Isaiah 29:1-14

1 Woe to Ariel, to Ariel, the city where David dwelt! add ye one year to another; the lambs shall cease.

2 Yet I will distress Ariel, and there shall be heaviness and sorrow: and it shall be unto me as Ariel.

3 And I will camp against thee round about and will lay siege against thee with a mount, and I will raise forts against thee.

4 And thou shalt be brought down and shalt speak out of the ground, and thy speech shall be low out of the dust, and thy voice shall be as that of a spiritist, out of the ground, and thy speech shall whisper out of the dust.

5 Moreover the multitude of thy enemies that shall come from afar shall be like small dust, and the multitude of the strong ones shall be as chaff that passes away: yea, it shall be at an instant suddenly.

6 Thou shalt be visited of the LORD of the hosts with thunders, with earthquakes, and with great noise, with whirlwind and tempest, and the flame of devouring fire.

7 And the multitude of all the Gentiles that shall fight against Ariel, even all that shall fight against her and their siege weapons, and those that shall distress her, shall be as a dream of a night vision.

8 It shall even be as he who dreams that he is hungry, and in his dream, he eats; but when he awakes, his soul is empty; and as he who dreams that he is thirsty, and, in his dream, he drinks; but he awakes, and, behold, he is faint, and his soul is still thirsty: so shall the multitude of all the Gentiles be, that shall fight against Mount Zion.

9 Become ye dumb, and make others dumb; become ye blind, and blind others: they are drunken, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink.

10 For the LORD has extended upon you the spirit of deep sleep and has closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, he has covered the seers with sleep.

11 And every vision is unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which if it were delivered to one that knows how to read, saying, Read this, I pray thee: he shall say, I cannot; for it is sealed:

12 And if the book were delivered to him that does not know how to read, saying, Read this, I pray thee: he shall say, I do not know how to read.

13 Therefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people sacrifice unto me and honour me with their lips, but have removed their heart far from me, and their worship with which they honour me was taught by the commandment of men:

14 Therefore, behold, I will again do a marvellous work among this people with a fearful miracle: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the prudence of their prudent men shall fade away.

Isaiah 29:1-14 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO ISAIAH 29

This chapter contains a prophecy concerning the destruction of the temple and city of Jerusalem by the Romans; the character and condition of the people of the Jews, previous to it; the calling of the Gentiles, by the preaching of the Gospel; the ruin of antichrist, and the conversion of the Jews, in the latter day. The siege and destruction of Jerusalem are described in Isa 29:1-6 the disappointment of their enemies, notwithstanding their taking and destroying it, Isa 29:7,8 the stupidity, judicial blindness, and hardness of the Jews, which brought on their ruin, are predicted, Isa 29:9,10 the ignorance of their learned, as well as of their unlearned men, with respect to the Scripture, and the prophecies of it, Isa 29:11,12 their hypocrisy and formality in worship, Isa 29:13 a blast upon all their wisdom and prudence, who thought to be wiser than the Lord, and too many for him, whose folly and atheism are exposed, Isa 29:14-16, and a great change both in Judea and the Gentile world, by the removal of the Gospel from the one to the other, Isa 29:17 the effects of which are, deaf sinners hear the word, dark minds are enlightened, and joy increased among the meek and poor, Isa 29:18,19 the fall of the Jews, or else of antichrist, is foretold, Isa 29:20,21 and the chapter is closed with a promise and prophecy of the conversion of the seed of Abraham and Jacob, Isa 29:22-24.