Revised Literal Translation
Isaiah 56:10
10His watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber.1
Isaiah 56:10 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)His watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber.
- New International Version (NIV)Israel’s watchmen are blind, they all lack knowledge; they are all mute dogs, they cannot bark; they lie around and dream, they love to sleep.
- English Standard Version (ESV)His watchmen are blind; they are all without knowledge; they are all silent dogs; they cannot bark, dreaming, lying down, loving to slumber.
- New King James Version (NKJV)His watchmen are blind, They are all ignorant; They are all dumb dogs, They cannot bark; Sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber.
Context of Isaiah 56:10
8The Lord Yhwh which gathereth the outcasts of Israel saith, Yet will I gather others to him, beside those that are gathered unto him. 9All ye beasts of the field, come to devour, yea, all ye beasts in the forest. His watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber. 11Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter. 12Come ye, say they, I will fetch wine, and we will fill ourselves with strong drink; and to morrow shall be as this day, and much more abundant.
Read all of Isaiah 56Isaiah 56:10 word by word
צֹפָ֞יו עִוְרִ֤ים כֻּלָּם֙ לֹ֣א יָדָ֔עוּ כֻּלָּם֙ כְּלָבִ֣ים אִלְּמִ֔ים לֹ֥א יוּכְל֖וּ לִנְבֹּ֑חַ הֹזִים֙ שֹֽׁכְבִ֔ים אֹהֲבֵ֖י לָנֽוּם׃Read the interlinear
- His watchmenצָפָהtsâphâh · to watchH6822
- blindעִוֵּר‛ivvêr · blindH5787
- they are all ignorantיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
- all dumbאִלֵּם'illêm · muteH483
- dogsכֶּ֫לֶבkeleb · dogH3611
- they cannotיָכֹלyâkôl yâkôl · be ableH3201
- barkנָבַחnâbach · to barkH5024
- sleepingהָזָהhâzâh · to dreamH1957
- lying downשָׁכַבshâkab · to lie down: lay downH7901
- lovingאָהֵב'âhab 'âhêb · to love: loverH157
- to slumberנוּםnûm · to slumberH5123
Cross-references for Isaiah 56:10
- Isaiah 52:8Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall see eye to eye, when Yhwh shall bring again Zion.
- Ezekiel 3:17Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me.
- Isaiah 29:10For Yhwh hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered.
- Jeremiah 14:13Then said I, Ah, Lord Yhwh! behold, the prophets say unto them, Ye shall not see the sword, neither shall ye have famine; but I will give you assured peace in this place.
- Hosea 4:6My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.
- Hosea 9:7The days of visitation are come, the days of recompence are come; Israel shall know it: the prophet is a fool, the spiritual man is mad, for the multitude of thine iniquity, and the great hatred.
- Matthew 15:14Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.
- Matthew 23:16Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor!
- Luke 6:39And he spake a parable unto them, Can the blind lead the blind? shall they not both fall into the ditch?
- Isaiah 58:1Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.
- Jeremiah 6:13For from the least of them even unto the greatest of them every one is given to covetousness; and from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely.
- Jeremiah 23:13And I have seen folly in the prophets of Samaria; they prophesied in Baal, and caused my people Israel to err.
- Ezekiel 3:15Then I came to them of the captivity at Tel–abib, that dwelt by the river of Chebar, and I sat where they sat, and remained there astonished among them seven days.
- Ezekiel 13:16To wit, the prophets of Israel which prophesy concerning Jerusalem, and which see visions of peace for her, and there is no peace, saith the Lord Yhwh.
- Ezekiel 33:6But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman’s hand.
- Philippians 3:2Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision.
Commentaries on Isaiah 56:10
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 10His watchmen are blind - Kimchi observes, "The flock is intrusted to the care of these watchmen. The wild beasts come; these dogs bark not; and the wild beasts devour the flock. Thus they do not profit the flock. Yea, they injure it; for the owner trusts in them, that they will watch and be faithful; but they are not. These are the false teachers and careless shepherds." Dumb dogs, they cannot bark - See note on Isaiah 62:6. Sleeping "Dreamers" - הזים…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 10His watchmen - The prophet proceeds to specify the sins which had thus induced God to send the desolating armies of foreign nations. The first is specified in this verse, the apathy, indifference, and unfaithfulness, which prevailed among those who were appointed to guard their interests and defend the cause of truth. The word rendered his watchmen‘ (צפוּ tsophâv ) is derived from צפה tsâphâh “to look about; to view from a distance; to see afar.” It is…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 9-12Verses 9-12 Desolating judgments are called for; and this severe rebuke of the rulers and teachers of the Jewish church, is applicable to other ages and places. It is bad with a people when their shepherds slumber, and are eager after the world. Let us pray the Great Shepherd to send us pastors after his own heart, who will feed us with knowledge, that we may rejoice in his holy name, and that believers may be daily added to the church.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 10The leaders of Israel failed to guide and protect God’s people from the sins that led to the exile in Babylon. dreamers … loving to slumber: See Isaiah 29:10.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1010. His watchmen--Israel's spiritual leaders (Is 62:6; Eze 3:17). dumb dogs--image from bad shepherds' watchdogs, which fail to give notice, by barking, of the approach of wild beasts. blind--(Mt 23:16). sleeping, lying down--rather, "dreamers, sluggards" [Lowth]. Not merely sleeping inactive, but under visionary delusions. loving to slumber--not merely slumbering involuntarily, but loving it.Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 56:10
In the dictionaries
Notes
- 1. Isaiah 56:10 sleeping: or, dreaming, or, talking in their sleep. ↩
Commentaries on Isaiah 56
- 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
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
Revised Literal Translation — © 2018 Michael W. Jones, Sr. — GPL
Commentaries