The Meaning of Isaiah 56:10 Explained

Isaiah 56:10

KJV: His watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber.

YLT: Blind are his watchmen -- all of them, They have not known, All of them are dumb dogs, they are not able to bark, Dozing, lying down, loving to slumber.

Darby: His watchmen are all of them blind, they are without knowledge; they are all dumb dogs that cannot bark, dreaming, lying down, loving to slumber:

ASV: His watchmen are blind, they are all without knowledge; they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; dreaming, lying down, loving to slumber.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

His watchmen  [are] blind:  they are all ignorant,  they [are] all dumb  dogs,  they cannot  bark;  sleeping,  lying down,  loving  to slumber. 

What does Isaiah 56:10 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The false prophets, who were God"s watchmen over His flock, were blind to the dangers that faced Israel (cf. Isaiah 21:6; Isaiah 52:8). They were like dogs that should have barked when danger approached but were silent. Instead of being on guard, they were asleep, dreaming of an unrealistically rosy future for the nation. They were unaware of those things that should have gripped their attention.
"When the minister does not warn the flock of false doctrine, he ceases to be a faithful undershepherd of the sheep, and instead becomes a dumb dog that cannot bark." [1]

Context Summary

Isaiah 56:1-12 - The Blessedness Of Sabbath-Keeping
The bright array of Messianic promises, which occupied the preceding chapters, is now followed by a portion of less interest, seeing that our attention is not now fastened on Christ, but on Israel. Birk calls this sermon "The Middle Ages of Delay," and says: "This new section of advice and warning belongs to this whole period from Isaiah to Christ. The like message applies now to the Church of Christ and its prospect of the Second Advent."
Special emphasis is laid on Sabbath-keeping because it was the special sign of God's connection with Israel. See Exodus 31:13-17; Ezekiel 20:12. It was also a type and pledge of the redemption rest, soon to be brought in and perfected by Christ's finished work, Hebrews 4:9-10.
What an ideal is presented here for character and conduct! To keep God's rest in our heart-the rest of faith; to cease from ourselves; to be joined to the Lord by one Spirit; to minister to Him; to love His name; to be His servants! What more could we imagine as characteristic of the Christian soul! Let us ask God to bring us to His "holy mountain" and to make us "joyful" in His "house of prayer." [source]

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 56

1  The prophet exhorts to sanctification
3  He promises it shall be general, without respect of persons
9  He protests against blind watchmen

What do the individual words in Isaiah 56:10 mean?

- His watchmen [are] blind they are all nothing ignorant they [are] all dogs mute cannot they bark Sleeping lying down loving to slumber
[צפו] (צֹפָ֞יו) עִוְרִ֤ים כֻּלָּם֙ לֹ֣א יָדָ֔עוּ כֻּלָּם֙ כְּלָבִ֣ים אִלְּמִ֔ים לֹ֥א יוּכְל֖וּ לִנְבֹּ֑חַ הֹזִים֙ שֹֽׁכְבִ֔ים אֹהֲבֵ֖י לָנֽוּם

[צפו]  - 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: אֲבַדֹּה  
Sense: a lost thing, something lost, a perishing.
(צֹפָ֞יו)  His  watchmen  [are] 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: צָפָה  
Sense: to look out or about, spy, keep watch, observe, watch.
עִוְרִ֤ים  blind 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural
Root: עִוֵּר  
Sense: blind.
כֻּלָּם֙  they  are  all 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
לֹ֣א  nothing 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
יָדָ֔עוּ  ignorant 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: דָּעָה 
Sense: to know.
כֻּלָּם֙  they  [are]  all 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
כְּלָבִ֣ים  dogs 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: כֶּלֶב  
Sense: dog.
אִלְּמִ֔ים  mute 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural
Root: אִלֵּם  
Sense: mute, silent, dumb, unable to speak.
לֹ֥א  cannot 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
לִנְבֹּ֑חַ  bark 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: נָבַח  
Sense: (Qal) to bark.
הֹזִים֙  Sleeping 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: הָזָה  
Sense: (Qal) to dream, sleep, rave.
שֹֽׁכְבִ֔ים  lying  down 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: שָׁכַב  
Sense: to lie down.
אֹהֲבֵ֖י  loving 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct
Root: אָהַב  
Sense: to love.
לָנֽוּם  to  slumber 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: נוּם  
Sense: to be drowsy, slumber, sleep.