Chapter Overview
Summary
Isaiah 29 is the WOE-TO-ARIEL (Jerusalem) oracle. Verses 13–14 are cited at Matthew 15:8–9 / Mark 7:6–7 (Jesus' rebuke of Pharisaic-tradition: 'this people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me'). Verse 14 is also cited at 1 Corinthians 1:19 ('I will destroy the wisdom of the wise').
Notable Variants
29:13 'this people honors me with their lips' → Matthew 15:8–9 / Mark 7:6–7 verbatim; 29:14 'I will destroy the wisdom of the wise' → 1 Corinthians 1:19 verbatim-LXX; 29:18 'the deaf shall hear' → Matthew 11:5 Messianic-fulfillment.
Structural Notes
MT Isaiah 29 = LXX Isaiah 29. 24 verses.
Woe to Ariel, Ariel, the city where David encamped! Let year follow year; let the festivals run their cycle.
'Ah, Ariel, Ariel, the city where David encamped! Add year to year; let the feasts run their round' tracks MT. ARIEL — Jerusalem-as-altar-hearth (cf. Ezek 43:15–16). The-city-where-David-encamped.
Yet I will bring distress upon Ariel, and there will be mourning and lamentation, and she will become to me like a true altar hearth.
'Yet I will distress Ariel, and there shall be moaning and lamentation, and she shall be to me like an Ariel' tracks MT.
I will encamp against you on every side; I will besiege you with towers and raise siege works against you.
'And I will encamp against you all around, and will besiege you with towers and I will raise siegeworks against you' tracks MT.
You will be brought low; from the ground you will speak, and from the dust your words will come muffled. Your voice will rise from the earth like a ghost's, and your speech will whisper from the dust.
'And you will be brought low; from the earth you shall speak, and from the dust your speech will be bowed down; your voice shall come from the ground like the voice of a ghost, and from the dust your speech shall whisper' tracks MT. WHISPER-FROM-DUST — necromantic-imagery.
But the horde of your enemies will become like fine dust, and the mob of the ruthless like driven chaff. It will happen in an instant, suddenly —
'But the multitude of your foreign foes shall be like small dust, and the multitude of the ruthless like passing chaff. And in an instant, suddenly' tracks MT.
the LORD of Hosts will intervene with thunder, earthquake, and a great roar, with whirlwind, tempest, and a flame of devouring fire.
'You will be visited by the LORD of hosts with thunder and with earthquake and great noise, with whirlwind and tempest, and the flame of a devouring fire' tracks MT.
Then the horde of all the nations waging war against Ariel — all who attack her, her stronghold, and all who distress her — will be like a dream, a vision in the night.
'And the multitude of all the nations that fight against Ariel, all that fight against her and her stronghold and distress her, shall be like a dream, a vision of the night' tracks MT.
As when a hungry man dreams he is eating but wakes with his stomach empty, or a thirsty man dreams he is drinking but wakes faint, his throat still parched — so will it be with the horde of all the nations that wage war against Mount Zion.
'As when a hungry man dreams he is eating and awakes with his hunger not satisfied, or as when a thirsty man dreams he is drinking and awakes faint, with his thirst not quenched, so shall the multitude of all the nations be that fight against Mount Zion' tracks MT.
Stupify yourselves and be stunned! Blind yourselves and be blind! They are drunk, but not with wine; they stagger, but not from strong drink.
'Astonish yourselves and be astonished; blind yourselves and be blind! Be drunk, but not with wine; stagger, but not with strong drink!' tracks MT.
For the LORD has poured over you a spirit of deep sleep. He has shut your eyes — the prophets; He has covered your heads — the seers.
'For the LORD has poured out upon you a spirit of deep sleep, and has closed your eyes (the prophets), and covered your heads (the seers)' tracks MT. SPIRIT-OF-DEEP-SLEEP. Romans 11:8 ('God gave them a spirit of stupor') directly-cites this-vocabulary.
The entire vision has become for you like the words of a sealed scroll. When it is handed to one who can read, saying, 'Please read this,' he replies, 'I cannot — it is sealed.'
'And the vision of all this has become to you like the words of a book that is sealed. When men give it to one who can read, saying: Read this, he says: I cannot, for it is sealed' tracks MT. SEALED-BOOK. Revelation 5:1–9 (the-scroll-with-seven-seals only-the-Lamb can-open) Christologically-extends — Christ-alone-opens-the-sealed-prophetic-vision.
And when the scroll is handed to one who cannot read, saying, 'Please read this,' he replies, 'I do not know how to read.'
'And when they give the book to one who cannot read, saying: Read this, he says: I cannot read' tracks MT.
The Lord says: 'Because this people draw near with their mouths and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me, and their worship of me is based on rules taught by men —'
Masoretic (WLC)
וַיֹּאמֶר אֲדֹנָי יַעַן כִּי נִגַּשׁ הָעָם הַזֶּה בְּפִיו וּבִשְׂפָתָיו כִּבְּדוּנִי וְלִבּוֹ רִחַק מִמֶּנִּי וַתְּהִי יִרְאָתָם אֹתִי מִצְוַת אֲנָשִׁים מְלֻמָּדָה
And the Lord said: Because this people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men
Septuagint (LXX)
ἐγγίζει μοι ὁ λαὸς οὗτος τοῖς χείλεσιν αὐτῶν τιμῶσίν με ἡ δὲ καρδία αὐτῶν πόρρω ἀπέχει ἀπ᾽ ἐμοῦ μάτην δὲ σέβονταί με διδάσκοντες ἐντάλματα ἀνθρώπων καὶ διδασκαλίας
This people draw near to me with their lips and honor me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; and in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men
MATTHEW 15:8–9 / MARK 7:6–7 CITATION. Jesus cites this verse VERBATIM-FROM-LXX in his rebuke of the Pharisees: 'You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said: THIS PEOPLE HONORS ME WITH THEIR LIPS, BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR FROM ME; IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME, TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE COMMANDMENTS OF MEN.' Both Matthew 15:8–9 and Mark 7:6–7 cite this LXX-form (with 'in vain' / 'doctrines' which-are-LXX-additions absent-from-MT).
MAJOR LXX-PLUS. The LXX adds 'matēn de sebontai me' ('and in vain do they worship me') — a phrase ABSENT from MT. Jesus' citation includes-this-LXX-plus, demonstrating Jesus-and-the-Gospels' use of-the-LXX as authoritative-Scripture. The verse becomes-the-foundation for-Jesus' critique of-tradition-overriding-Torah.
therefore I will again do extraordinary things with this people — extraordinary and astounding. The wisdom of their wise will perish, and the discernment of their discerning will vanish.
Masoretic (WLC)
לָכֵן הִנְנִי יוֹסִף לְהַפְלִיא אֶת־הָעָם־הַזֶּה הַפְלֵא וָפֶלֶא וְאָבְדָה חָכְמַת חֲכָמָיו וּבִינַת נְבֹנָיו תִּסְתַּתָּר
Therefore, behold, I will again do wonderful things with this people, with wonder upon wonder; and the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the discernment of their discerning men shall be hidden
Septuagint (LXX)
διὰ τοῦτο ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ προσθήσω τοῦ μεταθεῖναι τὸν λαὸν τοῦτον καὶ μεταθήσω αὐτοὺς καὶ ἀπολῶ τὴν σοφίαν τῶν σοφῶν καὶ τὴν σύνεσιν τῶν συνετῶν κρύψω
Therefore behold, I will proceed to remove this people, and I will remove them, and I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and I will hide the understanding of the prudent
1 CORINTHIANS 1:19 CITATION. Paul cites this verse at 1 Cor 1:19: 'For it is written: I WILL DESTROY THE WISDOM OF THE WISE, AND THE DISCERNMENT OF THE DISCERNING I WILL THWART (apolō tēn sophian tōn sophōn, kai tēn synesin tōn synetōn athetēsō).' Paul's-wording matches-LXX-Isaiah-29:14 closely. The verse anchors-Paul's-foolishness-of-the-cross argument — divine-wisdom overturning-worldly-wisdom.
Woe to those who go to great depths to hide their plans from the LORD, whose deeds are done in darkness, who say, 'Who sees us? Who knows us?'
'Ah, you who hide deep from the LORD your counsel, whose deeds are in the dark, and who say: Who sees us? Who knows us?' tracks MT.
How you turn things upside down! Shall the potter be regarded as the clay? Shall what is made say of its maker, 'He did not make me'? Shall what is formed say of the one who formed it, 'He has no understanding'?
'You turn things upside down! Shall the potter be regarded as the clay, that the thing made should say of its maker: He did not make me; or the thing formed say of him who formed it: He has no understanding?' tracks MT. POTTER-CLAY analogy. Romans 9:20–21 ('does the thing molded say to its molder: Why have you made me thus? Has the potter no right over the clay?') directly-extends. Jeremiah 18:1–6 develops the same image.
Is it not just a little while longer before Lebanon becomes a fruitful garden, and the fruitful garden is counted as a forest?
'Is it not yet a very little while until Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field, and the fruitful field shall be regarded as a forest?' tracks MT. RAPID-RESTORATION. Lebanon-to-fruitful-field reversal.
On that day the deaf will hear the words of the scroll, and out of gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind will see.
'In that day the deaf shall hear the words of a book, and out of their gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind shall see' tracks MT. DEAF-HEAR / BLIND-SEE. Matthew 11:4–5 (Jesus' answer to John the Baptist: 'the blind receive their sight … the deaf hear') Christologically-fulfills directly.
The humble will increase their joy in the LORD, and the poorest among people will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.
'The meek shall obtain fresh joy in the LORD, and the poor among mankind shall exult in the Holy One of Israel' tracks MT. MEEK-OBTAIN-JOY. Beatitude-tradition (Matthew 5:3–5).
For the ruthless will come to nothing, the scoffer will vanish, and all who watch for a chance to do evil will be cut off —
'For the ruthless shall come to nothing and the scoffer cease, and all who watch to do evil shall be cut off' tracks MT.
those who condemn a person with a single word, who set traps for the one who seeks justice at the gate, and who push the righteous aside with empty claims.
'Who by a word make a man out to be an offender, and lay a snare for him who reproves in the gate, and with an empty plea turn aside him who is in the right' tracks MT.
Therefore this is what the LORD says — He who redeemed Abraham — concerning the house of Jacob: 'Jacob will no longer be ashamed, nor will his face grow pale,
'Therefore thus says the LORD, who redeemed Abraham, concerning the house of Jacob: Jacob shall no more be ashamed, no more shall his face grow pale' tracks MT.
for when he sees his children, the work of my hands, in his midst, they will sanctify my name. They will sanctify the Holy One of Jacob and stand in awe of the God of Israel.
'For when he sees his children, the work of my hands, in his midst, they will sanctify my name; they will sanctify the Holy One of Jacob and will stand in awe of the God of Israel' tracks MT.
Those who err in spirit will gain understanding, and those who grumble will accept instruction.
'And those who go astray in spirit will come to understanding, and those who murmur will accept instruction' tracks MT. CLOSES with restoration-of-understanding.