Isaiah 59:10

Isaiah 59:10 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)We grope for the wall like the blind, and we grope as if we had no eyes: we stumble at noonday as in the night; we are in desolate places as dead men.
• New International Version (NIV)Like the blind we grope along the wall, feeling our way like people without eyes. At midday we stumble as if it were twilight; among the strong, we are like the dead.
• English Standard Version (ESV)We grope for the wall like the blind; we grope like those who have no eyes; we stumble at noon as in the twilight, among those in full vigor we are like dead men.
• New King James Version (NKJV)We grope for the wall like the blind, And we grope as if we had no eyes; We stumble at noonday as at twilight; We are as dead men in desolate places.

Context of Isaiah 59:10

8They do not know the way of peace, And there is no justice in their tracks. They have made them into crooked paths; Whoever walks on them does not know peace. 9Therefore justice is far from us, And righteousness does not overtake us. We [expectantly] hope for light, but only see darkness; We hope for gleam of light, but we walk in darkness and gloom. We grope for a wall like the blind, We grope like those who have no eyes. We stumble at midday as in the twilight; Among those who are healthy we are like dead men. 11We all groan and growl like bears, And coo sadly like doves; We hope for justice, but there is none, For salvation, but it is far from us. 12For our transgressions are multiplied before You [O Lord], And our sins testify against us; For our transgressions are with us, And we know and recognize our wickedness [our sin, our injustice, our wrongdoing]:

Isaiah 59:10 word by word

נְגַֽשְׁשָׁ֤ה כַֽעִוְרִים֙ קִ֔יר וּכְאֵ֥ין עֵינַ֖יִם נְגַשֵּׁ֑שָׁה כָּשַׁ֤לְנוּ בַֽצָּהֳרַ֙יִם֙ כַּנֶּ֔שֶׁף בָּאַשְׁמַנִּ֖ים כַּמֵּתִֽים׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• We gropeגָּשַׁשׁgâshash · to gropeH1659
• for the wallקִירqîyr qir qîyrâh · wallH7023
• like the blindעִוֵּר‛ivvêr · blindH5787
• no eyesעַ֫יִן‛ayin · eyeH5869
• we stumbleכָּשַׁלkâshal · to stumbleH3782
• at noondayצֹ֫הַרtsôhar · middayH6672
• as in the nightנֶ֫שֶׁףnesheph · twilightH5399
• in desolateאַשְׁמַנִּים'ashmân · strongH820
• places as deadמוּתmûth · to dieH4191

Cross-references for Isaiah 59:10

• Deuteronomy 28:29and you will be groping at noon [in broad daylight], just as the blind grope in the darkness, and nothing you do will prosper; but you will only be oppressed and exploited and robbed continually, with no one to save you.
• Job 5:14In the daytime they meet in darkness, And at noon they grope as in the night.
• Proverbs 4:19The way of the wicked is like [deep] darkness; They do not know over what they stumble.
• Jeremiah 13:16Give glory to the Lord your God, Before He brings darkness And before your feet stumble On the dark and shadowy mountains, And while you are longing for light He turns it into the shadow of death, And makes it into thick darkness.
• Lamentations 4:14They wandered, blind, in the streets; They were defiled with blood So that no one could touch their garments.
• Amos 8:9It shall come about in that day,” says the Lord God, “That I shall cause the sun to go down at noon, And I shall darken the earth in broad daylight.
• John 11:9Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours [of light] in the day? Anyone who walks in the daytime does not stumble, because he sees [by] the light of this world.
• John 12:35So Jesus said to them, “The Light is among you [only] a little while longer. Walk while you have the Light [keep on living by it], so that darkness will not overtake you. He who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going [he is drifting aimlessly].
• 1 John 2:11But the one who habitually hates (works against) his brother [in Christ] is in [spiritual] darkness and is walking in the darkness, and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
• Lamentations 3:6He has made me live in dark places Like those who have long been dead.

Commentaries on Isaiah 59:10

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 10We stumble at noon day as in the night "We stumble at mid-day, as in the twilight" - I adopt here an emendation of Houbigant, נשגגה nishgegah, instead of the second, נגששה negasheshah, the repetition of which has a poverty and inelegance extremely unworthy of the prophet, and unlike his manner. The mistake is of long standing, being prior to all the ancient versions. It was a very easy and obvious mistake, and I have little doubt of our having recovered…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 10We grope for the wall like the blind - A blind man, not being able to see his way, feels along by a wall, a fence, or any other object that will guide him. They were like the blind. They had no distinct views of truth, and they were endeavoring to feel their way along as well as they could. Probably the prophet here alludes to the threatening made by Moses in Deuteronomy 28:28-29, And the Lord shall smite thee with madness, and blindness, and astonishment…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 9-15Verses 9-15 If we shut our eyes against the light of Divine truth, it is just with God to hide from our eyes the things that belong to our peace. The sins of those who profess themselves God's people, are worse than the sins of others. And the sins of a nation bring public judgments, when not restrained by public justice. Men may murmur under calamities, but nothing will truly profit while they reject Christ and his gospel.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 10the blind: See Isaiah 6:10; Deuteronomy 28:29.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1010. grope--fulfilling Moses' threat (De 28:29). stumble at noon ... as ... night--There is no relaxation of our evils; at the time when we might look for the noon of relief, there is still the night of our calamity. in desolate places--rather, to suit the parallel words "at noonday," in fertile (literally, "fat"; Ge 27:28) fields [Gesenius] (where all is promising) we are like the dead (who have no hope left them); or, where others are prosperous, we…Read the comment

Topics related to Isaiah 59:10

• Conscience
• Isaiah
• Sin

In the dictionaries

• Cloke
• Grope
• Heavy
• Iniquity
• Mutter
• Revolt
• Decease, in the Old Testament and Apocyphra
• Isaiah
• Night
• Saviour

Commentaries on Isaiah 59

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings