New Living Translation
Isaiah 59:10
10We grope like the blind along a wall, feeling our way like people without eyes. Even at brightest noontime, we stumble as though it were dark. Among the living, we are like the dead.
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 where to find peace or what it means to be just and good. They have mapped out crooked roads, and no one who follows them knows a moment’s peace. 9So there is no justice among us, and we know nothing about right living. We look for light but find only darkness. We look for bright skies but walk in gloom. We grope like the blind along a wall, feeling our way like people without eyes. Even at brightest noontime, we stumble as though it were dark. Among the living, we are like the dead. 11We growl like hungry bears; we moan like mournful doves. We look for justice, but it never comes. We look for rescue, but it is far away from us. 12For our sins are piled up before God and testify against us. Yes, we know what sinners we are.
Read all of Isaiah 59Isaiah 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 around in broad daylight like a blind person groping in the darkness, but you will not find your way. You will be oppressed and robbed continually, and no one will come to save you.
- Job 5:14They find it is dark in the daytime, and they grope at noon as if it were night.
- Proverbs 4:19But the way of the wicked is like total darkness. They have no idea what they are stumbling over.
- Jeremiah 13:16Give glory to the Lord your God before it is too late. Acknowledge him before he brings darkness upon you, causing you to stumble and fall on the darkening mountains. For then, when you look for light, you will find only terrible darkness and gloom.
- Lamentations 4:14They wandered blindly through the streets, so defiled by blood that no one dared touch them.
- Amos 8:9“In that day,” says the Sovereign Lord, “I will make the sun go down at noon and darken the earth while it is still day.
- John 11:9Jesus replied, “There are twelve hours of daylight every day. During the day people can walk safely. They can see because they have the light of this world.
- John 12:35Jesus replied, “My light will shine for you just a little longer. Walk in the light while you can, so the darkness will not overtake you. Those who walk in the darkness cannot see where they are going.
- 1 John 2:11But anyone who hates a fellow believer is still living and walking in darkness. Such a person does not know the way to go, having been blinded by the darkness.
- Lamentations 3:6He has buried me in a dark place, like those long 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
In the dictionaries
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
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