Isaiah 5:21
in Isaiah 5Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!
KJV
Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!
⋯
This verse in Isaiah 5
Commentary
10 notes on this verse(Verse 21.) Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and shrewd in their own sight. For it is said, you yourselves appear to be wise, who follow human wisdom, not God's: and since you do not receive the power of God and the wisdom of God, you think you are wise (1 Corinthians 1). The Stoics claim that there is a difference between wisdom and prudence, in that wisdom is the knowledge of divine and human things, while prudence pertains only to mortal affairs.
This site's exposition
Woe to those who call evil
on Isaiah 5:20-21
The fourth woe falls on those who "call evil good and good evil," turning darkness to light and bitter to sweet. The fifth woe follows, on those "wise in their own eyes," and sets that self-made wisdom beside the reversal of good and evil.
This site's exposition
wise in their own eyes
This woe follows 5:20, and Gill joins them: those wise in their own eyes are the men who call evil good. Barnes sets it beside Proverbs 3:7. Romans 12:16 gives the same warning.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
Who is the greatest subverter of the people of God—he who, relying on the power of free choice, despises the help of the Creator and is satisfied with following his own will, or he who dreads to be judged by the details of the Lord's commandments?
That the Black One may find no means of entrance, let us flee from every vanity, let us utterly hate the works of the way of wickedness. Do not, by retiring apart, live a solitary life, as if you were already [fully] justified; but coming …
The Medieval Church2 voices
Consider as your superiors one another, especially those who are not committed to your charge, your neighbors, because even those whom you see doing certain wicked things—you do not know what good things may lie hidden in them. Therefore let each one strive to be great, but yet in some way not know that he is, lest while he arrogantly attributes greatness to himself, he lose it. For hence it is said through the prophet: "Woe to you who are wise in your own eyes, and prudent before yourselves." Hence Paul says: "Be not wise in your own eyes." Hence against the proud Saul it is said: "When you were little in your own eyes, you were made head among the tribes of Israel." As if it were openly said: When you saw yourself as little, I made you great above others. But because you now see yourself as great, you are esteemed little by me.
193. Woe to you that are wise. Here he sets out the third vanity as to the presumption of their sinning, which concerns three things. First, wisdom of heart, both in speculative things: you that are wise: be not wise in your own conceit (Prov …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Woe unto therm that are wise in their own eyes,.... And yet betray such stupidity and sottishness, as to call things by their wrong names; and make such a perverse judgment of them, as before described. This is a true description of the Scribes and Pharisees in Christ's time; who said, "dost thou teach us? are we blind also?" Joh 9:34. and prudent in their own sight; being wise above what was written; leaving the word of God, and following the traditions of the elders.
2 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
): They are wise in their own eyes; they think themselves able to disprove and baffle the reproofs and convictions of God's word, and to evade and elude both the searches and the reaches of his judgments; they think they can outwit Infinite Wisdom and countermine Providence itself.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Wo unto them that are wise ... - This is the fifth crime specified. It refers to those who are inflated with a false opinion of their own knowledge, and who are, therefore, self-confident and vain. This is expressly forbidden; Pro 3:7: ‘Be not wise in thine own eyes;’ compare Pro 26:12. In their own eyes - In their own opinion, or estimation. And prudent - Knowing; self-conceited. This was, doubtless, one characteristic of the times of Isaiah.
The words behind it
6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ה֖וֹי | ho | woe to! | H1945 → | 51 times |
| חֲכָמִ֣ים | chakhamim | [people] wise | H2450 → | 138 times |
| בְּעֵֽינֵיהֶ֑ם | beeineihem | in own eyes their | H5869 → | 887 times |
| וְנֶ֥גֶד | veneged | and before | H5048 → | 151 times |
| פְּנֵיהֶ֖ם | peneihem | own faces their | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| נְבֹנִֽים׃ | nevonim | discerning [people] | H995 → | 170 times |
ה֖וֹיwoe to!
hoH1945 →51 times
חֲכָמִ֣ים[people] wise
chakhamimH2450 →138 times
בְּעֵֽינֵיהֶ֑םin own eyes their
beeineihemH5869 →887 times
וְנֶ֥גֶדand before
venegedH5048 →151 times
פְּנֵיהֶ֖םown faces their
peneihemH6440 →2123 times
נְבֹנִֽים׃discerning [people]
nevonimH995 →170 times
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
Proverbs 3:7Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and turn away from evil.
it leads to
- Romans 12:16
Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but enjoy the company of the lowly. Do not be conceited.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Proverbs 26:12
Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Job 28:28
And He said to man, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”
- Proverbs 16:6
By loving devotion and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for, and by the fear of the LORD one turns aside from evil.
- Job 1:1
There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job. And this man was blameless and upright, fearing God and shunning evil.
- Romans 12:16
Through
Romans 12:16Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but enjoy the company of the lowly. Do not be conceited.
it leads to
- 1 Peter 3:8
Finally, all of you, be like-minded and sympathetic, love as brothers, be tenderhearted and humble.
- Proverbs 3:7
Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and turn away from evil.
- James 3:13–17
Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good conduct, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.
- 1 Peter 3:8
Where this verse is studied
About Isaiah
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Epistle of Barnabas, The Epistle of Barnabas, Chapter IV; Gregory the Dialogist, Forty Gospel Homilies, Homily 7; Jerome, Commentary on Isaiah; Jerome, Against the Pelagians 2.7; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Isaiah.