The Meaning of Isaiah 29:9 Explained

Isaiah 29:9

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

YLT: Tarry and wonder, look ye, yea, look, Be drunk, and not with wine, Stagger, and not with strong drink.

Darby: Be astounded and astonished, blind yourselves and be blind! They are drunken, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink.

ASV: Tarry ye and wonder; take your pleasure and be blind: they are drunken, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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

What does Isaiah 29:9 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Jerusalem"s leaders would delay (actually, "be delayed," by their lack of perception) and wait to act in faith because they were spiritually blind and drunk (cf. Isaiah 6:9-10). Isaiah was apparently speaking to them ironically again (cf. Isaiah 29:1). If the people of Jerusalem failed to see the importance of trusting God in the face of enemy attack, and failed to trust Him, they would find it even more difficult to see His will and do it later. When people see the will of God and refuse to do it, they become incapable of seeing it and doing it further (cf. Acts 28:26-28; Romans 1:24; Romans 1:26; Romans 1:28; Hebrews 4:1-11). This is serious spiritual blindness and drunkenness.

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 29:9 mean?

Pause and wonder Blind yourselves and be blind they are drunk but not with wine they stagger but not with intoxicating drink
הִתְמַהְמְה֣וּ וּתְמָ֔הוּ הִשְׁתַּֽעַשְׁע֖וּ וָשֹׁ֑עוּ שָֽׁכְר֣וּ וְלֹא־ יַ֔יִן נָע֖וּ וְלֹ֥א שֵׁכָֽר

הִתְמַהְמְה֣וּ  Pause 
Parse: Verb, Hitpael, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: מָהַהּ  
Sense: (Hithpalpel) to linger, tarry, wait, delay.
וּתְמָ֔הוּ  and  wonder 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: תָּמַהּ  
Sense: to be astounded, be stunned, be amazed, be dumbfounded.
הִשְׁתַּֽעַשְׁע֖וּ  Blind  yourselves 
Parse: Verb, Hitpael, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: שָׁעַע 
Sense: to stroke, be smeared over, be blinded.
וָשֹׁ֑עוּ  and  be  blind 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: שָׁעַע 
Sense: to stroke, be smeared over, be blinded.
שָֽׁכְר֣וּ  they  are  drunk 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: שָׂכַר 
Sense: to be or become drunk or drunken, be intoxicated.
וְלֹא־  but  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
יַ֔יִן  with  wine 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: יַיִן  
Sense: wine.
נָע֖וּ  they  stagger 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: נוּעַ  
Sense: to quiver, totter, shake, reel, stagger, wander, move, sift, make move, wave, waver, tremble.
וְלֹ֥א  but  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
שֵׁכָֽר  with  intoxicating  drink 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: שֵׁכָר  
Sense: strong drink, intoxicating drink, fermented or intoxicating liquor.