Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, “My way is hidden from the LORD, and my right is disregarded by my God”?
English Standard Version (ESV)
When Jacob cries out, "My way is hidden from the LORD, and my right is disregarded by my God," the prophet isn't just hearing a complaint; he's hearing an accusation against God's very character. The phrase "my right is disregarded" reveals their feeling that God has not only overlooked their suffering but has also abandoned their cause, failing to act justly on their behalf. This highlights that their despair stemmed not just from hardship, but from a perceived injustice and abandonment by the one they called "my God."
Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, “My way is hidden from the LORD, and my right is disregarded by my God”?
English Standard Version (ESV)
The prophet Isaiah turns from declarations about God's power and glory to address the people directly, speaking to them as "Jacob" and "Israel." He confronts their feeling that God has forgotten them during their difficult circumstances, likely referring to the hardship and despair of the Babylonian captivity. The verse introduces a complaint that God's attention and sense of justice have overlooked their suffering and their rightful cause.
Ever feel like you're going through something tough, and it seems like no one notices? Like your struggles are invisible to the world, and even to God?
Isaiah addresses Jacob and Israel directly, asking why they say their 'way is hidden from the LORD.' This 'way' refers to their entire circumstances—their hardships, their daily life, their suffering.
It's easy to fall into the trap of thinking God is unaware when things get difficult. But the text makes it clear: God sees.
What 'Way' Means
Despite the exile and suffering, the people of Israel were to remember that God's attention wasn't withdrawn. He sees the full picture of your life, even the parts you think are in shadow.
When injustice strikes or your pleas seem to go unanswered, it's natural to feel like your case has been dismissed. Like your 'judgment' has been passed over.
The second part of their complaint is that their 'judgment is disregarded by my God.' This 'judgment' speaks to their cause, their right, their need for justice and deliverance.
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Understanding 'Judgment'
Isaiah's question challenges this perception. It pushes back against the idea that God is apathetic to their suffering or that He has abandoned their cause. Even in their darkest hour, God remained their God, and He had not forgotten them or their rights.
Why would an all-powerful, all-knowing God overlook the details of your life or neglect your rightful cause? The answer lies in understanding who God is.
The prophet immediately follows up Israel's complaints with a powerful reminder of God's nature, which directly counters their fears.
The God We Serve:
This description isn't just theological information; it's the foundation for hope. If God is this immense, this powerful, this wise, then your 'way' cannot be hidden, and your 'judgment' cannot truly be disregarded. His very nature ensures He is aware and able to act.
Understand the original words
YHWH · Hebrew Proper Noun
The covenant name of the self-existent, eternal God who reveals Himself to His people; the I AM who is faithful to His promises.
mishpat · Hebrew Noun
A legal or moral claim to justice; it denotes the cause or case that a person brings before God for vindication.
This verse speaks directly to the despair of the exiles in Babylon, who felt forgotten by God amidst their suffering and the destruction of their homeland. Isaiah's words are a divine rebuke to this faithlessness, reminding them of God's eternal power and unwavering commitment, even when His actions are not immediately clear.
c. 722 BC
Fall of the Northern Kingdom
The Assyrian Empire conquers the Northern Kingdom of Israel, deporting many of its citizens and scattering them. This event significantly impacts the collective memory and identity of the Israelites.
586 BC
Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
The Babylonian Empire under Nebuchadnezzar II conquers Judah, destroys Jerusalem and its Temple, and exiles a large portion of the population to Babylon.
c. 586-538 BC— this verse
Babylonian Exile
The Jewish people endure decades of exile in Babylon. During this time, many feel abandoned by God, questioning His presence and power.
539 BC
Cyrus the Great Captures Babylon
Cyrus the Great of Persia conquers Babylon, initiating a new era for the exiled peoples.
538 BC
Edict of Cyrus
Cyrus issues an edict allowing the Jewish exiles to return to Jerusalem and rebuild their Temple, marking the end of the Babylonian Exile.
This verse echoes the sentiment of 'my way is hidden' by speaking about committing one's way to the Lord, suggesting that our paths are not hidden from God but are known to Him and entrusted to Him.
Job 3:23This passage presents a deeper despair where Job feels God has hidden his way, showing an even more intense sense of God's absence than the complaint in Isaiah.
Ezekiel 37:11In the vision of the dry bones, the people cry out, 'Our hope is lost; we are cut off,' mirroring the feeling in Isaiah that their situation is so dire it seems God has forgotten them or passed over their cause.
Romans 11:29Paul speaks of the gifts and calling of God being irrevocable, directly countering the idea that God's favor or attention could be permanently hidden or passed over, offering a New Testament perspective on God's enduring faithfulness.
Psalm 77:9This Psalm expresses a similar lament where the psalmist questions if God has forgotten to be gracious or if His steadfast love has ceased, reflecting the deep discouragement that leads to the complaint in Isaiah.
cambridgeIsaiah 40:27: "Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, My way is hid from the LORD, and my judgment is passed over from my God?"
27 . My way ] i.e. my circumstances, my lot ( Psalm 37:5 ). Israel feels that its hard lot is overlooked or ignored by Jehovah; far harder is the complaint of Job ( Isaiah 3:23 ) that God Himself has hidden his way, setting a hedge across it. my judgment … God ] my right passes from my God ,—escapes His notice. In all its consciousness of guilt before God, t…
bensonIsaiah 40:27: "Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, My way is hid from the LORD, and my judgment is passed over from my God?"
Isaiah 40:27-28 . Why sayest thou, O Jacob — The consolatory part of the prophet’s discourse begins at this verse, wherein the foregoing doctrine and prophecy are applied to the comfort of the church, complaining, amid her various afflictions, that she had been neglected of the Lord; which complaint makes the basis of the consolation contained in this period…
When Jacob cries out, "My way is hidden from the LORD, and my right is disregarded by my God," the prophet isn't just hearing a complaint; he's hearing an accusation against God's very character. The phrase "my right is disregarded" reveals their feeling that God has not only overlooked their suffering but has also abandoned their cause, failing to act justly on their behalf. This highlights that their despair stemmed not just from hardship, but from a perceived injustice and abandonment by the one they called "my God."
The prophet Isaiah turns from declarations about God's power and glory to address the people directly, speaking to them as "Jacob" and "Israel." He confronts their feeling that God has forgotten them during their difficult circumstances, likely referring to the hardship and despair of the Babylonian captivity. The verse introduces a complaint that God's attention and sense of justice have overlooked their suffering and their rightful cause.
The prophet Isaiah turns from declarations about God's power and glory to address the people directly, speaking to them as "Jacob" and "Israel." He confronts their feeling that God has forgotten them during their difficult circumstances, likely referring to the hardship and despair of the Babylonian captivity. The verse introduces a complaint that God's attention and sense of justice have overlooked their suffering and their rightful cause.
"Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, “My way is hidden from the LORD, and my right is disregarded by my God”?" — When Jacob cries out, "My way is hidden from the LORD, and my right is disregarded by my God," the prophet isn't just hearing a complaint; he's hearing an accusation against God's very character. The…
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Last reviewed October 2026