My Notes
What Does Isaiah 42:18 Mean?
"Hear, ye deaf; and look, ye blind, that ye may see." God commands the deaf to hear and the blind to see — an impossible command given to people who by definition cannot obey it. The deaf CAN'T hear. The blind CAN'T see. And yet God commands it. The impossibility of the command is the point: God calls people to do what they cannot do, implying that the hearing and seeing will be divine gifts, not human achievements.
The phrase "hear, ye deaf" (hashemim hacherashim shima'u — the deaf ones, HEAR) addresses the paradox directly: the audience is identified AS deaf and then commanded to hear. The identification and the command contradict each other. The tension is deliberate: if they could hear, they wouldn't be deaf. The command must create the capacity it demands.
The "look, ye blind, that ye may see" (vehabbittu haiverrim lir'ot — the blind ones, LOOK in order to see) adds purpose to the impossibility: the looking is FOR the purpose of seeing. The blind must look — which they can't do — in order to see — which they can't do. The double impossibility underscores that what God is about to do exceeds human capacity.
Reflection Questions
- 1.What has God commanded you to hear or see that you've dismissed as impossible?
- 2.How does God commanding the deaf to hear teach about divine commands creating capacity?
- 3.What does the impossibility of the command reveal about the source of spiritual hearing and seeing?
- 4.Where in your life is God calling you to do something you can't — and is the calling itself the enablement?
Devotional
Hear, deaf people. Look, blind people. The command is impossible — and that's the point. God commands what the audience cannot do. The deaf can't hear. The blind can't look. And God says: do it anyway. The impossibility of the command reveals that the capacity must come from God, not from the commanded.
The 'hear, ye deaf' is a paradox that carries theology: if you could hear, you wouldn't be deaf. The command to hear IS the beginning of the hearing. God's word doesn't just request obedience from the capable. It creates capability in the incapable. The command itself is the gift. The 'hear' spoken to deaf ears is the sound that opens them.
The 'look, ye blind, that ye may see' adds the purpose clause: the looking isn't for its own sake. It's FOR seeing. The blind must look — impossible — in order to see — also impossible. But the command from God's mouth carries the power to accomplish what it demands. God doesn't command the blind to see and then wait for them to figure it out. God's command creates the sight it requires.
This verse speaks to everyone who feels spiritually deaf or blind: God isn't commanding you to do what you can already do. He's commanding you to do what only He can make possible. The hearing He demands, He provides. The seeing He commands, He creates. Your deafness isn't the obstacle. God's command is the remedy. Your blindness isn't the barrier. God's word is the cure.
What has God commanded you to hear or see — that you've dismissed as impossible because of your current condition?
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
Hear, ye deaf; and look, ye blind, that ye may see. Jarchi and Kimchi think these words are spoken to Israel, who, as…
Hear, ye deaf - This is evidently an address to the Jews, and probably to the Jews of the time of the prophet. He had…
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
Related passages throughout Scripture