Isaiah 29

King James Version

Full text for Isaiah Chapter 29

1¶ Woe to Ariel, to Ariel, the city [where] David dwelt! add ye year to year; let them kill sacrifices.

2Yet I will distress Ariel, and there shall be heaviness and sorrow: and it shall be unto me as Ariel.

3And I will camp against thee round about, and will lay siege against thee with a mount, and I will raise forts against thee.

4And thou shalt be brought down, [and] shalt speak out of the ground, and thy speech shall be low out of the dust, and thy voice shall be, as of one that hath a familiar spirit, out of the ground, and thy speech shall whisper out of the dust.

5Moreover the multitude of thy strangers shall be like small dust, and the multitude of the terrible ones [shall be] as chaff that passeth away: yea, it shall be at an instant suddenly.

6Thou shalt be visited of the LORD of hosts with thunder, and with earthquake, and great noise, with storm and tempest, and the flame of devouring fire.

7And the multitude of all the nations that fight against Ariel, even all that fight against her and her munition, and that distress her, shall be as a dream of a night vision.

8It shall even be as when an hungry [man] dreameth, and, behold, he eateth; but he awaketh, and his soul is empty: or as when a thirsty man dreameth, and, behold, he drinketh; but he awaketh, and, behold, [he is] faint, and his soul hath appetite: so shall the multitude of all the nations be, that fight against mount Zion.

9¶ Stay yourselves, and wonder; cry ye out, and cry: they are drunken, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink.

10For the LORD 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.

11And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which [men] deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it [is] sealed:

12And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned.

13Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near [me] with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:

14Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, [even] a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise [men] shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent [men] shall be hid.

15Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the LORD, and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who seeth us? and who knoweth us?

16Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter's clay: for shall the work say of him that made it, He made me not? or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, He had no understanding?

17¶ [Is] it not yet a very little while, and Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field, and the fruitful field shall be esteemed as a forest?

18And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness.

19The meek also shall increase [their] joy in the LORD, and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.

20For the terrible one is brought to nought, and the scorner is consumed, and all that watch for iniquity are cut off:

21That make a man an offender for a word, and lay a snare for him that reproveth in the gate, and turn aside the just for a thing of nought.

22Therefore thus saith the LORD, who redeemed Abraham, concerning the house of Jacob, Jacob shall not now be ashamed, neither shall his face now wax pale.

23But when he seeth his children, the work of mine hands, in the midst of him, they shall sanctify my name, and sanctify the Holy One of Jacob, and shall fear the God of Israel.

24They also that erred in spirit shall come to understanding, and they that murmured shall learn doctrine.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Isaiah pronounces woe upon Ariel (Jerusalem), predicting distress and siege, yet promises that its enemies will suddenly vanish. He condemns the people's spiritual blindness and hypocrisy, likening their understanding to a sealed book and their worship to lip service. However, the chapter concludes with a promise of future restoration, where the deaf will hear, the blind will see, and those who erred will gain understanding, as God performs a marvellous work among His people.

Medium Summary

The prophet Isaiah begins by declaring woe upon Ariel, the city of David, foretelling a period of distress and siege from the Lord. Despite the impending judgment, the multitude of nations besieging Ariel will suddenly be dispersed, their efforts proving as fleeting as a dream. Isaiah then addresses the spiritual stupor of the people, describing them as drunken not with wine, but with a spirit of deep sleep poured out by God, rendering divine revelation incomprehensible, like a sealed book. He rebukes their hypocrisy, noting that their worship is merely lip service, their hearts being far from God, and their fear taught by human precepts. Consequently, God promises to perform a "marvellous work" that will confound the wisdom of the wise. The chapter shifts to a future hope, envisioning a time when the land will be transformed, and the spiritually deaf and blind will receive understanding. The meek and poor will rejoice, while the wicked and scorners will be brought to nought, leading to the restoration and sanctification of Jacob's descendants.

Long Summary

Isaiah chapter 29 opens with a solemn declaration of "Woe to Ariel," identifying Jerusalem as the city where David dwelt, and foretelling a time of profound distress and siege orchestrated by the Lord. God states He will encamp against the city, bringing heaviness and sorrow, causing its voice to be brought low, as if speaking from the dust. Yet, amidst this judgment, a sudden reversal is promised: the vast multitude of Ariel's enemies, described as strangers and terrible ones, will vanish instantly like fine dust and chaff. The Lord of hosts Himself will visit Ariel with powerful natural phenomena—thunder, earthquake, storm, and devouring fire—but the nations that fight against Zion will find their efforts futile, akin to a hungry or thirsty man dreaming of satisfaction only to awaken empty. The prophet then turns to the spiritual condition of the people, observing their stupor, describing them as drunken and staggering, not from wine, but from a spirit of deep sleep poured out by the Lord, which has closed the eyes of their prophets and rulers. Consequently, divine vision and understanding have become inaccessible to them, like a sealed book that neither the learned nor the unlearned can comprehend. God condemns their superficial worship, stating that they draw near with their mouths and honor Him with their lips, but their hearts are far removed, and their reverence is based on human precepts rather than genuine devotion. Because of this profound spiritual disconnect and hypocrisy, the Lord declares He will perform a "marvellous work," a wonder that will cause the wisdom of their wise men to perish and the understanding of their prudent men to be hidden. Woe is pronounced upon those who attempt to hide their plans from the Lord, acting in darkness and denying His omniscience, likening their arrogance to clay questioning its maker. However, the chapter concludes with a powerful message of future hope and restoration. It prophesies a time, "a very little while," when the natural order will be transformed, with Lebanon becoming a fruitful field and the fruitful field esteemed as a forest. More significantly, in that day, the spiritually deaf will hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind will see out of obscurity and darkness. The meek and the poor will find increased joy and rejoice in the Holy One of Israel, while the terrible, the scorner, and those who plot iniquity will be brought to nought. The Lord, who redeemed Abraham, promises that the house of Jacob will no longer be shamed or pale, but when they see their children, the work of God's hands, they will sanctify His name and fear the God of Israel. Finally, those who had erred in spirit will come to understanding, and those who murmured will learn true doctrine, signifying a profound spiritual awakening and renewal.

Core Concepts

  • Woe to ArielA prophetic judgment pronounced upon Jerusalem (Ariel), indicating impending distress, siege, and sorrow from the Lord, though ultimately leading to the defeat of its enemies.
  • Spiritual BlindnessThe condition of the people, described as being under a "spirit of deep sleep," rendering them unable to comprehend divine revelation, much like a sealed book.
  • Hypocritical WorshipGod's condemnation of the people for honoring Him with their lips while their hearts are far from Him, and their fear is based on human precepts rather than genuine devotion.
  • Marvellous WorkGod's promise to perform an extraordinary act that will confound human wisdom, causing the understanding of the wise and prudent to perish.
  • Futility of EnemiesThe assurance that the multitude of nations besieging Ariel will suddenly vanish, their efforts against Mount Zion proving as empty and fleeting as a dream.
  • Future RestorationA prophecy of a coming era when the spiritually deaf and blind will gain understanding, the meek will rejoice, and the house of Jacob will be redeemed and sanctified.
  • Transformation of UnderstandingThe promise that those who erred in spirit will come to understanding, and those who murmured will learn doctrine, signifying a profound spiritual awakening and alignment with God's truth.