Isaiah 48:8
in Isaiah 48You have never heard; you have never understood; for a long time your ears have not been open. For I knew how deceitful you are; you have been called a rebel from birth.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Yea, thou heardest not; yea, thou knewest not; yea, from of old thine ear was not opened: for I knew that thou didst deal very treacherously, and wast called a transgressor from the womb.
KJV
Yea, thou heardest not; yea, thou knewest not; yea, from that time that thine ear was not opened: for I knew that thou wouldest deal very treacherously, and wast called a transgressor from the womb.
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This verse in Isaiah 48
Commentary
13 notes on this verseIn Symmachus's translation: "And you, though faithless to the covenant, were called from the womb," so that not through you but through my merciful love I foretold and showed to you the things that would come to destroy your enemies, hurrying to save you in every engagement with them.
This site's exposition
You have heard these things
on Isaiah 48:6-8
“You have heard these things” presses the house to testify, and the LORD adds new evidence, “hidden things unknown to you”. Verse 7 fixes the timing, “They are created now”, which removes any excuse. Verse 8 traces the stubbornness to birth, “you have been called a rebel from birth”.
This site's exposition
your ears have not been open
To open the ear, as Jamieson, Fausset and Brown note, means obedient attention, the same picture used of the Servant in Isaiah 50:5. Maurer reads the closed ear another way. The things were kept from Israel beforehand, lest a perverse people twist them.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
These words would not be of any help to you if you had not been already warned. Nevertheless, dwelling in my loving-kindness, I still bear witness and distinguish you from those assembled in Babylon and the Chaldeans about to attack you. Open your eyes! As you see the foretold destruction taking hold when the warriors come from Babylon, you will know with understanding that God has told you these things would happen and you can call on his help when the predicted end strikes. These things are available to you from my words.
(Verse 3, 4 and following) I announced the former things long ago, they went out from my mouth, and I made them heard. Suddenly I acted, and they came to pass. For I knew that you are obstinate, and your neck is an iron sinew, and your forehead is bronze. I foretold them to you long ago, before they came to pass I announced them to you, lest you should say, 'My idols did these things, and my carved images and molded idols commanded them.' You have heard; see all this. And will you not declare it?
The Medieval Church1 voice
You have neither heard, from idols, neither was your ear opened, by me: man shall come to a deep heart (Ps 64:6-7). He also sets out their condition, from which this reason is drawn: for I know; from the womb, that is, from the time …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
This is applicable to particular persons. We are all born children of disobedience; we were called transgressors from the womb, and therefore it is easy to foresee that we shall deal treacherously, very treacherously. Where original sin is actual sin will follow of course.
Yea - The same thing is repeated, because this was so illustrious a proof of the infinite power and providence of God. Thine ear - Thou didst not hear, I did not reveal these things unto thee: for so this phrase of opening the ear is understood, 1 Sam. ix, 15.
5 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Yea, thou heardest not; yea, thou knewest not yea, from that time that thine ear was not opened,....
The Nineteenth Century4 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
"To open the ear" denotes obedient attention (Isa 50:5); or, "was not opened" to receive them; that is, they were not declared by Me to thee previously, since, if thou hadst been informed of them, such is thy perversity, thou couldst not have been kept in check [MAURER].
THE ancient people of God were most annoyingly emotionless, and although the Lord taught them very plainly and repeatedly, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little, yet they would not understand His will. More especially, in order to convince them that Jehovah was the only true God and that the gods of the heathen were not gods, He was pleased to send them Prophets to foretell things to come.
THE ancient people of God were most annoyingly emotionless, and although the Lord taught them very plainly and repeatedly, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little, yet they would not understand His will. More especially, in order to convince them that Jehovah was the only true God and that the gods of the heathen were not gods, He was pleased to send them Prophets to foretell things to come. And when those events transpired which had been so plainly predicted, one would have thought that ordinary sense and reason would have led them to adore the God who thus proved His existence and His foreknowledge. But even this powerful proof did not convince them! They still paid more respect to the gods of the heathen than to the one and only living God, and their souls hankered after the idols of the nations. The Lord rebukes them for this folly in the verse before us. "Yes, you heard not," though I spoke so plainly that the deaf might hear, yet you would not listen to My voice. Though taught by God-sent Prophets, yet the people refused to be instructed. "Yes, you knew not," though your own internal consciousness might have taught it to you, apart from any voice, yet you would neither learn from without nor consider within. Nothing can exceed the obstinate stupidity of the unrenewed heart. It will not learn, let the teaching come as it may. "From that time that your ear was not opened," for your ear had become as though sealed up, impervious to sound. Your heart had become so vile with iniquity as to be incapable of feeling. And this was not because the Jewish people were foolish or naturally devoid of intelligence, for, as we all know, to this very day there is no sharper generation under Heaven than the sons of Judah.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Yea, thou heardest not - This verse is designed to show not only that these events could not have been foreseen by them, but that when they were actually made known to them, they were stupid, dull, and incredulous. It is not only re-affirming what had been said in the previous verses, but is designed to show that they were characteristically and constantly a perverse, hardened, and insensible people. The phrase, ‘thou heardest not,’ therefore means that they did not attend to these things when they were uttered, and were prone to disregard God, and all his predictions and promises.
The words behind it
19 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| גַּ֣ם | gam | neither | H1571 → | 769 times |
| לֹֽא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| שָׁמַ֗עְתָּ | shama'ta | you heard | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| גַּ֚ם | gam | nor | H1571 → | 769 times |
| לֹ֣א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יָדַ֔עְתָּ | yada'ta | you knew | H3045 → | 945 times |
| גַּ֕ם | gam | nor | H1571 → | 769 times |
| מֵאָ֖ז | meaz | from then | H227 → | 141 times |
| לֹא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| פִתְּחָ֣ה | fitechah | it opened | H6605 → | 144 times |
| אָזְנֶ֑ךָ | ʾazenekha | ear your | H241 → | 187 times |
| כִּ֤י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| יָדַ֙עְתִּי֙ | yada'ti | I knew | H3045 → | 945 times |
| בָּג֣וֹד | bagod | certainly <to act treacherously> | H898 → | 49 times |
| תִּבְגּ֔וֹד | tivgod | you will act treacherously | H898 → | 49 times |
| וּפֹשֵׁ֥עַ | ufoshea' | and a rebel | H6586 → | 41 times |
| מִבֶּ֖טֶן | mibeten | from [the] womb | H990 → | 72 times |
| קֹ֥רָא | kora' | it has been called | H7121 → | 733 times |
| לָֽךְ׃ | lakh | to <the> you |
גַּ֣םneither
gamH1571 →769 times
לֹֽא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
שָׁמַ֗עְתָּyou heard
shama'taH8085 →1159 times
גַּ֚םnor
gamH1571 →769 times
לֹ֣אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
יָדַ֔עְתָּyou knew
yada'taH3045 →945 times
גַּ֕םnor
gamH1571 →769 times
מֵאָ֖זfrom then
meazH227 →141 times
לֹא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
פִתְּחָ֣הit opened
fitechahH6605 →144 times
אָזְנֶ֑ךָear your
ʾazenekhaH241 →187 times
כִּ֤יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
יָדַ֙עְתִּי֙I knew
yada'tiH3045 →945 times
בָּג֣וֹדcertainly <to act treacherously>
bagodH898 →49 times
תִּבְגּ֔וֹדyou will act treacherously
tivgodH898 →49 times
וּפֹשֵׁ֥עַand a rebel
ufoshea'H6586 →41 times
מִבֶּ֖טֶןfrom [the] womb
mibetenH990 →72 times
קֹ֥רָאit has been called
kora'H7121 →733 times
לָֽךְ׃to <the> you
lakh
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Psalms 58:3The wicked are estranged from the womb; the liars go astray from birth.
it leads to
- Psalms 51:5
Surely I was brought forth in iniquity; I was sinful when my mother conceived me.
- Proverbs 22:15
Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline drives it far from him.
- Psalms 51:5
Through
Jeremiah 6:10To whom can I give this warning? Who will listen to me? Look, their ears are closed, so they cannot hear. See, the word of the LORD has become offensive to them; they find…
it leads to
- Acts 7:51
You stiff-necked people with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit, just as your fathers did.
- Jeremiah 7:26
Yet they would not listen to Me or incline their ear, but they stiffened their necks and did more evil than their fathers.
- Hebrews 11:7
By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in godly fear built an ark to save his family. By faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes…
- John 7:7
The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me, because I testify that its works are evil.
- Exodus 6:12
But in the LORD’s presence Moses replied, “If the Israelites will not listen to me, then why would Pharaoh listen to me, since I am unskilled in speech?”
- Acts 7:51
Through
Hosea 5:7They have been unfaithful to the LORD; for they have borne illegitimate children. Now the New Moon will devour them along with their land.
it leads to
- Hosea 6:7
But they, like Adam, have transgressed the covenant; there they were unfaithful to Me.
- Hosea 6:7
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Isaiah
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Charles Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 779: “God's Foreknowledge of Man's Sin” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition); Eusebius of Caesarea, COMMENTARY ON ISAIAH 2:33; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Isaiah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Isaiah.