therefore, behold, I will again do wonderful things with this people, with wonder upon wonder; and the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the discernment of their discerning men shall be hidden.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse highlights a divine paradox: God will perform "wonderful things" by causing the "wisdom of their wise men to perish." This isn't about losing knowledge itself, but rather that their human wisdom and clever plans will utterly fail to grasp or prevent God's judgment and sovereign work. It's a humbling reminder that true understanding often requires looking beyond our own intellect to what God is doing.
therefore, behold, I will again do wonderful things with this people, with wonder upon wonder; and the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the discernment of their discerning men shall be hidden.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Isaiah has been denouncing the superficial piety of Jerusalem, a city that honors God with its lips but not its heart. This spiritual blindness has led them to rely on their own wisdom and political alliances rather than on God. In response, God declares He will enact a "marvelous work" that will confound their perceived wisdom, leaving their leaders bewildered and their plans useless.
God declares He will do a 'marvellous work,' but it's not what you might expect. What is this work, and why does it involve the perishing of wisdom?
The verse begins with a powerful declaration: "therefore, behold, I will again do wonderful things with this people, with wonder upon wonder." This isn't just a statement of future action; it's a divine promise of a supernatural intervention. The commentaries suggest this "marvellous work" is often a work of judgment, especially against hypocrisy and self-reliance.
A Judgment on False Wisdom
This divine intervention is directly linked to the downfall of human wisdom. "the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the discernment of their discerning men shall be hidden." This means that the clever plans, the sophisticated reasoning, and the supposed insights of those who relied on their own intellect would prove utterly useless in the face of God's action. Their wisdom would not only fail to help but would be completely concealed, unable to provide any solution or escape.
This highlights a core biblical principle: human wisdom, when separated from God, is ultimately foolishness. God's 'marvellous work' is to expose this truth, demonstrating that true understanding and effective action come from Him alone, not from human intellect apart from divine guidance.
When God acts, the results are often beyond human comprehension. What does it mean for human discernment to be 'hidden'?
The verse speaks of a 'marvellous work' and 'wonder upon wonder,' indicating actions that transcend ordinary human experience and understanding. The result for the people's 'wise men' and 'discerning men' is that their wisdom and discernment would 'perish' and be 'hidden.'
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The Limits of Human Insight
This hiding of wisdom signifies more than just a lack of success; it implies a complete incapacitation. Their intellectual abilities, which they likely trusted in for guidance and problem-solving, would become utterly ineffective, as if a veil were drawn over their minds. This isn't necessarily that they stopped thinking, but that their thinking led nowhere useful in God's sovereign plan.
It points to God's sovereign power to override human intellect. When God intends to display His power and execute His judgment or salvation, human strategies and insights become irrelevant. The ultimate purpose is to drive people away from self-sufficiency and towards dependence on Him, recognizing that true wisdom and discernment are gifts from above, not achievements of the mind.
Understand the original words
pele' · Hebrew Noun/Adjective
Acts of God that defy human explanation and demonstrate His sovereign power, often used to judge human pride and redeem His people.
chokmah · Hebrew Noun
The application of knowledge and insight; true wisdom is rooted in the fear of the Lord, whereas human wisdom separated from God is destined for futility.
biynah · Hebrew Noun
The ability to perceive, distinguish, and exercise spiritual judgment. It is a gift from God that allows believers to discern His path in the midst of worldly confusion.
This prophecy was given during a time of great political instability and impending judgment for Judah. The 'marvelous work' refers to God's powerful and unexpected intervention, not necessarily for salvation in that moment, but as a judgment that would baffle the understanding of human leaders and lead to the nation's downfall and exile.
c. 701 BC— this verse
Assyrian Siege of Jerusalem
The Assyrian king Sennacherib campaigns in Judah, besieging Jerusalem. While Jerusalem is not captured, the surrounding cities are destroyed and a heavy tribute is exacted.
c. 605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Under Nebuchadnezzar II, Babylonian forces conquer Jerusalem and deport a portion of the population, including members of the royal family and educated elite, to Babylon.
c. 597 BC
Second Deportation to Babylon
Another wave of exiles, including the prophet Ezekiel, is deported to Babylon following continued resistance and rebellion.
c. 586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem and Temple Destruction
The Babylonians destroy Jerusalem and its Temple, ending the Davidic dynasty and scattering the remaining population into exile.
This passage echoes Isaiah's lament about the 'wisdom' of leaders failing, stating that the people have rejected God's word, and their wise ones are now ashamed because they possess none of it.
1 Corinthians 1:19This New Testament passage directly quotes Isaiah 29:14, applying the principle that God will destroy the wisdom of the wise and bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent, especially in the context of the cross.
Ecclesiastes 10:10This verse illustrates the idea of wisdom perishing by stating that an iron tool that is blunt and not sharpened requires more strength, highlighting how unapplied or ineffective wisdom leads to greater difficulty.
Matthew 11:25Jesus gives thanks because the Father has hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children, directly paralleling Isaiah's theme of divine wisdom being concealed from those who think they possess it.
Isaiah 5:21This earlier prophecy from Isaiah condemns those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight, showing a consistent theme of God exposing the futility of human wisdom when it is divorced from Him.
barnesIsaiah 29:14: "Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid."
I will proceed to do - Hebrew, 'I will add to do;' that is, I will do it. For the wisdom of their wise men shall perish - I will bring calamity upon them which shall baffle all the skill and wisdom of their wise men. Shall be hid - That is, shall not appear; shall…
ellicottIsaiah 29:14: "Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid."
(14) I will proceed to do a marvellous work . . . —The sure doom of hypocrisy would come upon the hypocrites: not loving the light, they would lose the light they had, and be left to their self-chosen blindness. Here, again, history was to repeat itself, and the wo…
The verse highlights a divine paradox: God will perform "wonderful things" by causing the "wisdom of their wise men to perish." This isn't about losing knowledge itself, but rather that their human wisdom and clever plans will utterly fail to grasp or prevent God's judgment and sovereign work. It's a humbling reminder that true understanding often requires looking beyond our own intellect to what God is doing.
Isaiah has been denouncing the superficial piety of Jerusalem, a city that honors God with its lips but not its heart. This spiritual blindness has led them to rely on their own wisdom and political alliances rather than on God. In response, God declares He will enact a "marvelous work" that will confound their perceived wisdom, leaving their leaders bewildered and their plans useless.
Isaiah has been denouncing the superficial piety of Jerusalem, a city that honors God with its lips but not its heart. This spiritual blindness has led them to rely on their own wisdom and political alliances rather than on God. In response, God declares He will enact a "marvelous work" that will confound their perceived wisdom, leaving their leaders bewildered and their plans useless.
"therefore, behold, I will again do wonderful things with this people, with wonder upon wonder; and the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the discernment of their discerning men shall be hidden.”" — The verse highlights a divine paradox: God will perform "wonderful things" by causing the "wisdom of their wise men to perish." This isn't about losing knowledge itself, but rather that their human w…
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Last reviewed October 2026