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Geneva Study Bible Commentary

Isaiah 44:18

They have not known nor understood: (y) for he hath shut their eyes, that they cannot see; [and] their hearts, that they cannot understand.

(y) The prophet gives here an answer to all them who wonder how it is possible that any would be so blind as to commit such abomination, saying that God has blinded their eyes, and hardened their hearts.

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See also Isaiah 44:18 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Isaiah 44:18. _HE HATH SHUT THEIR EYES _- "Their eyes are closed up"] The _Septuagint, Chaldee_, and _Vulgate_, for טח _tach_, read טחו, _tachu_. Isaiah 6:10....

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    THEY HAVE NOT KNOWN NOR UNDERSTOOD - They are stupid, ignorant, and blind. Nothing could more strikingly show their ignorance and stupidity than this idol worship. HE HATH SHUT THEIR EYES - God hath c...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    CHAPTER 44 Jehovah Continues to Speak 1. _Spiritual blessings promised by the gift of the Spirit (Isaiah 44:1)_ 2. _Jehovah the First and the Last (Isaiah 44:6)_ 3. _Idolatry rebuked (Isaiah 44:9)_ 4...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    ISAIAH 44:6; ISAIAH 44:21. THE INCOMPARABLENESS OF YAHWEH, WHO REDEEMS ISRAEL. Yahweh of (the heavenly) Hosts (Genesis 2:1 *, 1 Samuel 1:3 *) asserts Hi

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    NOT KNOWN. not taken note. SHUT. smeared....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    Isaiah 44:6-23. The Reality of Jehovah's Godhead, evinced by His Predictions, and contrasted with the manifold absurdities of Idolatry The passage, which is merely a restatement of ideas already expr...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    now meditated were actually taken....

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    b. SHOWS THE FRAUDULENCE OF FALSE GODS TEXT: Isaiah 44:9-20 9 They that fashion a graven image are all of them vanity; and the things that they delight in shall not profit; and their own witnesses...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    They have not known nor understood: for he hath shut their eyes, that they cannot see; and their hearts, that they cannot understand. HE HATH SHUT THEIR EYES. "He," God, hath given them over to jud...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    THE IMPOTENCE OF IDOLS 1-23. The reproach of God's people shall be entirely removed. Jehovah the Eternal, who rules the events of history, contrasted with the futile gods of the heathen. 24-28. This...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    Food and warmth have made this person feel comfortable. But occasionally he thinks that there may be something missing from his life. So he makes himself a god to fill the space....

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    ISAIAH: GOD CONTROLS THE NATIONS GOD PROMISES COMFORT TO HIS PEOPLE ISAIAH CHAPTER S 40 TO 48 _NORMAN HILLYER_ CHAPTER 44 The connection between Chapter s 43 and 44 is similar to the connection...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    HE HATH SHUT THEIR EYES. — Better, _their eyes are smeared over._ The state described is the judicial blindness of Romans 1:20. It will be remembered that blindness thus inflicted was one of the tortu...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    לֹ֥א יָדְע֖וּ וְ לֹ֣א יָבִ֑ינוּ כִּ֣י טַ֤ח

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    Isaiah 44:1; Isaiah 45:1; Isaiah 46:1; Isaiah 47:1; Isaiah 48:1...

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    CHAPTER I THE DATE OF Isaiah 40:1; Isaiah 41:1; Isaiah 42:1; Isaiah 43:1;...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    THE FOLLY OF IDOLATRY Isaiah 44:12-20 We are here conducted to a metal idol factory, Isaiah 44:12. As we enter, we are forewarned that we shall find the workmen vain, and their delectable things unpr...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    The beginning of this chapter (verses Isa 44:1-5) contains the gracious promise of the outpouring of the Spirit of God, and a description of the blessing of refreshment and renewal which will come to...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    _Covered. Septuagint, "darkened." Are Catholics in the same predicament? (Chap. xl. 18.) (Haydock)_...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    What a fine contrast does this view of the dung-hill god of a man's own creating, form with what went before, in which the glory of Jehovah is so sublimely set forth! If there were not facts existing...

  • John Calvin's Bible Commentary

    18._They have not known or understood. _He concludes that it is impossible that men endued with reason should have fallen into this mistake, if they had not been altogether blind and mad; for if any s...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    THE FOLLOWING COMMENTARY COVERS CHAPTER S 44 AND 45. Jehovah now reasons with His people whom He had formed from the womb, encourages them, promises them His Spirit. Their children shall spring up as...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    THEY HAVE NOT KNOWN NOR UNDERSTOOD,.... Who the true God is, nor the worship that is due to him alone; they do not know nor understand divine and spiritual things; nay, they have not the knowledge and...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    They have not known nor understood: for he hath shut their eyes, that they cannot see; [and] their hearts, that they cannot understand. Ver. 18. _They have not known nor understood._] How should they...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _They have not known_, &c. They want common discretion, and have not the understanding of a rational being in them. For what an absurdity is it for a man to dress his meat and make his god with the sa...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    THE VANITY OF IDOLATRY OVER AGAINST JEHOVAH...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    They have not known nor understood, they do not realize the inconsistency of their conduct; FOR HE HATH SHUT THEIR EYES, rather, their eyes are daubed shut, THAT THEY CANNOT SEE, AND THEIR HEARTS THAT...

  • Marginal Notes in the King James Version (1611)

    SHUT: _ Heb._ daubed...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    9-20 Image-making is described, to expose the folly of idolaters. Though a man had used part of a log for fuel, he fell down before an image made of the remainder, praying it to deliver him. Man grea...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    THEY HAVE NOT KNOWN OR UNDERSTOOD: this showeth that they want common discretion, and have not the understanding of a man in them. _He_, to wit, God; who is easily understood, and is oft expressed by...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Isaiah 44:18 know H3045 (H8804) understand H995 (H8799) shut H2902 (H8804) eyes H5869 see H7200 ...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    ISAIAH REVEALS THE FOLLY OF IDOLATRY (ISAIAH 44:10). Note the contrast of this passage with what precedes it. Isaiah brings out that while it is Yahweh Who formed Israel, the idol is merely fashioned...

  • Spurgeon's Bible Commentary

    In this chapter, God encourages his Church by a promise of the visitation of his Spirit. Oh, that it may be fulfilled to us also! Isaiah 44:1. Yet now hear, O Jacob my servant; and Israel, whom I hav...

  • Spurgeon's Bible Commentary

    This evening, we will read two Chapter s from Isaiah's prophecy, the forty-fourth and the fifty-fifth, and a few verses from the twenty-third chapter of the second Book of Samuel. May the Lord bless a...

  • Spurgeon's Bible Commentary

    Isaiah 44:1. _Yet now hear, O Jacob my servant; and Israel, whom I have chosen: Thus saith the LORD that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, which will help thee; Fear not, O Jacob, my servant;...

  • Spurgeon's Bible Commentary

    Isaiah 44:1. _Yet now hear, O Jacob my servant; and Israel, whom I have chosen: Thus saith the LORD that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, which will help thee; Fear not, O Jacob, my Servant;...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: The promise of the Spirit and the coming restoration. The folly of idolatry. CHARACTERS: God, Holy Spirit, Cyrus. CONCLUSION: There is no God besides Jehovah. He is infinite and therefore...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Isaiah 44:5. _Another shall subscribe with his hand unto the Lord._ This phrase is somewhat obscure; it is not said whether they signed a covenant, or imprinted some mark on their hand. The latter sen...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _They that make a graven image_ THE VANITY OF GRAVEN IMAGES Substituting homely prose for glowing poetry we may, after a fashion, reduce the prophet’s thought to propositions like the following-- 1...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    ISAIAH—NOTE ON ISAIAH 44:18 As in v. Isaiah 44:9, God judges idolatrous worship. ABOMINATION. See...

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    IDOL-MAKERS Isaiah 44:9. _They that make a graven image, &c._ What have we in this section of this chapter? An effective exposure of the folly of a practice that was almost universal! A fact in itsel...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION ISAIAH 44:1 A PROPHECY OF ISRAEL'S SPIRITUAL RECOVERY AND REGENERATION. This section is closely connected with Isaiah 43:1; of which it ought to form

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Yet now hear, O Jacob my servant; and Israel, whom I have chosen: Thus saith the LORD that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, which will help thee; Fear not, O Jacob, my servant; and thou, Jesh...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    2 Corinthians 4:3; 2 Corinthians 4:4; 2 Peter 2:14; 2 Thessalonians 2:9;...

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    Not known — This shews that they have not the understanding of a man. For he — God. Not as if God did make men wicked; he only permits them so to be, and orders, and over — rules their wickedness to h...

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