Isaiah 59:10

We grope for the wall like the blind, and we grope as if we had no eyes: we stumble at noonday as in the night; we are in desolate places as dead men. WE GROPE FOR THE WALL LIKE THE BLIND - fulfilling Moses' threat (Deuteronomy 28:29). WE STUMBLE AT NOON-DAY AS IN THE NIGHT. There is no relaxation of our evils: at the time when we might look WE STUMBLE AT NOON-DAY AS IN THE NIGHT. There is no relaxation of our evils: at the time when we might look for the noon of relief, there is still the night of our calamity. (WE ARE) IN DESOLATE PLACES AS DEAD MEN - rather, to suit the parallel words, "at noon-day," 'in fertile (literally, fat, Genesis 27:28) fields' ...

10._We grope for the wall like the blind. _He explains the same thing by different forms of expression; for, in consequence of the grievous complaints which were heard among the people, he determined to omit nothing that was fitted to describe their calamities. It is perhaps by way of concession (139) that he mentions those things; as if he had said, “Our affairs are reduced to the deepest misery, but we ought chiefly to consider the cause, for we have deserved all this and far worse.” But it is not a probable interpretation, that stupid persons are aroused to think of their evil actions; for, although they are abundantly disposed to complain, yet the devil stupifies them, so that the tokens of God’s anger do not awaken them to repentance, he alludes to that metaphor which he employed in the preceding verse, when he said that the people were in darkness and obscurity, and found no escape...

9-15 If we shut our eyes against the light of Divine truth, it is just with God to hide from our eyes the things that belong to our peace. The sins of those who profess themselves God's people, are worse than the sins of others. And the sins of a nation bring public judgments, when not restrained by public justice. Men may murmur under calamities, but nothing will truly profit while they reject Christ and his gospel....

Verse Isaiah 59:10. _WE STUMBLE AT NOON DAY AS IN THE NIGHT _- "We stumble at mid-day, as in the twilight"] I adopt here an emendation of Houbigant, נשגגה _nishgegah_, instead of the second, נגששה _negasheshah_, the repetition of which has a poverty and inelegance extremely unworthy of the prophet, and unlike his manner. The mistake is of long standing, being prior to all the ancient versions. It was a very easy and obvious mistake, and I have little doubt of our having recovered the true reading in this ingenious correction....

WE GROPE FOR THE WALL LIKE THE BLIND - A blind man, not being able to see his way, feels along by a wall, a fence, or any other object that will guide him. They were like the blind. They had no distinct views of truth, and they were endeavoring to feel their way along as well as they could. Probably the prophet here alludes to the threatening made by Moses in Deuteronomy 28:28, ‘And the Lord shall smite thee with madness, and blindness, and astonishment of heart; and thou shalt grope at noon-day as the blind gropeth in darkness, and thou shalt not prosper in thy ways.’ WE STUMBLE AT NOON-DAY AS IN THE NIGHT - The idea here is, that they were in a state of utter disorder and confusion. Obstacles were in their way on all hands, and they could no more walk than people could who at noon-day found their path fil

EXPOSITION ISAIAH 59:1 A GENERAL REBUKE OF ISRAEL FOR ITS MANIFOLD SINS, The command given to the prophet in Isaiah 58:1 to "show God's people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins "—partly executed in Isaiah 58:4 and Isaiah 58:13—is now further carried out by a scathing denunciation of various forms of wickedness, more or less prevalent in Israel, the effect of which has been to separate between Israel and God, to "shorten God's hand" and "make his ear

WE GROPE FOR THE WALL LIKE THE BLIND,.... Who either with their hands, or with a staff in them, feel for the wall to lean against, or to guide them in the way, or into the house, that they may know whereabout they are, and how they should steer their course: AND WE GROPE AS IF WE HAD NO EYES: which yet they had, the eyes of their reason and understanding; but which either were not opened, or they made no use of them in searching the Scriptures, to come at the light and knowledge of divine things; and therefore only at most groped after them by the dim light of nature, if thereby they might find them. This is to be understood not of them all, but of many, and of the greatest part: WE STUMBLE AT NOONDAY AS IN THE NIGHT; as many persons do now: for though it is noonday in some respects, and in some places, where the Gospel and the truths of it are clearly preached; yet men stumble and fal...

CHAPTER 59 Apostasy and Confession, Jehovah's Intervention and the Coming of the Redeemer 1. _The deplorable condition of the people (Isaiah 59:1) _ 2. _The confession (Isaiah 59:9) _ 3. _Jehovah's intervention (Isaiah 59:16) _ 4. _The coming of the Redeemer (Isaiah 59:20) _ The corruption of the people during the end time is first described. But grace is at work and a part of the people confess their sins. They confess that they are in darkness, that they are blind, that they stumble and are like dead men. They confess that salvation is far from them. They confess their lying, their departure from God

ISAIAH 59:9_ a_. THE PEOPLE CONFESS THAT THEIR PITEOUS PLIGHT IS THE FRUIT OF THEIR WRONGDOING. The poet now joins himself to his people and, speaking in their name, owns the truth of the indictment in Isaiah 59:1. True! that is why we do not attain our right, and victory is not ours! No gleam of hope lightens our darkness. We grope like blind men along a wall instead of treading firmly. We stumble in broad daylight. We moan and murmur like growling bears or cooing doves. Right and deliverance seem ever further off, for our numberless rebellions bear witness before Thee against us. Their guilt is ever on our hearts rebellion and transgression against Yahweh, uttering perverseness (so read for oppression), defection, and lying words. So Right turns her back upon us and Victory keeps her distance,

WE GROPE, &C. Reference to Pentateuch (Deuteronomy 28:29). Idea the same, but word different. The word in Deuteronomy is the same as in Genesis 27:12; Genesis 27:22; Genesis 31:34; Genesis 31:37; Exodus 10:21.Job 5:14; Job 12:25. The word in Isaiah occurs nowhere else. App-92. NIGHT. Heb