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 how to live in peace. They cannot be honest and fair. Their way of life is all wrong. Nobody who lives like that will have peace. 9Because of that, God's justice is far away from us. He has not come to save us. We look for light to come to us, but everything is dark. We need some light in our lives, but all we have is darkness. Like blind people, we touch the wall to find our way. It seems that we have no eyes to see with. Even at midday, we trip and we fall down, as if it was dark. We are like dead people who live among strong people. 11We all make a noise, like hungry bears. We make sad noises, like doves. We are waiting for God to bring justice to us, but nothing is happening. We look for his salvation, but it is still far away. 12Lord, you see all the bad things that we have done. Our many sins show that we are wrong. We know about the wrong things that we have done. We agree that our sins are many.

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 28:29Even at midday, you will not see your way. You will be in the dark, like a blind person. You will not be able to go anywhere, whatever you do. Every day, people will be cruel to you. People will rob you. No one will be there to save you.
• Job 5:14In the middle of the day, it becomes dark for those people. At midday, they see no better than blind people.
• Proverbs 4:19But the life of wicked people is like a very dark road. They cannot even see what causes them to fall.
• Jeremiah 13:16Give honour to the Lord your God, before it is too late. Do it before he makes everywhere become dark. Then you will fall down, like someone who walks on the mountains at night. You may hope for light to come, but God will make it completely dark.
• Lamentations 4:14Those leaders walked in the streets like men who cannot see. There was blood on their clothes and everybody was afraid to touch them.
• Amos 8:9The Lord God says, ‘At that time, I will make the sun go down at noon. I will make the earth become dark in the daytime.
• John 11:9Jesus answered, ‘You know that there are 12 hours in the day. Anyone who walks during the day will not fall down. He will not fall down because he sees this world's light.
• John 12:35Jesus answered, ‘The light will be with you for only a short time longer. So continue to walk while you still have the light. Do that, so that the dark will not come over you. Anyone who walks in the dark does not know where they are going.
• 1 John 2:11But if someone hates other believers, he is still living in a bad way. He is like someone who is walking in the dark. He cannot see where he is going. He is like a blind person. He cannot understand God's true message.
• Lamentations 3:6He has brought me to this dark place. So I am like a person who has been dead for a long time.

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