Woe to those who deeply hide their counsel from Yahweh, and whose deeds are in the dark, and who say, “Who sees us?” and “Who knows us?”
Parallel Translations
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Woe to those who deeply hide their counsel from Yahweh, and whose deeds are in the dark, and who say, “Who sees us?” and “Who knows us?”
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Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the LORD, and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who seeth us? and who knoweth us?
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Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the LORD, and their works are in the dark, and they say: 'Who seeth us? and who knoweth us?'
Cross-references (25)
Passages linked to Isaiah 29:15 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Ezekiel 8:12 Then he said to me, “Son of man, have you seen what the elders of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in his rooms of imagery? For they say, ‘Yahweh doesn’t see us. Yahweh has forsaken the land.’ ”
- Isaiah 47:10 For you have trusted in your wickedness. You have said, ‘No one sees me.’ Your wisdom and your knowledge has perverted you. You have said in your heart, ‘I am, and there is no one else besides me.’
- Isaiah 30:1 “Woe to the rebellious children”, says Yahweh, “who take counsel, but not from me; and who make an alliance, but not with my Spirit, that they may add sin to sin,
- Psalms 94:7-9 They say, “Yah will not see, neither will Jacob’s God consider.” Consider, you senseless among the people; you fools, when will you be wise? He who implanted the ear, won’t he hear? He who formed the eye, won’t he see?
- Psalms 10:11-13 He says in his heart, “God has forgotten. He hides his face. He will never see it.” Arise, Yahweh! God, lift up your hand! Don’t forget the helpless. Why does the wicked person condemn God, and say in his heart, “God won’t call me into account?”
- Psalms 59:7 Behold, they spew with their mouth. Swords are in their lips, “For”, they say, “who hears us?”
- Psalms 139:1-8 Yahweh, you have searched me, and you know me. You know my sitting down and my rising up. You perceive my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word on my tongue, but, behold, Yahweh, you know it altogether. You hem me in behind and before. You laid your hand on me. This knowledge is beyond me. It’s lofty. I can’t attain it. Where could I go from your Spirit? Or where could I flee from your presence? If I ascend up into heaven, you are there. If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, you are there!
- Isaiah 28:15 “Because you have said, ‘We have made a covenant with death, and we are in agreement with Sheol. When the overflowing scourge passes through, it won’t come to us; for we have made lies our refuge, and we have hidden ourselves under falsehood.’ ”
- Jeremiah 23:24 Can anyone hide himself in secret places so that I can’t see him?” says Yahweh. “Don’t I fill heaven and earth?” says Yahweh.
- Ezekiel 9:9 Then he said to me, “The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great, and the land is full of blood, and the city full of perversion; for they say, ‘Yahweh has forsaken the land, and Yahweh doesn’t see.’
- Zephaniah 1:12 It will happen at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with lamps, and I will punish the men who are settled on their dregs, who say in their heart, “Yahweh will not do good, neither will he do evil.”
- Malachi 2:17 You have wearied Yahweh with your words. Yet you say, ‘How have we wearied him?’ In that you say, ‘Everyone who does evil is good in Yahweh’s sight, and he delights in them;’ or ‘Where is the God of justice?’
- Luke 12:1-3 Meanwhile, when a multitude of many thousands had gathered together, so much so that they trampled on each other, he began to tell his disciples first of all, “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. But there is nothing covered up that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have said in the darkness will be heard in the light. What you have spoken in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops.
- Job 22:13-14 You say, ‘What does God know? Can he judge through the thick darkness? Thick clouds are a covering to him, so that he doesn’t see. He walks on the vault of the sky.’
- Job 24:13-17 “These are of those who rebel against the light. They don’t know its ways, nor stay in its paths. The murderer rises with the light. He kills the poor and needy. In the night he is like a thief. The eye also of the adulterer waits for the twilight, saying, ‘No eye will see me.’ He disguises his face. In the dark they dig through houses. They shut themselves up in the daytime. They don’t know the light. For the morning is to all of them like thick darkness, for they know the terrors of the thick darkness.
- Job 34:22 There is no darkness, nor thick gloom, where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.
- 1 Corinthians 4:5 Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each man will get his praise from God.
- Psalms 64:5-6 They encourage themselves in evil plans. They talk about laying snares secretly. They say, “Who will see them?” They plot injustice, saying, “We have made a perfect plan!” Surely man’s mind and heart are cunning.
- Psalms 73:11 They say, “How does God know? Is there knowledge in the Most High?”
- Isaiah 5:18-19 Woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of falsehood, and wickedness as with cart rope, who say, “Let him make haste, let him hasten his work, that we may see it; let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw near and come, that we may know it!”
- Isaiah 57:12 I will declare your righteousness; and as for your works, they will not benefit you.
- 2 Corinthians 4:2 But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by the manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.
- Isaiah 28:17 I will make justice the measuring line, and righteousness the plumb line. The hail will sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters will overflow the hiding place.
- John 3:19 This is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light; for their works were evil.
- Revelation 2:23 I will kill her children with Death, and all the assemblies will know that I am he who searches the minds and hearts. I will give to each one of you according to your deeds.
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (15 sources)
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Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain This is spoken of them which in heart despised…
This is spoken of them which in heart despised God’s word, and mocked at the admonitions, but outwardly bare a good face.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain Isa 29:15 Woe unto them that seek deep to…
Isa 29:15 Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the LORD, and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who seeth us? and who knoweth us?
Ver. 15. Woe unto them that seek deep to hide.] That carry two faces under a hood, as all formalists and double-minded persons do, desirous to deceive the world, and, if it were possible, God himself also, with their pretences and professions, and to cozen him of heaven.
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To hide their counsel.] Their cunning contrivances, ut ita libere in omnes veneres et scelera ruant.
From the Lord.] Which cannot be, because he is all eye, and the searcher of hearts; he is intimo nostro intimior nobis, and will bring to light the hidden things of darkness. {1Co 4:5}
Their works are in the dark.] Out of sight, but not out of the light of his countenance. {Psa 90:8} Deo obscura liquent, muta respondent, silentium confitetur. "All things are naked and open before the eyes of him with whom we have to do." {Heb 4:13} Sin not therefore in hope of secrecy; Si non caste tamen caute, will prove too short a covering.
And say, Who seeth us? and who knoweth us?] God doth, to be sure, whoever doth not; hold this fast against that natural atheism which is in us all. See Eze 9:9 Rom 3:18. {See Trapp on "Rom 3:18"}
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain That seek deep, Heb. that make deep. A metaphor…
That seek deep, Heb. that make deep. A metaphor from men who use to dig deep into the earth, that they may hide any thing there which they would keep safe and unknown.
To hide their counsel from the Lord; vainly imagining that they can keep all their hypocrisy and secret wickedness out of God’s sight, and that they can deceive, not only man, but God, by their external professions and services. Their works are in the dark; their wicked counsels are contrived, and their idolatry is practised, in secret and dark places, of which see Eze 8:12.
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Who seeth us? and who knoweth us? we act so cunningly, that neither God nor man can discover us.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain Woe unto them,.... Or, "O ye",
Woe unto them,.... Or, "O ye",
that seek deep to hide their counsel from the Lord; which they consulted against Christ, to take away his life, to persecute his apostles, and hinder the spread of his Gospel; which though they consulted in private, and formed deep schemes, imagining they were not observed by the Lord, yet he that sits in the heaven saw them, and laughed at their vain imaginations, Psa 2:1,
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and their works are in the dark; in the dark night, as if the darkness could conceal them from the all seeing eye of God; such works are truly works of darkness, but cannot be hid, though they flatter themselves they will:
and they say, Who seeth us? and who knoweth us? as no man, they imagined, did, so not God himself; into such atheism do wicked men sink, when desirous of bringing their schemes into execution, they have taken great pains to form; and which they please themselves are so deeply laid, as that they cannot fail of succeeding; but hear what follows Isa 29:16.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain Seek deep - A metaphor from men, who use…
Seek deep - A metaphor from men, who use to dig deep into the earth, that they may hide any thing there. To hide - Vainly imagining, that they can deceive, not only men, but God, by their external professions. Who - Neither God nor man can discover us.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain Isa 29:15-16. Wo unto them that seek deep —…
Isa 29:15-16. Wo unto them that seek deep — Hebrew, המעמיקים, that make, or dig deep; a metaphor from persons digging deep into the earth, that they may hide what they wish to keep safe and unknown. To hide their counsel from the Lord — Who vainly imagine that they can conceal their hypocrisy and secret wickedness from him, and can deceive, not only men, but God, by their external professions and services; or, who think they can carry on their projects without the observation or interposition of Providence. And their works are in the dark — Their wicked counsels are contrived, and their idolatry is practised, in secret and dark places, of which see Eze 8:12. And they say, Who seeth us? — Neither God nor man can discover us. Surely your turning of things upside down — “Your giving things unexpected turns, or false appearances, to hide your true designs, shall signify no more toward producing the intended effect, than the clay does without the artificer.” Dr. Waterland renders the verse, “This perverseness of yours is as if the potter were reputed as clay; that the work should say of its maker. He made me not; or the thing framed, say of him that framed it, He hath no understanding.” Bishop Lowth reads the passage in the interrogative form, and thereby gives it still more force: “Perverse as ye are! shall the potter be esteemed as the clay? Shall the work say of the workman, He hath not made me?” &c. “We, and all our works are in the hands of God, as clay in the hands of the potter, to give what form and fashion to them he pleases; and when the finest schemes are laid, he can work things to a quite contrary end.” — Lowth.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain Woe unto them that seek deep ... - That…
Woe unto them that seek deep ... - That is, who attempt to conceal their “real” intentions under a plausible exterior, and correct outward deportment. This is most strikingly descriptive of the character of a hypocrite who seeks to conceal his plans and his purposes from the eyes of people and of God. His external conduct is fair; his observance of the duties of religion exemplary; his attendance on the means of grace and the worship of God regular; his professions loud and constant, but the whole design is to “conceal” his real sentiments, and to accomplish some sinister and wicked purpose by it.
From the Lord - This proves that the design of the hypocrite is not always to attempt to deceive his fellowmen, but that he also aims to deceive God.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain seek deep to hide--rather, "That seek to hide deeply,"…
seek deep to hide--rather, "That seek to hide deeply," &c. (compare Isa 30:1-2). The reference is to the secret plan which many of the Jewish nobles had of seeking Egyptian aid against Assyria, contrary to the advice of Isaiah. At the same time the hypocrite in general is described, who, under a plausible exterior, tries to hide his real character, not only from men, but even from God.
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 15. Seek deep to hide — Irony on the…
15. Seek deep to hide — Irony on the conceit of these leaders, in impiously supposing even God did not see their intent as to Egypt, and the motive of their disloyalty to him. Their absurdity is exposed in the next verse.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 15. Cf. Isa_30:1, Isa_31:1. that seek deep to hide…
15. Cf. Isa_30:1, Isa_31:1. that seek deep to hide their counsel from the Lord] that hide a plan deep from Jehovah. The Egyptian party at court had done their utmost to conceal their project from Isaiah; this attempt to deceive God’s prophet is an act of rebellion, an attempt to steal a march on Jehovah. That they had other reasons for working in the dark is no doubt true; but these were of small moment compared with the sin of refusing to Jehovah a voice in their counsels of state.
Ch. Isa_29:15-24 A Messianic forecast
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The third “Woe” (Isa_29:15), directed against the political intrigue with Egypt, merely serves as a point of attachment for a glowing description of the regenerated Israel. The course of thought is as follows:—
The prophet, having unmasked the designs of the conspirators, expostulates with them for pitting their foolish plans against the purpose of the Almighty (Isa_29:15-16).
Ere long, Jehovah will prove His power by a marvellous transformation of nature and society; the word of the Lord will be received by the people, now deaf and dumb to spiritual things; the poor and oppressed shall rejoice in their God (Isa_29:17-19).
In that glorious age there shall be neither tyrant nor scoffer,—neither oppression from without, nor injustice within the state (Isa_29:20-21).
The time of Israel’s humiliation shall soon pass away, never to return; and those who at present are perplexed and discontented shall accept the instruction of true religion (Isa_29:22-24).
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (15) Woe unto them . . .—The words sound…
(15) Woe unto them . . .—The words sound like an echo of Isa_5:8; Isa_5:11; Isa_5:18, and show that Isaiah had not lost the power of adding to that catalogue of woes. The sins of which he speaks here may have been either the dark sensualities which lay beneath the surface of religion, or, more probably, their clandestine intrigues with this or that foreign power—Egypt, Ethiopia, Babylon—against the Assyrian invader, instead of trusting in the Lord of hosts.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their…
Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the Lord. The allusion is to the schemes which were afloat for calling in the aid of Egypt. As Isaiah had long since denounced these schemes as the height of folly, (Isa_19:11-17) and prophesied their failure, (Isa_20:5, Isa_20:6) every effort was made to conceal them from his knowledge end from the knowledge of all who were like-minded. (comp. Isa_30:1, Isa_30:2) Steps were probably even now being taken for the carrying out of the schemes, which were studiously concealed from the prophet. Their works are in the dark. Underhand proceedings ere at all times suspicious. "Men love darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil." The very fact of concealment was an indication that the works in which the rulers were engaged were evil, and that they knew them to be evil. They say, Who seeth us? (comp. Psa_73:11, "Tush, they say, How should God perceive? Is there knowledge in the Most High? The wicked persuade themselves that God does not see their actions.
God the Mind-Searcher.
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Foolish indeed are they who "seek deep to hide their counsel from the Lord." The first reference of this warning may be to the secret schemes of the party in Jerusalem which advocated an offensive and defensive alliance with Egypt in the national emergency. Such a policy was so evidently untheocratic that, in the days of the good Hezekiah, they were obliged to work in the dark. It may be noticed that the Divine omniscience of all events and circumstances is a much more familiar and readily recognized truth than the Divine omniscience of all thoughts of mind and decisions of will. Yet we are to understand that, as the psalmist expresses it, "Thou understandest my thought afar off.... For before a word is yet on my tongue, lo! O Jehovah, thou knowest it altogether." By our "thoughts" is not meant the passing set of mental associations from which we have to select, but the selections we make, the things we cherish. The omniscience of God is most searching to us when we regard it as his "knowledge of the deepest thoughts and most secret workings of the human heart.
I THE DIVINE OMNISCIENCE AS A CHECK. A boy was required to accompany his father when out stealing potatoes from a field. The boy was set to watch while the man dug. Presently he called out, as if there was danger. "Where? where?" said the man, who could see no signs of any one approaching. "Look up!" replied the boy. This should always be taken into consideration in our thinking and our planning God sees; God knows. We all need that check of the Divine eye upon us, reading our very hearts.
II THE DIVINE OMNISCIENCE AS A TERROR. Such it must always be to the evildoer, to the man who wants to do wrong. It checks the good man; it frightens the bad man. A servant-girl was accustomed to pilfer when dusting her master"s room, but there was a portrait on the walls, the eyes of which seemed to be always following and watching her; so, to relieve herself of her terror, the foolish girl cut out the eyes. An oppressive picture of the terror of God"s looking at and into evil-doers is given in the description of the judgment, when men wilt call on the rocks and hills to hide them from the face of God as if they could!
III THE DIVINE OMNISCIENCE AS A CONSOLATION AND STRENGTH. This it is to all who wish to be good. The best source of illustration is Psalm 139. See especially the restfulness and the joy breathed in the prayer of vers. 23, 24. As Calvin says, "That man must have a rare confidence who offers himself so boldly to the scrutiny of God"s righteous judgment. R.T.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Biblical Illustrator 1887 · Public Domain Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their…
Isa_29:15-16
Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the Lord
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The folly of acting separately from God
I.
THEIR POLITICS DESCRIBED (Isa_29:15). The consultations they had about their own safety they kept to themselves, and never asked Gods advice concerning them. See what foolish, fruitless pains sinners take in their sinful ways; they seek deep, they sink deep, to hide their counsel from the Lord, who sits in heaven and laughs at them. A practical disbelief of Gods omniscience is at the bottom both of the carnal worship and carnal confidences of the hypocrites (Psa_94:7; Eze_8:12; Eze_9:9).
II. THE ABSURDITY OF THEIR POLITICS DEMONSTRATED (Isa_29:16). Your inverting the order of things, and thinking to make Gods providence give attendance on your projects, and that God must know no more than you think fit, which is perfectly turning things upside down, and beginning at the wrong end,--it shall be esteemed as the potters clay; i.e., God will turn and manage you, and all your counsels, with as much ease, and as absolute a power, as the potter forms and fashions his clay. They that think to hide their counsels from God--
1. In effect deny Him to be their Creator.
2. Or, which comes to the same thing, deny Him to be a wise
Creator. (M. Henry.)
The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 General Information:
General Information:
This may be Isaiah speaking or it may continue Yahweh's speech in Isa 29:13-14.
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who deeply hide their plans from Yahweh
People trying to make plans without Yahweh knowing about it is spoken of as if they hide their plans in a deep place where Yahweh cannot see. AT: "who try to hide their plans from Yahweh" or "who try to keep Yahweh from finding out what they are planning to do" (See: Metaphor)
whose deeds are in darkness
It is implied that they are secretly doing evil things. AT: "who do evil things in the dark so no one can see them" (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)
Who sees us, and who knows us?
They use a question to emphasize that they believe no one knows what they are doing. AT: "No one, not even Yahweh, sees us or knows what we are doing!" (See: Rhetorical Question)
translationWords
woe
Yahweh
works
darkness
know
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 29:15-24 This threat of coming judgment is the third…
29:15-24 This threat of coming judgment is the third of the six woes (see study note on 28:1–33:24). It begins with judgment but moves to a vision of creation being renewed and of the wicked coming to an end.
29:15 Their plans might refer to the advice that royal counselors were giving Hezekiah, who at first attempted to free himself from Assyria by making alliances with Egypt (715 or 701 BC). • The people were conspiring to commit evil deeds in secret, but God saw everything.
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.