Isaiah 42 · Verse 18

Isaiah 42:18

Hear, ye deaf; and look, ye blind, that ye may see.
Isaiah 42:18, King James Version

Isaiah 42:18 in other translations

BSBListen, you deaf ones; look, you blind ones, that you may see!
WEB“Hear, you deaf, and look, you blind, that you may see.
ASVHear, ye deaf; and look, ye blind, that ye may see.
YLTYe deaf, hear; and ye blind, look to see.
DARBY— Hear, ye deaf; and look, ye blind, that ye may see.
BBEGive ear, you whose ears are shut; and let your eyes be open, you blind, so that you may see.
WebsterHear, ye deaf; and look, ye blind, that ye may see.

What does Isaiah 42:18 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
18. deaf--namely, to the voice of God. blind--to your duty and interest; wilfully so (Is 42:20). In this they differ from "the blind" (Is 42:16). The Jews are referred to. He had said, God would destroy the heathen idolatry; here he remembers that even Israel, His "servant" (Is 42:19), from whom better things might have been expected, is tainted with this sin.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Isaiah 42:18-25
Observe the call given to this people, and the character given of them. Multitudes are ruined for want of observing that which they cannot but see; they perish, not through ignorance, but carelessness. The Lord is well-pleased in the making known his own righteousness. For their sins they were spoiled of all their possessions. This fully came to pass in the destruction of the Jewish nation. There is no resisting, nor escaping God's anger. See the mischief sin makes; it provokes God to anger. And those not humbled by lesser judgments, must expect greater. Alas! how many professed Christians are blind as the benighted heathen! While the Lord is well-pleased in saving sinners through the righteousness of Christ he will also glorify his justice, by punishing all proud despisers. Seeing God has poured out his wrath on his once-favoured people, because of their sins, let us fear, lest a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of us should be found to come short of it.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Isaiah 42:18 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

הַחֵרְשִׁ֖יםha.che.re.ShimO deaf [people]H2795
שְׁמָ֑עוּshe.Ma.'ulistenH8085
וְהַעִוְרִ֖יםve.ha.'iv.Rimand O blind [people]H5787
הַבִּ֥יטוּha.Bi.tulookH5027
לִרְאֽוֹת\׃lir.'otto seeH7200

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Isaiah 42:18

  • Isaiah 43:8

    Bring forth the blind people that have eyes, and the deaf that have ears.

  • Mark 7:34-37

    And looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened. And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain. And he charged them that they should tell no man: but the more he charged them, so much the more a great deal they published it; And were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done all things well: he maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak.

  • Isaiah 29:18

    And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness.

  • Proverbs 20:12

    The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, the Lord hath made even both of them.

  • Isaiah 35:5

    Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.

  • Revelation 3:17-18

    Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.

  • Luke 7:22

    Then Jesus answering said unto them, Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached.

  • Exodus 4:11

    And the Lord said unto him, Who hath made man’s mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the Lord?

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
ye deaf.
29:18; 43:8; Ex 4:11; Pr 20:12; Mr 7:34-37; Lu 7:22; Re 3:17,18

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Isaiah 42:17

    They shall be turned back, they shall be greatly ashamed, that trust in graven images, that say to the molten images, Ye are our gods.

  • Isaiah 42:18

    Hear, ye deaf; and look, ye blind, that ye may see.

  • Isaiah 42:19

    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?

Read all of Isaiah 42

Isaiah 42:18 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Sordos, oid; y vosotros ciegos, mirad para ver.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Écoutez, sourds, et vous, aveugles, regardez pour voir.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Höret, ihr Tauben! und ihr Blinden, schauet her, um zu sehen!
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Surdi, audite, et cæci, intuemini ad videndum.