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 don’t know the way of peace. There’s no justice on their highways. They’ve made their paths crooked. Whoever walks on them will never know peace. 9That is why justice is far from us, and righteousness doesn’t reach us. We hope for light, but we walk in darkness. We hope for brightness, but we walk in gloom. We grope like blind men along a wall. We grope like people without eyes. We stumble at noon as if it were twilight. We are like dead people among healthy people. 11We all growl like bears. We coo like doves. We hope for justice, but there is none. We hope for salvation, but it’s far from us. 12You are aware of our many rebellious acts. Our sins testify against us. Our rebellious acts are with us. We know our wrongdoings.

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 28:29You will grope in broad daylight as blind people grope in their blindness. You won’t be successful in anything you do. As long as you live, you will be oppressed and robbed with no one to rescue you.
• Job 5:14In the daytime they meet darkness and grope in the sunlight as if it were night.
• Proverbs 4:19The way of wicked people is like deep darkness. They do not know what makes them stumble.
• Jeremiah 13:16Honor the Lord your God before it gets dark, before your feet stumble on the mountains in the twilight. You will look for light, but the Lord will turn it into the shadow of death and change it into deep darkness.
• Lamentations 4:14My people staggered blindly through the streets. They were so contaminated with bloodstains that no one would touch their clothes.
• Amos 8:9On that day, declares the Almighty Lord, I will make the sun go down at noon and darken the earth in broad daylight.
• John 11:9Jesus answered, “Aren’t there twelve hours of daylight? Those who walk during the day don’t stumble, because they see the light of this world.
• John 12:35Jesus answered the crowd, “The light will still be with you for a little while. Walk while you have light so that darkness won’t defeat you. Those who walk in the dark don’t know where they’re going.
• 1 John 2:11Those who hate other believers are in the dark and live in the dark. They don’t know where they’re going, because they can’t see in the dark.
• Lamentations 3:6He has made me live in darkness, like those who died a long time ago.

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