Hear, you deaf, and look, you blind, that you may see!
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse isn't just a general call to listen and see; it's a specific, almost paradoxical invitation: "Hear, you deaf, and look, you blind, that you may see!" This highlights that true seeing and hearing are not merely physical acts but spiritual transformations that God Himself enables, even in those who are utterly unable to perceive His truth on their own.
Hear, you deaf, and look, you blind, that you may see!
English Standard Version (ESV)
This passage is part of a longer address where God is recounting Israel's failures and calling them to account. The prophet emphasizes Israel's spiritual blindness and deafness, contrasting their current state with their calling as God's servant. This critique serves as a prelude to the description of God's suffering servant in Isaiah 42:1-7 and the subsequent elaboration on Israel's unresponsiveness and the consequences that follow.
Isaiah calls out to people who are described as deaf and blind, urging them to 'hear' and 'look'. How can someone who cannot hear or see respond to such a command?
This is a powerful, almost paradoxical, call from God. It's not just a gentle suggestion; it's an urgent plea for attention.
The context reveals that this call to the deaf and blind is addressed to God's own 'Servant,' Israel. Why would God use such language for the very one He calls His servant?
This verse highlights a profound tension within God's dealings with Israel, particularly in their role as His 'Servant.'
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This prophecy was delivered during a period of deepening spiritual blindness and unfaithfulness within Israel, leading up to the catastrophic destruction of Jerusalem and the Babylonian Exile. The prophet addresses Israel's profound spiritual deafness and blindness, lamenting their failure to recognize God's ongoing work and their true identity as His servant, even amidst severe judgment.
c. 740-700 BC
Prophetic Ministry of Isaiah
Isaiah delivers prophecies concerning Judah, the Assyrian threat, and the coming Messiah.
c. 620 BC
Discovery of the Book of the Law
During King Josiah's reign, the Book of the Law is found, leading to religious reforms.
605 BC
Nebuchadnezzar's First Deportation
Babylonian forces under Nebuchadnezzar deport a portion of the Jewish elite and craftsmen to Babylon.
597 BC
Nebuchadnezzar's Second Deportation
Following a rebellion, Jerusalem is captured again, and more of the population, including Ezekiel, is exiled.
586 BC— this verse
Fall of Jerusalem and Destruction of Temple
The Babylonians destroy Jerusalem and the Temple, exiling the remaining population.
c. 550 BC
Rise of Cyrus the Great
Cyrus begins his campaigns, conquering the Medes and preparing to challenge Babylon.
539 BC
Fall of Babylon and Cyrus' Decree
Cyrus conquers Babylon, allowing the exiled Jews to return to their homeland and rebuild the Temple.
This passage describes God's intentional hardening of hearts in Israel, similar to the 'deaf' and 'blind' addressed in Isaiah 42:18, to prevent their turning and being healed.
John 9:39-41Jesus quotes Isaiah's words to the Pharisees, highlighting that their spiritual blindness is a self-imposed condition, contrasting with the healing He offers.
Matthew 13:13-15This passage explains that Jesus spoke in parables to fulfill Isaiah's prophecy about the people's deliberate spiritual deafness and blindness, making their understanding a matter of their own choosing.
Romans 11:7-8Paul echoes Isaiah's sentiment by stating that Israel, as a nation, received a spirit of spiritual insensibility, becoming deaf and blind, even though God intended for them to see and hear.
cambridgeIsaiah 42:18: "Hear, ye deaf; and look, ye blind, that ye may see."
18 . look and see are distinguished as in 2 Kings 3:14 ; Job 35:5 , &c.; the former is to direct the gaze towards, the latter to take in the significance of an object. 18–25 . An expostulation with Israel for its insensibility to the privileges it has enjoyed. The passage is of considerable interest for the light which it throws on the sense in which the title “Servant of the Lord” is to be understood. The discrepancy between t…
bensonIsaiah 42:18: "Hear, ye deaf; and look, ye blind, that ye may see."
Isaiah 42:18-20 . Hear, ye deaf, &c. — O you, whosoever you are, whether Jews or Gentiles, who shall resist this clear light, and obstinately continue in your former errors, attend diligently to my words, and consider these mighty works of God. Who is blind but my servant? — But no people under heaven are so blind as the Jews, who call themselves my servants and people, who will not receive their Messiah, though he be recommend…
This verse isn't just a general call to listen and see; it's a specific, almost paradoxical invitation: "Hear, you deaf, and look, you blind, that you may see!" This highlights that true seeing and hearing are not merely physical acts but spiritual transformations that God Himself enables, even in those who are utterly unable to perceive His truth on their own.
This passage is part of a longer address where God is recounting Israel's failures and calling them to account. The prophet emphasizes Israel's spiritual blindness and deafness, contrasting their current state with their calling as God's servant. This critique serves as a prelude to the description of God's suffering servant in Isaiah 42:1-7 and the subsequent elaboration on Israel's unresponsiveness and the consequences that follow.
This passage is part of a longer address where God is recounting Israel's failures and calling them to account. The prophet emphasizes Israel's spiritual blindness and deafness, contrasting their current state with their calling as God's servant. This critique serves as a prelude to the description of God's suffering servant in Isaiah 42:1-7 and the subsequent elaboration on Israel's unresponsiveness and the consequences that follow.
"Hear, you deaf, and look, you blind, that you may see!" — This verse isn't just a general call to listen and see; it's a specific, almost paradoxical invitation: "Hear, you deaf, and look, you blind, that you may see!" This highlights that true seeing and…
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Last reviewed October 2026