Isaiah 29:14
in Isaiah 29Therefore I will again confound these people with wonder upon wonder. The wisdom of the wise will vanish, and the intelligence of the intelligent will be hidden.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder; and the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid.
KJV
Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid.
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This verse in Isaiah 29
Commentary
12 notes on this verseFrom my youth up until now I have spent many years in writing various works and have always tried to teach my hearers the doctrine that I have been taught publicly in church. I have not followed the philosophers in their discussions but have preferred to acquiesce in the plain words of the apostles. For I have known that it is written, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent," and "the foolishness of God is wiser than men."
This site's exposition
These people draw near to Me
on Isaiah 29:13-14
"These people draw near to Me with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me". Jesus quotes this verse against the Pharisees at Matthew 15:8 and 9. So the LORD will "confound these people with wonder upon wonder".
This site's exposition
The wisdom of the wise will vanish
Wonder upon wonder recalls the strange work of the LORD at Isaiah 28:21. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown note that the wise are struck where they take most pride, their wisdom hidden when the people need it most. Paul quotes the line at First Corinthians 1:19.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers4 voices
But perhaps Pelagius thinks that the name of Christ is necessary so that we may learn by his gospel how we ought to live, but not so that by his grace we may also be helped to lead good lives. At least, this consideration should lead him to admit that there are wretched shadows in the human soul, which knows how to tame a lion but not how to live. But are a free will and the natural law sufficient for us to know this? This is the "wisdom of speech" by which "the cross of Christ is made void." But he said, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise," because that cross cannot be made void. And immediately is overthrown that "wisdom" through the "foolishness of preaching," by which those who believe are healed. For if the natural power through free will is sufficient for us not only to know how we ought to live but actually to live well, "then Christ died in vain," "then is the scandal of the cross made void." … Ignorant of the justice of God, you are seeking to establish your own justice, and you have not submitted to the justice of God. For even as Christ is the end of the law, so also is he the savior of corrupted human nature, to justice for all who believe.
Philosophers also declare that they pursue this virtue, but their patience is as false as is their wisdom, for how can anyone be either wise or patient unless he knows the wisdom and patience of God? For he himself warns and states concerning those who think that they are wise in this world: "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the prudence of the prudent I will reject." … Therefore, if their wisdom is not true, their patience cannot be true either. For if that man who is humble and meek is patient, and yet we see that the philosophers are not humble or meek but very pleasing to themselves, and displeasing to God by the very fact that they are pleasing to themselves, it is evident that patience is not found where there is the arrogant boldness of an affected freedom and the shameless boasting of the proud and half-naked breast.
(Verse 13, 14) And the Lord said: Because this people draw near with their mouth, and with their lips glorify me, but their heart is far from me, and they fear me by the commandment of men, and teach me the precepts and doctrines of men. Therefore, behold, I will add to do wonders and great marvels among this people: for wisdom shall perish from their wise men, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hidden.
It is of … those … who practice idle discourse that God's Scriptures say superbly: "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and bring to nothing the cleverness of the clever."
The Medieval Church1 voice
Second, the punishment: therefore behold; great, according to their reckoning, or formerly; wisdom shall perish (Obad 1:8); I will destroy the wisdom of the wise: and the prudence of the prudent I will reject (1 Cor 1:19).
4 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people,....
This was fulfilled in the wretched infatuation which the Jewish nation were manifestly under, after they had rejected the gospel of Christ; they removed their hearts far from God, and therefore God justly removed wisdom far from them, and hid from their eyes the things that belonged even to their temporal peace.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
I will proceed to do - Hebrew, ‘I will add to do;’ that is, I will do it. For the wisdom of their wise men shall perish - I will bring calamity upon them which shall baffle all the skill and wisdom of their wise men. Shall be hid - That is, shall not appear; shall vanish. It shall not be sufficient to prevent the calamities that shall come upon the nation.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
The "marvellous work" is one of unparalleled vengeance on the hypocrites: compare "strange work," Isa 28:21. The judgment, too, will visit the wise in that respect in which they most pride themselves; their wisdom shall be hid, that is, shall no longer appear, so as to help the nation in its distress (compare 1Co 1:19).
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
Therefore, I will continue I am He Who will continue to perform additional obscurity upon obscurity, concealment upon concealment, sealing upon sealing. And what is this obscurity upon obscurity? And the wisdom of their wise men shall be lost.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
Because this people has come near Jonathan renders: Because this people has aggrandized itself. I.e., they have come near to raise themselves up to the heavens. They show themselves as though honoring Me with mouth and lip, but their heart they have drawn far away from Me.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 3 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
15 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| לָכֵ֗ן | lakhen | <to> therefore | H3651 → | 771 times |
| הִנְנִ֥י | hini | here I | H2005 → | 316 times |
| יוֹסִ֛ף | yosif | he will repeat | H3254 → | 212 times |
| לְהַפְלִ֥יא | lehafli' | to deal wonderfully with | H6381 → | 71 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הָֽעָם־ | haom- | the people | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| הַזֶּ֖ה | hazeh | <the> this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
| הַפְלֵ֣א | hafle' | highly <deal wonderfully> | H6381 → | 71 times |
| וָפֶ֑לֶא | vafele' | and a wonder | H6382 → | 13 times |
| וְאָֽבְדָה֙ | veavedah | and it will perish | H6 → | 184 times |
| חָכְמַ֣ת | chakhemat | [the] wisdom of | H2451 → | 153 times |
| חֲכָמָ֔יו | chakhamav | wise [people] its | H2450 → | 138 times |
| וּבִינַ֥ת | uvinat | and [the] understanding of | H998 → | 38 times |
| נְבֹנָ֖יו | nevonav | understanding [people] its | H995 → | 170 times |
| תִּסְתַּתָּֽר׃ ס | tistatar | it will hide itself | H5641 → | 80 times |
לָכֵ֗ן<to> therefore
lakhenH3651 →771 times
הִנְנִ֥יhere I
hiniH2005 →316 times
יוֹסִ֛ףhe will repeat
yosifH3254 →212 times
לְהַפְלִ֥יאto deal wonderfully with
lehafli'H6381 →71 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הָֽעָם־the people
haom-H5971 →1873 times
הַזֶּ֖ה<the> this
hazehH2088 →1180 times
הַפְלֵ֣אhighly <deal wonderfully>
hafle'H6381 →71 times
וָפֶ֑לֶאand a wonder
vafele'H6382 →13 times
וְאָֽבְדָה֙and it will perish
veavedahH6 →184 times
חָכְמַ֣ת[the] wisdom of
chakhematH2451 →153 times
חֲכָמָ֔יוwise [people] its
chakhamavH2450 →138 times
וּבִינַ֥תand [the] understanding of
uvinatH998 →38 times
נְבֹנָ֖יוunderstanding [people] its
nevonavH995 →170 times
תִּסְתַּתָּֽר׃ סit will hide itself
tistatarH5641 →80 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
Habakkuk 1:5“Look at the nations and observe—be utterly astounded! For I am doing a work in your days that you would never believe even if someone told you.
it leads to
- Acts 13:40–41
Watch out, then, that what was spoken by the prophets does not happen to you:
- Lamentations 4:12
The kings of the earth did not believe, nor any people of the world, that an enemy or a foe could enter the gates of Jerusalem.
- Jeremiah 5:12–13
They have lied about the LORD and said: “He will not do anything; harm will not come to us; we will not see sword or famine.
- Jeremiah 18:18
Then some said, “Come, let us make plans against Jeremiah, for the law will never be lost to the priest, nor counsel to the wise, nor an oracle to the prophet. Come, let us…
- Acts 13:40–41
Through
Isaiah 28:21For the LORD will rise up as at Mount Perazim. He will rouse Himself as in the Valley of Gibeon, to do His work, His strange work, and to perform His task, His disturbing…
it leads to
- 1 Chronicles 14:11
So David and his men went up to Baal-perazim, where he defeated the Philistines and said, “Like a bursting flood, God has burst out against my enemies by my hand.” So they called that…
- 2 Samuel 5:20
So David went to Baal-perazim, where he defeated the Philistines and said, “Like a bursting flood, the LORD has burst out against my enemies before me.” So he called that place Baal-perazim.
- Joshua 10:12
On the day that the LORD gave the Amorites over to the Israelites, Joshua spoke to the LORD in the presence of Israel: “O sun, stand still over Gibeon, O moon, over the Valley…
- Joshua 10:10
And the LORD threw them into confusion before Israel, who defeated them in a great slaughter at Gibeon, pursued them along the ascent to Beth-horon, and struck them down as far as Azekah and…
- 1 Chronicles 14:11
Where this verse is studied
About Isaiah
This page draws on 11 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes on the Book of Isaiah; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Augustine of Hippo, ON NATURE AND GRACE 40:47; Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata Book 1; Cyprian, Treatise IX. On the Advantage of Patience 2; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, LETTER 133.12; Jerome, Commentary on Isaiah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Isaiah.