearts." | Veil over hearts preventing understanding |
| Eph 4:18 | "They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them..." | Describes the spiritually unperceptive |
| Isa 35:5 | "Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped." | Prophecy of future spiritual restoration and healing |
| Jer 31:33 | "I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts." | Prophecy of the New Covenant's inward understanding |
| Ezek 36:26-27 | "I will give you a new heart... and put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees..." | God's active work to change unresponsive hearts |
| Acts 7:51 | "You stiff-necked people! Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised." | Stephen's rebuke to unrepentant listeners |
| Ps 146:8 | "The LORD gives sight to the blind, the LORD lifts up those who are bowed down..." | God's redemptive work to reverse spiritual states |
| Mt 11:15 | "Whoever has ears, let them hear." | Jesus' call for spiritual receptivity and attention |
| Rev 2:7 | "Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches." | Divine imperative for churches to spiritually discern |
| Isa 42:7 | "to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison..." | Contrast: the true Servant will bring sight, not be blind |
| Prov 28:26 | "Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered." | Contrasts self-reliance with seeking understanding |
Isaiah 42 verses
Isaiah 42 20 Meaning
Isaiah 42:20 laments the spiritual blindness and deafness of Israel, God's chosen servant people. Despite having witnessed numerous divine interventions and having received abundant divine revelation, they failed to truly perceive, understand, or respond obediently to God's will and actions. Their physical faculties for sight and hearing were active, yet their spiritual faculties remained unresponsive, rendering them effectively blind and deaf to God's message.
Isaiah 42 20 Context
Isaiah 42 forms a significant part of the "Servant Songs" (chapters 40-55), a series of prophecies introducing a figure known as the Servant of the Lord. Verses 1-9 powerfully describe this Servant, depicting Him as gentle, just, bringing salvation, and opening blind eyes (v.7). However, immediately after this glorious portrayal of the ideal Servant, verses 18-25 turn sharply to Israel, who is also called "My Servant" (v.19). This transition highlights a profound contrast: the ideal Servant will bring spiritual sight and hearing, while Israel, despite being chosen and given abundant revelation, is characterized by its failure to see and hear (v.18-20). The verse therefore sets up Israel's spiritual unresponsiveness as the stark backdrop against which the necessity and uniqueness of the ultimate Servant's mission are underscored. Historically, this describes the exilic/post-exilic condition of Israel, who, despite experiencing God's mighty acts of deliverance, judgment, and persistent teaching, consistently failed to internalize His truth or faithfully follow Him. Their spiritual insensitivity contributed to their persistent cycles of rebellion and judgment.
Isaiah 42 20 Word analysis
- You have seen (Hebrew: ra'ita - רָאִיתָ): Directly addresses the people. Implies firsthand experience, clear perception with physical eyes. Acknowledges undeniable evidence presented to them.
- many things (Hebrew: rabbot - רַבּוֹת): Not just a singular event but numerous, abundant displays of God's power, judgment, and faithfulness throughout their history. This highlights the magnitude of God's self-revelation.
- but you pay no attention (Hebrew: v'lo tishmor - וְלֹא תִשְׁמוֹר): The verb shamar means to watch, guard, observe, heed, or keep. It denotes a deliberate, active attentiveness and responsiveness, not merely passive sight. Here, it signifies a failure to internalize, to understand deeply, or to act upon what was seen. It points to a volitional rejection or neglect.
- your ears are open (Hebrew: oznayim p'khuchot - אָזְנַיִם פְּקֻחוֹת): "Open ears" literally signifies physical capability. There was no impediment to hearing the words, prophecies, and laws from God. This emphasizes that access to divine communication was freely granted.
- but you hear nothing (Hebrew: v'lo yishma - וְלֹא יִשְׁמַע): The verb shama implies not just the physical act of hearing, but also listening, understanding, and obeying. This points to a spiritual deafness, a failure to comprehend the true meaning or to yield to the implications of what was heard. It's a lack of spiritual apprehension and responsive obedience.
Words-group analysis:
- "You have seen many things, but you pay no attention": This juxtaposes physical observation with spiritual disregard. It's a strong accusation that while God continually revealed Himself, Israel’s inner state was unperceptive and unresponsive. The evidence was overwhelming, yet their hearts remained unmoved.
- "your ears are open, but you hear nothing": This phrase directly parallels the first, applying the same indictment to their auditory perception. Despite having unimpeded access to God's spoken word through prophets and the Law, they failed to truly listen, understand, or obey, rendering their "hearing" meaningless in God's sight. The problem lies not in the lack of revelation, but in the rejection or disregard of it.
Isaiah 42 20 Bonus section
- The profound irony in this verse is amplified by its proximity to the description of the Lord's ideal Servant (Messiah) in Isaiah 42:1-7. The Messiah is specifically identified as one who will "open eyes that are blind" (v.7), yet the nation meant to prepare His way is itself characterized by its inability to see or hear. This underscores Israel's spiritual failure and the necessity of a greater deliverer.
- The language used here echoes similar condemnations found elsewhere in Scripture regarding spiritual stubbornness, often using the imagery of unseeing eyes and unhearing ears, reinforcing a consistent divine concern for genuine heart-level reception of His word. This theme is foundational to understanding the New Testament's teachings on spiritual discernment and the condition of the human heart before God.
- This verse can serve as a prophetic anticipation of the people's response to Jesus during His ministry. Though He performed countless miracles (seen many things) and taught with divine authority (ears open), many, particularly religious leaders, still refused to understand or believe Him (paid no attention, heard nothing).
Isaiah 42 20 Commentary
Isaiah 42:20 serves as a profound indictment against Israel, God's chosen "servant," for their pervasive spiritual insensitivity. Despite being recipients of an unparalleled history of divine acts and clear divine communication, they demonstrated a stubborn refusal to grasp God's purposes or conform to His will. This was not a physical inability, but a willful spiritual blindness and deafness, a hardened heart that processed neither the abundant visual evidence of God's power nor the clear verbal commands of His Law. This verse highlights the deep irony that the very people called to be a light and a witness to God's truth to the nations were themselves languishing in spiritual darkness. It emphasizes that divine revelation, no matter how clear or abundant, is ineffective without a receptive heart and a responsive spirit. This inability of Israel foreshadows the need for the perfect Servant (the Messiah) introduced earlier in the chapter, who alone could truly see, hear, and accomplish God's redemptive plan. It is a timeless reminder that mere exposure to spiritual truth does not equate to genuine understanding or transformative obedience.