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Selected Verse: Isaiah 44:18 - Strong Concordance

Verse	Translation	Text
Isa 44:18	Strong Concordance	They have not known [03045] nor understood [0995]: for he hath shut [02902] their eyes [05869], that they cannot see [07200]; and their hearts [03826], that they cannot understand [07919].
	King James	They have not known nor understood: for he hath shut their eyes, that they cannot see; and their hearts, that they cannot understand.

Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse

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A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]
he, &c.--God hath given them over to judicial blindness; not His direct physical, but His providential agency in administering His moral government, is meant (Isa 6:9-10). "Shut," literally, "daubed," plastered up; it is an Eastern custom in some cases to seal up the eyes of offenders.

A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]

he, &c.--God hath given them over to judicial blindness; not His direct physical, but His providential agency in administering His moral government, is meant (Isa 6:9-10). "Shut," literally, "daubed," plastered up; it is an Eastern custom in some cases to seal up the eyes of offenders.

Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834]
They have not known nor understood - They are stupid, ignorant, and blind. Nothing could more strikingly show their ignorance and stupidity than this idol worship. He hath shut their eyes - God hath closed their eyes. Margin, 'Daubed.' The word used here, טה ṭah from טוה ṭûah denotes properly "to spread over"; to besmear; to plaster; as, e. g., a wall with mortar Lev 14:42; Ch1 29:4; Eze 13:10; Eze 22:28. Here it means to cover over the eyes so as to prevent vision; and hence, metaphorically, to make them stupid, ignorant, dull. It is attributed to God in accordance with the common statement of the Scriptures, that he does what he permits to be done (see the notes at Isa 6:9-10). It does not mean that God had done it by any physical, or direct agency, but that it had occurred under the administration of his Providence. It is also true that the Hebrew writers sometimes employ an active verb when the signification is passive, and when the main idea is, that anything was in fact done. Here the main point is not the agent by which this was done, but the fact that their eyes were blinded - and perhaps all the force of the verb טה ṭah used here would be expressed if it was rendered in an impersonal, or in a passive form, 'it is covered as to their eyes,' that is, their eyes are shut, without suggesting that it was done by God. So the Septuagint renders it, Ἀπημαυρώθησαν Apēmaurōthēsan - 'They are blind,' or involved in darkness. So the Chaldee, מטמטמן meṭmeṭemân (also in the plural) - 'Their eyes are obscured' or blind. It cannot be proved from this text that God is, by direct agency, the author by whom it was done. It was not uncommon to shut up, or seal up the eyes for various purposes in the East, and unquestionably the prophet alludes to some such custom. 'It is one of the solemnities at a Jewish wedding at Aleppo, according to Dr. Russell, who mentions it as the most remarkable thing in their ceremonies at that time. It is done by fastening the eyelids together with a gum, and the bridegroom is the person, he says, if he remembered right, that opens the bride's eyes at the appointed time. It is also used as a punishment in those countries. So Sir Thomas Roe's chaplain, in his account of his voyages to East India, tells us of a son of the Great Mogul, whom he had seen, and with whom Sir Thomas had conversed, that had before that time been cast into prison by his father, where his eyes were sealed up, by something put before them, which might not be taken off for three years; after which time the seal was taken away, that he might with freedom enjoy the light, though not his liberty.' (Harmer's Obs. vol. iii., pp. 507, 508. Ed. Lond. 8vo, 1808.)

Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834]

They have not known nor understood - They are stupid, ignorant, and blind. Nothing could more strikingly show their ignorance and stupidity than this idol worship.

He hath shut their eyes - God hath closed their eyes. Margin, 'Daubed.' The word used here, טה ṭah from טוה ṭûah denotes properly "to spread over"; to besmear; to plaster; as, e. g., a wall with mortar Lev 14:42; Ch1 29:4; Eze 13:10; Eze 22:28. Here it means to cover over the eyes so as to prevent vision; and hence, metaphorically, to make them stupid, ignorant, dull. It is attributed to God in accordance with the common statement of the Scriptures, that he does what he permits to be done (see the notes at Isa 6:9-10). It does not mean that God had done it by any physical, or direct agency, but that it had occurred under the administration of his Providence. It is also true that the Hebrew writers sometimes employ an active verb when the signification is passive, and when the main idea is, that anything was in fact done. Here the main point is not the agent by which this was done, but the fact that their eyes were blinded - and perhaps all the force of the verb טה ṭah used here would be expressed if it was rendered in an impersonal, or in a passive form, 'it is covered as to their eyes,' that is, their eyes are shut, without suggesting that it was done by God. So the Septuagint renders it, Ἀπημαυρώθησαν Apēmaurōthēsan - 'They are blind,' or involved in darkness.

So the Chaldee, מטמטמן meṭmeṭemân (also in the plural) - 'Their eyes are obscured' or blind. It cannot be proved from this text that God is, by direct agency, the author by whom it was done. It was not uncommon to shut up, or seal up the eyes for various purposes in the East, and unquestionably the prophet alludes to some such custom. 'It is one of the solemnities at a Jewish wedding at Aleppo, according to Dr. Russell, who mentions it as the most remarkable thing in their ceremonies at that time. It is done by fastening the eyelids together with a gum, and the bridegroom is the person, he says, if he remembered right, that opens the bride's eyes at the appointed time. It is also used as a punishment in those countries. So Sir Thomas Roe's chaplain, in his account of his voyages to East India, tells us of a son of the Great Mogul, whom he had seen, and with whom Sir Thomas had conversed, that had before that time been cast into prison by his father, where his eyes were sealed up, by something put before them, which might not be taken off for three years; after which time the seal was taken away, that he might with freedom enjoy the light, though not his liberty.' (Harmer's Obs. vol. iii., pp. 507, 508. Ed. Lond. 8vo, 1808.)

Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78]
So irrational is idolatry; but yet, through self-hardening, they have fallen under the judgment of hardness of heart (Isa 6:9-10; Isa 19:3; Isa 29:10), and have been given up to a reprobate mind (Rom 1:28). "They perceive not, and do not understand: for their eyes are smeared over, so that they do not see; their hearts, so that they do not understand. And men take it not to heart, no perception and no understanding, that men should say, The half of it I have burned in the fire, and also baked bread upon the coals thereof; roasted flesh, and eaten: and ought I to make the rest of it an abomination, to fall down before the produce of a tree?" Instead of טח, Lev 14:42, the third person is written טח (from tâchach, Ges. 72, Anm. 8) in a circumstantial sense: their eyes are, as it were, smeared over with plaster. The expression אל־לב השׁיב or על־לב (Isa 46:8), literally to carry back into the heart, which we find as well as על־לב שׂים, to take to heart (Isa 42:25), answers exactly to the idea of reflection, here with reference to the immense contrast between a piece of wood and the Divine Being. The second and third לא in Isa 44:19 introduce substantive clauses, just as verbal clauses are introduced by ואין. לאמר is used in the same manner as in Isa 9:8 : "perception and insight showing themselves in their saying." On būl, see Job 40:20; the meaning "block" cannot be established: the talmudic būl, a lump or piece, which Ewald adduces, is the Greek βῶλος.

Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65]
Not known - This shews that they have not the understanding of a man. For he - God. Not as if God did make men wicked; he only permits them so to be, and orders, and over - rules their wickedness to his own glorious ends.

Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826
He hath shut their eyes "Their eyes are closed up" - The Septuagint, Chaldee, and Vulyate, for טח tach, read טחו tachu. See note on Isa 6:10.

Top

⁹ And he said [0559], Go [03212], and tell [0559] this people [05971], Hear [08085] ye indeed [08085], but understand [0995] not; and see [07200] ye indeed [07200], but perceive [03045] not.
¹⁰ Make the heart [03820] of this people [05971] fat [08080], and make their ears [0241] heavy [03513], and shut [08173] their eyes [05869]; lest they see [07200] with their eyes [05869], and hear [08085] with their ears [0241], and understand [0995] with their heart [03824], and convert [07725], and be healed [07495].

²⁸ And her prophets [05030] have daubed [02902] them with untempered [08602] morter, seeing [02374] vanity [07723], and divining [07080] lies [03577] unto them, saying [0559], Thus saith [0559] the Lord [0136] GOD [03069], when the LORD [03068] hath not spoken [01696].

¹⁰ Because, even because they have seduced [02937] my people [05971], saying [0559], Peace [07965]; and there was no peace [07965]; and one built up [01129] a wall [02434], and, lo [02009], others daubed [02902] it with untempered [08602] morter:

⁴ Even three [07969] thousand [0505] talents [03603] of gold [02091], of the gold [02091] of Ophir [0211], and seven [07651] thousand [0505] talents [03603] of refined [02212] silver [03701], to overlay [02902] the walls [07023] of the houses [01004] withal:

⁴² And they shall take [03947] other [0312] stones [068], and put [0935] them in the place [08478] of those stones [068]; and he shall take [03947] other [0312] morter [06083], and shall plaister [02902] the house [01004].

²⁰ Surely the mountains [02022] bring him forth [05375] food [0944], where all the beasts [02416] of the field [07704] play [07832].

⁸ The Lord [0136] sent [07971] a word [01697] into Jacob [03290], and it hath lighted [05307] upon Israel [03478].

¹⁹ And none considereth [07725] in his heart [03820], neither is there knowledge [01847] nor understanding [08394] to say [0559], I have burned [08313] part [02677] of it in [01119] the fire [0784]; yea, also I have baked [0644] bread [03899] upon the coals [01513] thereof; I have roasted [06740] flesh [01320], and eaten [0398] it: and shall I make [06213] the residue [03499] thereof an abomination [08441]? shall I fall down [05456] to the stock [0944] of a tree [06086]?

²⁵ Therefore he hath poured [08210] upon him the fury [02534] of his anger [0639], and the strength [05807] of battle [04421]: and it hath set him on fire [03857] round about [05439], yet he knew [03045] not; and it burned [01197] him, yet he laid [07760] it not to heart [03820].

⁸ Remember [02142] this, and shew yourselves men [0377]: bring it again [07725] to mind [03820], O ye transgressors [06586].

²⁸ And [2532] even as [2531] they did [1381] not [3756] like [1381] to retain [2192] God [2316] in [1722] their knowledge [1922], God [2316] gave [3860] them [846] over [3860] to [1519] a reprobate [96] mind [3563], to do [4160] those things which are [2520] not [3361] convenient [2520];

¹⁰ For the LORD [03068] hath poured out [05258] upon you the spirit [07307] of deep sleep [08639], and hath closed [06105] your eyes [05869]: the prophets [05030] and your rulers [07218], the seers [02374] hath he covered [03680].

³ And the spirit [07307] of Egypt [04714] shall fail [01238] in the midst [07130] thereof; and I will destroy [01104] the counsel [06098] thereof: and they shall seek [01875] to the idols [0457], and to the charmers [0328], and to them that have familiar spirits [0178], and to the wizards [03049].

¹⁰ Make the heart [03820] of this people [05971] fat [08080], and make their ears [0241] heavy [03513], and shut [08173] their eyes [05869]; lest they see [07200] with their eyes [05869], and hear [08085] with their ears [0241], and understand [0995] with their heart [03824], and convert [07725], and be healed [07495].