Isaiah 42 · Verse 19

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?
Isaiah 42:19, King James Version

Isaiah 42:19 in other translations

BSBWho is blind but My servant, or deaf like the messenger I am sending? Who is blind like My covenant partner, or blind like the servant of the LORD?
WEBWho is blind, but my servant? Or who is as deaf as my messenger whom I send? Who is as blind as he who is at peace, and as blind as the LORD’s servant?
ASVWho is blind, but my servant? or deaf, as my messenger that I send? who is blind as he that is at peace with me, and blind as Jehovah’s servant?
YLTWho is blind but My servant? And deaf as My messenger I send? Who is blind as he who is at peace, Yea, blind, as the servant of Jehovah?
DARBYWho is blind, but my servant? and deaf, as my messenger whom I sent? Who is blind as he in whom I have trusted, and blind as Jehovah's servant,
BBEWho is blind, but my servant? who has his ears stopped, but he whom I send? who is blind as my true one, or who has his ears shut like the Lord's servant?
WebsterWho 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?

What does Isaiah 42:19 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
19. my servant--namely, Israel. Who of the heathen is so blind? Considering Israel's high privileges, the heathen's blindness was as nothing compared with that of Israelite idolaters. my messenger ... sent--Israel was designed by God to be the herald of His truth to other nations. perfect--furnished with institutions, civil and religious, suited to their perfect well-being. Compare the title, "Jeshurun," the perfect one, applied to Israel (compare Is 44:2), as the type of Messiah [Vitringa]. Or translate, the friend of God, which Israel was by virtue of descent from Abraham, who was so called (Is 41:8), [Gesenius]. The language, "my servant" (compare Is 42:1), "messenger" (Mal 3:1), "perfect" (Ro 10:4; He 2:10; 1Pe 2:22), can, in the full antitypical sense, only apply to Christ. So Is 42:21 plainly refers to Him. "Blind" and "deaf" in His case refer to His endurance of suffering and reproach, as though He neither saw nor heard (Psa 38:13, 14). Thus there is a transition by contrast from the moral blindness of Israel (Is 42:18) to the patient blindness and deafness of Messiah [Horsley].

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 19 As my messenger that I sent "As he to whom I have sent my messengers" - כמלכי אשלח kemalachey eshlach, ut ad quem nuncios meos misi. The Vulgate and Chaldee are almost the only interpreters who render it rightly, in consistence with the rest of the sentence, and in perfect agreement with the Hebrew idiom; according to which the ellipsis is to be thus supplied: כלאשר מלאכי אשלח kelaasher malachey eshlach; "As he to whom I have sent my messengers." As he that is perfect "As he who is perfectly instructed" - See note on Isa 44:2 (note). And blind as the Lord's servant "And deaf, as the servant of Jehovah" - For ועור veivver, and blind, we must read וחרש vecheresh, and deaf: κωφος, Symmachus, and so a MS. The mistake is palpable, and the correction self-evident, and admissible though there had been no authority for it.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · 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…

Read the full comment on Isaiah 42:18-25 →

Isaiah 42:19 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.

מִ֤יmiwho?H4310
עִוֵּר֙'i.Ver[is] blindH5787
כִּ֣יkithatH3588
אִם\־'im-exceptH518
עַבְדִּ֔י'av.Diservant myH5650
וְחֵרֵ֖שׁve.che.Reshand deafH2795
כְּמַלְאָכִ֣יke.mal.'a.Khilike messenger myH4397
אֶשְׁלָ֑ח'esh.Lach[whom] I will sendH7971
מִ֤יmiwho?H4310
עִוֵּר֙'i.Ver[is] blindH5787
כִּמְשֻׁלָּ֔םkim.shu.Lamlike [one] in a covenantH7999
וְעִוֵּ֖רve.'i.Verand blindH5787
כְּעֶ֥בֶדke.'E.vedlike [the] servant ofH5650
יְהוָֽה\׃Yah.wehYahwehH3068

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

Cross references for Isaiah 42:19

  • 2 Corinthians 4:4

    In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

  • Ezekiel 12:2

    Son of man, thou dwellest in the midst of a rebellious house, which have eyes to see, and see not; they have ears to hear, and hear not: for they are a rebellious house.

  • Jeremiah 5:21

    Hear now this, O foolish people, and without understanding; which have eyes, and see not; which have ears, and hear not:

  • Romans 2:17-23

    Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God, And knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law; And art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness, An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law. …

  • Matthew 15:14-16

    Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch. Then answered Peter and said unto him, Declare unto us this parable. And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without understanding?

  • John 9:39

    And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.

  • John 7:47-49

    Then answered them the Pharisees, Are ye also deceived? Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him? But this people who knoweth not the law are cursed.

  • Isaiah 41:8

    But thou, Israel, art my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend.

  • Isaiah 44:26

    That confirmeth the word of his servant, and performeth the counsel of his messengers; that saith to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be inhabited; and to the cities of Judah, Ye shall be built, and I will raise up the decayed places thereof:

  • Romans 11:7-10

    What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day. And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompence unto them: Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back alway.

  • 2 Corinthians 3:14-15

    But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ. But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart.

  • Matthew 23:16-24

    Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor! Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold? And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty. Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift? …

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Who is blind.
6:9; 29:9-14; 56:10; Jer 4:22; 5:21; Eze 12:2; Mt 13:14,15; 15:14-16
Mt 23:16-24; Mr 8:17,18; Joh 7:47-49; 9:39,41; 12:40; Ro 2:17-23
Ro 11:7-10,25; 2Co 3:14,15; 4:4

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

Context

  • 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?

  • Isaiah 42:20

    Seeing many things, but thou observest not; opening the ears, but he heareth not.

Read all of Isaiah 42

Isaiah 42:19 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		¿Quién ciego, sino mi siervo? ¿quién sordo, como mi mensajero que envié? ¿quién ciego como el perfecto, y ciego como el siervo de Jehová,
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Qui est aveugle, si ce n’est mon serviteur, et sourd, comme mon messager que j’ai envoyé? Qui est aveugle comme celui en qui je me confie, et aveugle comme le serviteur de l’ Éternel,
German
Elberfelder 1871		Wer ist blind, als nur mein Knecht? und taub wie mein Bote, den ich sende? Wer ist blind wie der Vertraute, und blind wie der Knecht Jehovas?
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Quis cæcus, nisi servus meus; et surdus, nisi ad quem nuntios meos misi? quis cæcus, nisi qui venundatus est? et quis cæcus, nisi servus Domini?