Isaiah 29:15

Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the LORD, and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who seeth us? and who knoweth us? THAT SEEK DEEP TO HIDE - rather, 'that seek to hide deeply,' etc. (cf. Isaiah 30:1). The reference is to the secret plan which many of the Jewish nobles had of seeking Egyptian aid against Assyria, contrary to the advice of Isaiah. At the same time the hypocrite in general is described, who, under a plausible exterior, tries to hide his real character, not only from men, but even from God....

15._Woe to them that conceal themselves from Jehovah. _The Prophet again exclaims against those wicked and profane despisers of God, whom he formerly called לצים, (_lētzīm_,) “scorners,” who think that they have no other way of being wise than to be skilful in mocking God. They regard religion as foolish simplicity, and hide themselves in their cunning, as in a labyrinth; and on this account they mock at warnings and threatenings, and, in short, at the whole doctrine of godliness. From this verse it is sufficiently evident that the pestilence, which afterwards spread more widely, prevailed even at that time in the world, namely, that hypocrites delighted in mocking inwardly at God, and in despising prophecies. The Prophet therefore exclaims against them, and calls them מעמיקים, (_măgnămīkīm_,) that is, “diggers,” (275) as if they

9-16 The security of sinners in sinful ways, is cause for lamentation and wonder. The learned men, through prejudice, said that the Divine prophecies were obscure; and the poor urged their want of learning. The Bible is a sealed book to every man, learned or unlearned, till he begins to study it with a simple heart and a teachable spirit, that he may thence learn the truth and the will of God. To worship God, is to approach him. And if the heart be full of his love and fear, out of the abundance of it the mouth will speak; but there are many whose religion is lip-labour only. When they pretend to be speaking to God, they are thinking of a thousand foolish things. They worship the God of Israel according to their own devices. Numbers are only formal in worship. And their religion is only to comply with custom, and to serve their own interest. But the wanderings of mind, and defects in de...

WOE UNTO THEM THAT SEEK DEEP ... - That is, who attempt to conceal their “real” intentions under a plausible exterior, and correct outward deportment. This is most strikingly descriptive of the character of a hypocrite who seeks to conceal his plans and his purposes from the eyes of people and of God. His external conduct is fair; his observance of the duties of religion exemplary; his attendance on the means of grace and the worship of God regular; his professions loud and constant, but the whole design is to “conceal” his real sentiments, and to accomplish some sinister and wicked purpose by it. FROM THE LORD - This proves that the design of the hypocrite is not always to attempt to deceive his fellowmen, but that he also aims to deceive God....

EXPOSITION ISAIAH 29:1 A WARNING TO JERUSALEM. Expostulation is followed by threats. The prophet is aware that all his preaching to the authorities in Jerusalem (Isaiah 28:14) will be of no avail, and that their adoption of measures directly antagonistic to the commands of God will bring on the very evil which they are seeking to avert, and cause Jerusalem to be actually besieged by her enemies. In the present passage he distinctly announces the siege, and declares that it will commence within a year. ISAIAH 29:1 WOE TO ARIEL, TO ARIEL, THE CITY WHERE DAVID DWELT! "Ariel' is clearly a myst

WOE UNTO THEM,.... Or, "O ye", THAT SEEK DEEP TO HIDE THEIR COUNSEL FROM THE LORD; which they consulted against Christ, to take away his life, to persecute his apostles, and hinder the spread of his Gospel; which though they consulted in private, and formed deep schemes, imagining they were not observed by the Lord, yet he that sits in the heaven saw them, and laughed at their vain imaginations, Psalms 2:1: AND THEIR WORKS ARE IN THE DARK; in the dark night, as if the darkness could conceal them from the all seeing eye of God; such works are truly works of darkness, but cannot be hid, though they flatter themselves they will: AND THEY SAY, WHO SEETH US? AND WHO KNOWETH US? as no man, they imagined, did, so not God himself; into such atheism do wicked men sink, when desirous of bringing their schemes into execution, they have taken great p

CHAPTER 29 The Second Woe Against Ariel and the Third Woe 1. _The fall of Ariel (Jerusalem) predicted (Isaiah 29:1)_ 2. _Their enemies dealt with by Jehovah (Isaiah 29:5)_ 3. _The people's condition: Blinded and religious formalists (Isaiah 29:9)_ 4. _The third woe (Isaiah 29:15)_ 5. _In that Day: joy and blessing for the meek and iniquity punished (Isaiah 29:17) _ Ariel means “the lion of God.” It is one of the names of Jerusalem. A great siege of Jerusalem is predicted. Neither Sennacherib's invasion nor the sie

Cf. Isaiah 30:1; Isaiah 31:1. _that seek deep to hide_their _counsel from the Lord_ THAT HIDE A PLAN DEEP FROM JEHOVAH. The Egyptian party at court had done their utmost to conceal their project from Isaiah; this attempt to deceive God's prophet is an act of rebellion, an attempt to steal a march on Jehovah. That they had other reasons for working in the dark is no doubt true; but these were of small moment compared with the sin of refusing to Jehovah a voice in their counsels of state....

WOE UNTO THEM, &C.— _Woe unto them who with deep dissimulation seek to hide their counsel,_ &c. Isaiah 29:16. _This perverseness of yours is as if the potter were reputed as clay; that the work should say of its maker, He made me not; or the thing framed, say of him that framed it, He hath no understanding._ Vitringa. The plain meaning of the prophet is, that their proceedings who attempted to hide their worldly counsels and subtle devices from Jehovah, were as absurd as if the clay should set itself against the potter. This reproof is levelled against the Sadducees, the Herodians, and those other sects among the Jews who, disclaiming dependence upon God, were for relying on the aid and protection of the Roman powers....

4. SULLENNESS TEXT: Isaiah 29:9-16 9 Tarry ye and wonder; take your pleasure and be blind: they are drunken, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink. 10 For Jehovah hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes, the prophets; and your heads, the seers, hath he covered. 11 And all vision is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee; and he saith, I cannot, for it is sealed: 12 and the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee; and he saith, I am not learned. 13 And the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw nigh unto me, and with their mouth and with their lips do honor me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment of men