18 “Hear, you deaf,
and look, you blind,
that you may see. 19 Who is blind, but my servant?
Or who is as deaf as my messenger whom I send?
Who is as blind as he who is at peace,
and as blind as Yahweh’s servant? 20 You see many things, but don’t observe.
His ears are open, but he doesn’t listen. 21 It pleased Yahweh, for his righteousness’ sake, to magnify the law,
and make it honorable. 22 But this is a robbed and plundered people.
All of them are snared in holes,
and they are hidden in prisons.
They have become a prey, and no one delivers;
and a spoil, and no one says, ‘Restore them!’ 23 Who is there among you who will give ear to this?
Who will listen and hear for the time to come? 24 Who gave Jacob as plunder,
and Israel to the robbers?
Didn’t Yahweh, he against whom we have sinned?
For they would not walk in his ways,
and they disobeyed his law. 25 Therefore he poured the fierceness of his anger on him,
and the strength of battle;
and it set him on fire all around, but he didn’t know;
and it burned him, but he didn’t take it to heart.”
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Isaiah 42:18-25
Commentary on Isaiah 42:18-25
(Read Isaiah 42:18-25)
Observe the call given to this people, and the character given of them. Multitudes are ruined for want of observing that which they cannot but see; they perish, not through ignorance, but carelessness. The Lord is well-pleased in the making known his own righteousness. For their sins they were spoiled of all their possessions. This fully came to pass in the destruction of the Jewish nation. There is no resisting, nor escaping God's anger. See the mischief sin makes; it provokes God to anger. And those not humbled by lesser judgments, must expect greater. Alas! how many professed Christians are blind as the benighted heathen! While the Lord is well-pleased in saving sinners through the righteousness of Christ he will also glorify his justice, by punishing all proud despisers. Seeing God has poured out his wrath on his once-favoured people, because of their sins, let us fear, lest a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of us should be found to come short of it.