“But this is a people robbed and spoiled; they are all of them snared in holes , and they are hid in prison houses: they are for a prey, and none delivereth; for a spoil, and none saith, Restore.”
My Notes
What Does Isaiah 42:22 Mean?
"But this is a people robbed and spoiled; they are all of them snared in holes, and they are hid in prison houses: they are for a prey, and none delivereth; for a spoil, and none saith, Restore." Israel's condition is described without softening: robbed, spoiled, snared, imprisoned, preyed upon — and nobody delivers or demands restoration. The suffering is compounded by the absence of advocates. The people aren't just victimized. They're abandoned by everyone who should intervene.
The catalogue of suffering — "robbed and spoiled... snared in holes... hid in prison houses... for a prey... for a spoil" — layers the exploitation: they're robbed (possessions taken), spoiled (stripped, plundered), snared (trapped like animals), hidden in prisons (confined, invisible), and made into prey (hunted continuously). Each term adds another dimension of victimization.
The "none delivereth... none saith, Restore" is the abandonment that compounds the suffering: the absence of a deliverer means no rescuer comes. The absence of anyone saying 'Restore' means no one even DEMANDS that the stolen be returned. The people are both victimized and forgotten. The robbery is unchallenged. The spoiling goes unprotested.
Reflection Questions
- 1.Who around you is being robbed and preyed upon with nobody delivering or demanding restoration?
- 2.What does 'none delivereth' teach about the injustice of silent bystanders?
- 3.How does the layered catalogue of suffering (robbed, snared, imprisoned, preyed upon) describe comprehensive victimization?
- 4.Could YOU be the voice that says 'restore' — and what would that look like?
Devotional
Robbed. Spoiled. Snared. Imprisoned. Preyed upon. And nobody — NOBODY — delivers or demands restoration. Israel isn't just suffering. Israel is suffering without advocates. The victimization is total. The abandonment is complete.
The catalogue of suffering layers the exploitation: robbed (things taken), spoiled (stripped of everything), snared in holes (trapped like animals), hidden in prison houses (confined and invisible), made into prey (hunted continuously), made into spoil (plundered as war booty). Each word adds a dimension. Each term compounds the previous one. The suffering isn't one-dimensional. It's layered, comprehensive, and relentless.
The 'none delivereth' is the silence that kills: someone should rescue. Nobody does. The deliverer that should appear never arrives. The hand that should reach into the pit stays at its side. The voice that should cry 'enough' stays quiet. The absence of deliverance isn't just a missing action. It's a present injustice. The failure to deliver is itself a form of complicity.
The 'none saith Restore' is the advocacy gap: beyond the absence of physical rescue, nobody even SPEAKS on their behalf. Nobody demands the stolen be returned. Nobody insists on justice. Nobody even SAYS the word 'restore.' The silence of the potential advocates is as damaging as the actions of the actual oppressors.
Who in your world is robbed, snared, and preyed upon — with nobody delivering and nobody saying 'restore'?
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
Who among you will give ear to this?.... To this prophecy of your destruction, and to what follows concerning it:
who…
But this is a people robbed and spoiled - The Jewish people, though highly favored, have been so unmindful of the…
The prophet, having spoken by way of comfort and encouragement to the believing Jews who waited for the consolation of…
An expostulation with Israel for its insensibility to the privileges it has enjoyed. The passage is of considerable…
Cross References
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