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Read the Bible

Contemporary English Version

Isaiah 43:8

The Lord said: Bring my people together. They have eyes and ears, but they can't see or hear.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Condescension of God;   Depravity of Man;   Isaiah;   The Topic Concordance - Choosing/chosen;   Israel/jews;   Servants;   Witness;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Ear, the;  

Dictionaries:

- Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Testimony;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Deafness;   Isaiah;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Election;   Messiah;   Micah, Book of;   Righteousness;   Seba;   Servant of the Lord;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Blind;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Deaf;   Messiah;   Omniscience;   Servant of Yahweh (the Lord);  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Bring out a people who are blind, yet have eyes,and are deaf, yet have ears.
Hebrew Names Version
Bring forth the blind people who have eyes, and the deaf who have ears.
King James Version
Bring forth the blind people that have eyes, and the deaf that have ears.
English Standard Version
Bring out the people who are blind, yet have eyes, who are deaf, yet have ears!
New American Standard Bible
Bring out the people who are blind, even though they have eyes, And those who are deaf, even though they have ears.
New Century Version
Bring out the people who have eyes but don't see and those who have ears but don't hear.
Amplified Bible
Bring out the people who are blind, even though they have eyes, And the deaf, even though they have ears.
World English Bible
Bring forth the blind people who have eyes, and the deaf who have ears.
Geneva Bible (1587)
I will bring foorth the blinde people, and they shall haue eyes, and the deafe, and they shall haue eares.
Legacy Standard Bible
Bring out the people who are blind, even though they have eyes,And the deaf, even though they have ears.
Berean Standard Bible
Bring out a people who have eyes but are blind, and who have ears but are deaf.
Complete Jewish Bible
Bring forward the people who are blind but have eyes, also the deaf who have ears.
Darby Translation
Bring forth the blind people that have eyes, and the deaf that have ears.
Easy-to-Read Version
"Bring out the people who have eyes but are blind. Bring out the people who have ears but are deaf.
George Lamsa Translation
Bring forth the blind people who have eyes, and the deaf who have ears.
Good News Translation
God says, "Summon my people to court. They have eyes, but they are blind; they have ears, but they are deaf!
Lexham English Bible
Bring out the people blind yet with eyes, and deaf, though they have ears.
Literal Translation
Bring out the blind people, yet there are eyes; and the deaf, yet there are ears to him.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Bringe forth that people, whether they haue eyes or be blynde, deaf or haue eares.
American Standard Version
Bring forth the blind people that have eyes, and the deaf that have ears.
Bible in Basic English
Send out the blind people who have eyes, and those who have ears, but they are shut.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
The blind people that have eyes shall be brought forth, and the deaf that have ears.
King James Version (1611)
Bring foorth the blinde people, that haue eyes; and the deafe that haue eares.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Bring foorth that people whiche is blinde and yet hath eyes, whiche are deafe although they haue eares.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
and I have brought forth the blind people; for their eyes are alike blind, and they that have ears are deaf.
English Revised Version
Bring forth the blind people that have eyes, and the deaf that have ears.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Lede thou forth the blynde puple, and hauynge iyen; the deef puple, and eeris ben to it.
Update Bible Version
Bring forth the blind people that have eyes, and the deaf that have ears.
Webster's Bible Translation
Bring forth the blind people that have eyes, and the deaf that have ears.
New English Translation
Bring out the people who are blind, even though they have eyes, those who are deaf, even though they have ears!
New King James Version
Bring out the blind people who have eyes, And the deaf who have ears.
New Living Translation
Bring out the people who have eyes but are blind, who have ears but are deaf.
New Life Bible
Bring out the people who are blind, even though they have eyes, and those who cannot hear, even though they have ears.
New Revised Standard
Bring forth the people who are blind, yet have eyes, who are deaf, yet have ears!
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Bring forth A blind people that have, eyes, and A deaf, that have, ears.
Douay-Rheims Bible
Bring forth the people that are blind, and have eyes: that are deaf, and have ears.
Revised Standard Version
Bring forth the people who are blind, yet have eyes, who are deaf, yet have ears!
Young's Literal Translation
He brought out a blind people who have eyes, And deaf ones who have ears.
THE MESSAGE
Get the blind and deaf out here and ready— the blind (though there's nothing wrong with their eyes) and the deaf (though there's nothing wrong with their ears). Then get the other nations out here and ready. Let's see what they have to say about this, how they account for what's happened. Let them present their expert witnesses and make their case; let them try to convince us what they say is true. "But you are my witnesses." God 's Decree. "You're my handpicked servant So that you'll come to know and trust me, understand both that I am and who I am. Previous to me there was no such thing as a god, nor will there be after me. I, yes I, am God . I'm the only Savior there is. I spoke, I saved, I told you what existed long before these upstart gods appeared on the scene. And you know it, you're my witnesses, you're the evidence." God 's Decree. "Yes, I am God. I've always been God and I always will be God. No one can take anything from me. I make; who can unmake it?"
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Bring out the people who are blind, even though they have eyes, And the deaf, even though they have ears.

Contextual Overview

8 The Lord said: Bring my people together. They have eyes and ears, but they can't see or hear. 9 Tell everyone of every nation to gather around. None of them can honestly say, "We told you so!" If someone heard them say this, then tell us about it now. 10 My people, you are my witnesses and my chosen servant. I want you to know me, to trust me, and understand that I alone am God. I have always been God; there can be no others. 11 I alone am the Lord ; only I can rescue you. 12 I promised to save you, and I kept my promise. You are my witnesses that no other god did this. I, the Lord , have spoken. 13 I am God now and forever. No one can snatch you from me or stand in my way.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Isaiah 6:9, Isaiah 42:18-20, Isaiah 44:18-20, Deuteronomy 29:2-4, Jeremiah 5:21, Ezekiel 12:2, 2 Corinthians 4:4-6

Reciprocal: Isaiah 35:5 - the eyes Isaiah 44:9 - their own Isaiah 48:6 - and will Daniel 10:21 - I will Matthew 11:5 - the deaf Luke 7:22 - the deaf Luke 18:43 - he John 9:7 - and came Acts 26:18 - open

Cross-References

Genesis 42:2
I have heard there is grain in Egypt. Now go down and buy some, so we won't starve to death."
Genesis 42:38
But Jacob said, "I won't let my son Benjamin go down to Egypt with the rest of you. His brother is already dead, and he is the only son I have left. I am an old man, and if anything happens to him on the way, I'll die from sorrow, and all of you will be to blame."
Genesis 44:26
But we answered, "We can't go back to Egypt without our youngest brother. We will never be let in to see the governor, unless he is with us."
Genesis 45:19
Also tell your brothers to take some wagons from Egypt for their wives and children to ride in. And be sure to have them bring their father.
Genesis 50:21
Don't be afraid! I will take care of you and your children." After Joseph said this, his brothers felt much better.
Exodus 20:12
Respect your father and your mother, and you will live a long time in the land I am giving you.
Numbers 14:31
You were worried that your own children would be captured. But I, the Lord , will let them enter the land you have rejected.
Deuteronomy 33:6
Tribe of Reuben, you will live, even though your tribe will always be small.
2 Kings 7:4
There's nothing to eat in the city, so we would starve if we went inside. But if we stay out here, we will die for sure. Let's sneak over to the Syrian army camp and surrender. They might kill us, but they might not."
2 Kings 7:13
One of his officers replied, "We have a few horses left—why don't we let some men take five of them and go to the Syrian camp and see what's happening? We're going to die anyway like those who have already died."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Bring forth the blind people that have eyes, and the deaf that have ears,.... The Targum applies this to the bringing of the people of Israel out of Egypt; and others understand it of their deliverance from the Babylonish captivity; and some of the exclusion of them from the kingdom of heaven, and casting them into outward darkness, according to Matthew 8:12, but it is rather to be understood of the conviction of them; though better of the Gentiles, and of the enlightening of them, who before were blind; and causing them to hear, who before were deaf to spiritual things, agreeably to what goes before. It seems best to consider the words as a summons to the Heathens uncalled, to the Roman Pagan empire, to come forth and appear, who were as blind and deaf as the idols they worshipped, and plead their cause, agreeably to what follows.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Bring forth the blind people - Many have understood this of the Jews. So Vitringa, Rosenmuller, Grotius, and others understand it. But Lowth, more correctly, regards it as referring to the Gentiles. It is designed as an argument to show the superiority of God over all idols, and to demonstrate that he was able to deliver his people from captivity and exile. He appeals, therefore Isaiah 43:9, to his own people in proof of his divinity and power. None of the pagan Isaiah 43:8 had been able to predict future events, none of the pagan gods, therefore, could save; but Yahweh, who had so often foretold events that were fulfilled, was able to deliver, and of that fact his own people had had abundant evidence.

That have eyes - They had natural faculties to see and know God (compare Romans 1:20), but they had not improved them, and they had, therefore, run into the sin and folly of idolatry. The phrase ‘bring forth,’ implies a solemn appeal made by God to them to enter into an argument on the subject (compare the note at Isaiah 41:1).

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Isaiah 43:8. Bring forth the blind people that have eyes - "Bring forth the people, blind, although they have eyes"] I understand this of the Gentiles, as the verse following, not of the Jews. Their natural faculties, if they had made a proper use of them, must have led them to the knowledge of the being and attributes of the one true God; "for his eternal power and Godhead," if well attended to, are clearly seen in his works, (Romans 1:20,) and would have preserved them from running into the folly and absurdity of worshipping idols. They are here challenged to produce the evidence of the power and foreknowledge of their idol gods; and the Jews are just afterwards, Isaiah 43:10, appealed to as witnesses for God in this cause, therefore these latter cannot here be meant by the people blind with eyes and deaf with ears.


 
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