EasyEnglish Bible 2018
Isaiah 42:20
20You Israelites have seen many things, but you do not understand them. You have opened your ears to listen, but you have not really heard anything.’
Isaiah 42:20 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Seeing many things, but thou observest not; opening the ears, but he heareth not.
- New International Version (NIV)You have seen many things, but you pay no attention; your ears are open, but you do not listen.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)He sees many things, but does not observe them; his ears are open, but he does not hear.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Seeing many things, but you do not observe; Opening the ears, but he does not hear.”
Context of Isaiah 42:20
18Listen to me, you deaf people! Look at this, you blind people! 19Who is blind? Nobody is as blind as my servant. Who is deaf? Nobody is as deaf as the one who takes my message. The people that I agreed a covenant with are blind! Yes, the servant of the Lord is truly blind! You Israelites have seen many things, but you do not understand them. You have opened your ears to listen, but you have not really heard anything.’ 21The Lord always does what is right. So he has made his law great and important. He is happy when people respect his law. 22But enemies have robbed God's people and they have taken away all their valuable things. Their enemies have caught them in traps and they have made them prisoners. There is nobody who will rescue them. Their enemies have stored them safely, and nobody says, ‘Send them back.’
Read all of Isaiah 42Isaiah 42:20 word by word
רָא֥וֹת רַבּ֖וֹת וְלֹ֣א תִשְׁמֹ֑ר פָּק֥וֹחַ אָזְנַ֖יִם וְלֹ֥א יִשְׁמָֽע׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Isaiah 42:20
- Isaiah 1:3An ox knows its master. A donkey knows the place where its master feeds it. But Israel's people do not know me. My people do not understand me.’
- Isaiah 48:6You heard what I said would happen, and now you have seen it happen. Agree that what I say is true! Now I will tell you about new things that will happen. They are secret things that you do not yet know about.
- Numbers 14:22All these people have seen my glory. They have seen the miracles that I did in Egypt and in the desert. But they have tested me many times now to see if I would punish them. They still do not obey me.
- Deuteronomy 4:9But be very careful! Never forget the things that you yourselves have seen. Remember these things for as long as you live. Tell your children and your grandchildren about all the things that God has done.
- Deuteronomy 29:2This is what Moses said to all the Israelites when they met together: You have seen everything that the Lord did in Egypt. You saw how he punished Egypt's king, his officers and his whole country.
- Nehemiah 9:10You did great miracles to show your power against Pharaoh, his officers and all his people. You knew that they were being cruel to your people. You showed everyone that you are a great God. And people still know that it is true.
- Psalms 106:7When our ancestors were in Egypt, they did not understand your miracles. They forgot the many ways that you showed them your faithful love. When they arrived at the Red Sea, they turned against you, Lord.
- Psalms 107:43Wise people should think about these things. They should understand the Lord's faithful love for his people.
- John 9:37Jesus said to him, ‘You have already seen him. It is me, the one who is talking to you now.’
- John 11:37But some of them said, ‘He opened the eyes of the blind man. So surely he would have been able to stop the death of Lazarus.’
- Isaiah 58:2Every day my people come to worship me. It seems that they want to know my ways. They seem like a nation of people who are doing the right things. They seem to be obeying the law of their God. They ask me to decide things fairly. Yes, they seem to want to be near to me.
- Jeremiah 42:2They said to Jeremiah, ‘Please listen to us. Pray to the Lord your God for those of us who remain alive. You can see that only a few of us remain from the many people that we were before.
- Ezekiel 33:31They are my people and they come as a crowd to listen to you. They sit and they listen to your words. But they do not obey what you say. They say that they love me. But really they like to cheat people to get things for themselves.
- Mark 6:19So Herodias was angry with John. She wanted to kill him. But she could not do that,
- Acts 28:22But we know that people everywhere are saying bad things about your new group. So we would like you to tell us your ideas.’
Commentaries on Isaiah 42:20
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20Seeing many things "Thou hast seen indeed" - The text has רבית ראית raith rabith, which the Masoretes in the marginal Keri have corrected to רבות ראות reoth rabboth ; as indeed one hundred and seven MSS., and five editions, now have it in the text. This was probably the reading of most of the MSS. of their time; which, though they approved of it, out of some superstition they would not admit into their standard text. But these wretched critics, though…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 20Seeing many things - That is, the people, the Jews, spoken of here as the servants of God. They had had an opportunity of observing many things pertaining to the law, the government, and the dealing of Yahweh. They had often witnessed his interposition in the days of calamity, and he often rescued them from peril. These things they could not but have observed, much as they had chosen to disregard the lessons which they were calculated to convey. But thou…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 18-25Verses 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…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 18-20The Israelites who ignored God's words and actions became spiritually blind and deaf (see Isaiah 6:9–10). They knew the truth from God's word and the prophets, but their closed minds refused to respond.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2020. observest--Thou dost not keep them. The "many things" are the many proofs which all along from the first God had given Israel of His goodness and His power (De 4:32-38; 29:2-4; Psa 78:1-72; 105:1-45). he--transition from the second to the third person. "Opening ... ears," that is, though he (Israel) hath his ears open (see on Is 6:10). This language, too (see on Is 42:19), applies to Messiah as Jehovah's servant (Is 50:5; Psa 40:6).Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 42:20
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Isaiah 42
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- 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
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