The Meaning of Isaiah 29:10 Explained

Isaiah 29:10

KJV: For 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.

YLT: For poured out on you hath Jehovah a spirit of deep sleep, And He closeth your eyes -- the prophets, And your heads -- the seers -- He covered.

Darby: For Jehovah hath poured out upon you a spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes; the prophets and your chiefs, the seers, hath he covered.

ASV: For Jehovah hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes, the prophets; and your heads, the seers, hath he covered.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

For 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. 

What does Isaiah 29:10 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The people already found it more difficult to see God"s will and act obediently because God had shut their eyes and covered their heads (cf. Isaiah 6:9-10; 1 Samuel 26:12; 1 Kings 22:22; 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12). He had not given most of their prophets and seers insight into what was coming that they could share with the people. Isaiah and a few other faithful spokesmen were the exceptions.
". . . determined spiritual insensitivity becomes judicial spiritual paralysis." [1]

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 29

1  God's heavy judgment upon Jerusalem
7  The insatiableness of her enemies
9  The senselessness
13  And deep hypocrisy of the people
17  A promise of sanctification to the godly

What do the individual words in Isaiah 29:10 mean?

For has poured out on you Yahweh the spirit of deep sleep and has closed - your eyes namely the prophets and your heads [namely] the seers He has covered
כִּֽי־ נָסַ֨ךְ עֲלֵיכֶ֤ם יְהוָה֙ ר֣וּחַ תַּרְדֵּמָ֔ה וַיְעַצֵּ֖ם אֶת־ עֵֽינֵיכֶ֑ם הַנְּבִיאִ֛ים וְאֶת־ רָאשֵׁיכֶ֥ם הַחֹזִ֖ים כִּסָּֽה

נָסַ֨ךְ  has  poured  out 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָסַךְ 
Sense: to pour out, pour, offer, cast.
עֲלֵיכֶ֤ם  on  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine plural
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
יְהוָה֙  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: Jehovah—used primarily in the combination ‘Lord Jehovah’.
ר֣וּחַ  the  spirit 
Parse: Noun, common singular construct
Root: רוּחַ  
Sense: wind, breath, mind, spirit.
תַּרְדֵּמָ֔ה  of  deep  sleep 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: תַּרְדֵּמָה  
Sense: deep sleep, trance.
וַיְעַצֵּ֖ם  and  has  closed 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָצַם 
Sense: to be vast, be numerous, be mighty.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
עֵֽינֵיכֶ֑ם  your  eyes 
Parse: Noun, cdc, second person masculine plural
Root: עֹונָה 
Sense: eye.
הַנְּבִיאִ֛ים  namely  the  prophets 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: נָבִיא  
Sense: spokesman, speaker, prophet.
רָאשֵׁיכֶ֥ם  your  heads 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine plural
Root: רֹאשׁ 
Sense: head, top, summit, upper part, chief, total, sum, height, front, beginning.
הַחֹזִ֖ים  [namely]  the  seers 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: חֹזֶה 
Sense: seer.
כִּסָּֽה  He  has  covered 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: כָּסָה  
Sense: to cover, conceal, hide.