Bible > Commentaries > Isaiah 42:16

◄ Isaiah 42:16 ►
And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in
paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, a
nd crooked things straight. These things will I do to them, and not forsake
them.
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EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

MacLaren's ExpositionsIsaiah

THE BLIND MAN’S GUIDE

Isaiah 42:16.

The grand stormy verses before these words, with all their dread array of
natural convulsions, have one object-the tender guidance promised in the t
ext. So we have the combination of terror and love, the blending in the di
vine government of terrible judgments and most gentle guidance. The wor
ds apply, of course, primarily to the redemption of Israel; but through them
shines a picture of the greater redemption of humanity.

1. The blind travellers. They are blind, and their road is unknown to them.
It is a symbol of our condition and of our paths in life. Our limited foresig
ht cannot discern certainly even the next moment. It is always the unexpe
cted that happens. We cannot tell what lies behind the next bend in the r
oad, and there are so many bends; and behind one of them, we cannot t
ell whether it may be the next, sits ‘the Shadow feared of man.’ Life is lik
e the course of the Congo, which makes so mighty a bend northward that
, till it had been followed from source to mouth, no one could have suppo
sed that it was to enter the ocean far away to the west. Not only God’s
mercies, but our paths, are ‘new every morning.’ Experience, like conscien
ce, sheds light mainly on what lies behind, and scarcely ‘doth attain to so
mething of prophetic strain.’

2. The Leader. How tenderly God makes Himself the leader of the blind pi
lgrims! It does not matter about being blind, if we put our hands in His. T
hen He will ‘be to us instead of eyes.’ Jesus took the blind man by the h
and.

So here is the promise of guidance by Providence, Word, Spirit. And here

is the condition of receiving it, namely, our conscious blindness and realis
ation of the complexities of life, leading to putting ourselves into His hands
in docile faith.

3. The gradual light. Darkness is made light. We receive the knowledge of

each step, when it needs to be taken; the light shines only on the next;
we are like men in a fog, who are able only to see a yard ahead.

4. The clearing away of hindrances. ‘Crooked things straight.’ A careful gui

de lifts stones out of a blind man’s way. How far is this true? There will b
e plenty of crooked things left crooked, but still so many straightened as t
o make our road passable.

5. The perpetual Presence. If God is with me, then all these blessings will
surely be mine. He will be with me if I keep myself with Him. It is His fel
t presence that gives me light on the road, and levels and straightens out
the crookedest and roughest path.
Benson Commentary
Isaiah 42:16-17. And I will bring the blind — The ignorant Gentiles, repres
ented as blind, Isaiah 42:7, and in many other parts of Scripture, and acc
ounted blind by the Jews; by a way that they knew not — By the way of
truth, which hitherto hath been hidden from them. I will make darkness lig
ht before them, &c. — I will enlighten their dark minds, rectify their perver
se wills and affections, and direct them in the right way, until I have broug
ht them, with safety and comfort, to the end of their journey. They shall b
e turned back, &c. — This may be understood, either, 1st, Of the convert
ed Gentiles, turned back from their former sinful courses, and sincerely gri
eving, and being ashamed, that they should ever have been guilty of such
folly and wickedness as to worship and trust in idols; or, 2d, Of those Ge
ntiles who, when their brethren embraced the true religion, persisted obstin
ately in their idolatrous practices.
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary42:13-17 The Lord will appear in his
power and glory. He shall cry, in the preaching of his word. He shall cry
aloud in the gospel woes, which must be preached with gospel blessings,
to awaken a sleeping world. He shall conquer by the power of his Spirit.
And those that contradict and blaspheme his gospel, he shall put to silenc
e and shame; and that which hinders its progress shall be taken out of th
e way. To those who by nature were blind, God will show the way to life
and happiness by Jesus Christ. They are weak in knowledge, but He will
make darkness light. They are weak in duty, but their way shall be plain.
Those whom God brings into the right way, he will guide in it. This passa
ge is a prophecy, and is also applicable to every believer; for the Lord will
never leave nor forsake them.
Barnes' Notes on the BibleAnd I will lead the blind - Having said in the pr
evious verses what he would do to his enemies, God now speaks of his p
eople. He would conduct them to their own land, as a blind people that n
eeded a guide, and would remove whatever obstacle there was in their w
ay. By the 'blind' here, he refers doubtless to his own people. The term is
applied originally to his people in captivity, as being ignorant, after their s
eventy years' exile, of the way of return to their own land. It is possible th
at it may have a reference to the fact, so often charged on them, that the
y were characteristically a stupid and spiritually blind people. But it is mor
e probable that it is the language of tenderness rather than that of objurg
ation; and denotes their ignorance of the way of return, and their need of
a guide, rather than their guilt, and hardness of heart. If applied to the pe
ople of God under the New Testament - as the entire strain of the prophe
cy seems to lead ns to conclude - then it denotes that Christians will feel
their need of a leader, counselor, and guide; and that Yahweh, as a milita
ry leader, will conduct them all in a way which they did not know, and re
move all obstacles from their path.
By a way that they knew not - When they were ignorant what course to t
ake; or in a path which they did not contemplate or design. It is true of all
the friends of God that they have been led in a way which they knew no
t. They did not mark out this course for themselves; they did not at first fo
rm the plans of life which they came ultimately to pursue; they have been
led, by the providence of God, in a different path, and by the Spirit of Go
d they have been inclined to a course which they themselves would never
have chosen (compare the note at Isaiah 30:21).
I will make darkness light before them - Darkness, in the Scriptures, is the
emblem of ignorance, sin, adversity, and calamity. Here it seems to be th
e emblem of adverse and opposing events; of calamities, persecutions, an
d trials. The meaning is, that God would make those events which seeme
d to be adverse and calamitous, the means of furthering his cause, and p
romoting the spirit of the true religion, and the happiness of his people. T
his has been eminently the case with the persecutions which rite church h
as endured. The events which have been apparently most adverse, have
been ultimately overruled to the best interests of the true religion. Such w
as the case with the persecutions under the Roman emperors, and in gen
eral such has been the case in all the persecutions which the church has
been called to suffer.
And crooked things straight - Things which seem to be adverse and oppo
sing - the persecutions and trials which the people of God would be calle
d to endure.
And not forsake them - (See Isaiah 41:10, note, Isaiah 41:13, note).
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary16. blind—God's people, Israel,
in captivity, needing a guide. In the ulterior sense the New Testament Ch
urch, which was about to be led and enlightened by the Son of God as it
s leader and shepherd in the wilderness of the Roman empire, until it sho
uld reach a city of habitation. "A way … they knew not," refers to the vari
ous means ployed by Providence for the establishment of the Church in th
e world, such as would never have occurred to the mind of mere man. "B
lind," they are called, as not having heretofore seen God's ways in orderin
g His Church.
make darkness light, &c.—implies that the glorious issue would only be kn
own by the event itself [Vitringa]. The same holds good of the individual b
eliever (Isa 30:21; Ps 107:7; compare Ho 2:6, 14; Eph 5:8; Heb 13:5).
Matthew Poole's Commentary
The blind; the Gentiles, who were blind, and were called so, above, Isaiah
42:7, and in many other places of Scripture, and were so accounted by t
he Jews.

By a way that they know not; by the way of truth, which hitherto hath bee
n hidden from them, until by my word and Spirit I revealed it to them.

I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight; I will t
ake away all hinderances, and give them all advantages and convenience
s for their journey. I will direct them in the right way. I will enlighten their
dark minds, and rectify their perverse wills and affections.

And not forsake them, until I have brought them with safety and comfort t
o the end of their journey.
Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleAnd I will bring the blind by a way that
they knew not,.... The Targum interprets this of the people of Israel, thus,
"I will lead the house of Israel, which are like to the blind, in a way which
they knew not.''
But it is better to understand it of the Gentiles, who, before the light of th
e Gospel came among them, were blind as to the true knowledge of God,
and especially as in Christ; and of Christ, and the way of peace, life, and
salvation by him; and of themselves, and their miserable estate and cond
ition; and of the Spirit of God, and his operations; and of the Scriptures, t
he Gospel, and the doctrines of it; and which is the case of all men in a
state of nature: but the Lord, by his Spirit, opens the eyes of their underst
andings, and shows them those things they were blind in, and ignorant of,
and brings them by a way they knew not before; which way is Christ, the
only way to the Father; the way of peace, righteousness, and life; the wa
y to heaven, and eternal happiness: this they knew not before, but though
t they must make their own way to God, and their peace with him; must b
e justified by their own works, and work out their own salvation; but, in co
nversion, this way to Christ is made known and plain unto them; and in th
is way the Lord brings all his people to eternal glory:
I will lead them in paths that they have not known; in the paths of duty a
nd truth; in the paths of faith, righteousness, and holiness, and in the ordi
nances of the Gospel; which they were aliens and strangers to before:
I will make darkness light before them; by going before them himself, as b
efore the children of Israel in a pillar of fire by night; by giving his word to
enlighten them; by granting his good Spirit, as a spirit of illumination to th
em; and by lifting up the light of his countenance on them:
and crooked things straight; remove all obstructions, bear them up under
all discouragements, and carry them through all difficulties:
these things will I do unto them, and not forsake them; which may be dep
ended upon, being promised by him that is able to perform, is true, and f
aithful, and changes not; and, when done, shall not be the last done for t
hem; he will never leave them, nor forsake them, till he has brought them
safe to glory.
Geneva Study Bible
And I will bring the {t} blind by a way thatthey knew not; I will lead them i
n paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them,
and crooked things straight. These things will I do for them, and not forsa
ke them.
(t) That is, my poor people, who are in perplexity and care.
EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

16. The prophet hastens on to the gracious issue of God’s interposition, th
e homebringing of the captives through the trackless desert.

the blind here are hardly the spiritually blind, those who cannot discern G
od’s purpose (as Isaiah 42:18); what is meant is that the travellers cannot
see their path, just as the desert is the region of “darkness” because it ha
s no track (cf. Jeremiah 2:6; Jeremiah 2:31). For knewand have known, re
n d e r k n o w , w i t h R . V .

crooked things straight] crooked places a plain (cf. ch. Isaiah 40:4).

these things … forsake them] Better: These are the things I have determi
ned to do (perf. of resolution) and not leave undone.
Pulpit Commentary
Verse 16. - I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not. "The blind"
here can only be captive Israel, still dim-sighted from the effect of its old
sins against light, and therefore greatly needing God's guidance. God pro
mises to "bring them" out of captivity "by a way not hitherto known to the
m" - the way of voluntary release by the favour of a new king (see the co
mment on ver. 9). I will make darkness light before them; either, I will illu
minate with rays of light and hope the dark and cheerless life that they ha
ve been leading (Delitzsch), or, I will throw light upon that dark future whi
ch has hitherto stretched before them, and allow them to penetrate its obs
curity, and see what is about to happen. Crooked things; rather, rough pla
ces; i.e.difficulties of any and every kind. Straight; rather, smooth, level, fla
t,. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them. Dr. Kay transla
tes, "These things have I done, and have not forsaken them;" Mr. Cheyne
, "These are the things that I will do, and will not let them slip;" Delitzsch,
"These are the things that I carry out and do not leave." According to the
two latter renderings, the clause is a mere solemn confirmation of the pre
vious promises.
Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old TestamentThe predictio
n of these "new things," which now follows, looks away from all human m
ediation. They are manifestly the work of Jehovah Himself, and consist pri
marily in the subjugation of His enemies, who are holding His people in c
aptivity. "Sing ye to Jehovah a new song, His praise from the end of the
earth, ye navigators of the sea, and its fulness; ye islands, and their inhab
itants. Let the desert and the cities thereof strike up, the villages that Ked
ar doth inhabit; the inhabitants of the rock-city may rejoice, shout from the
summits of the mountains. Let them give glory to Jehovah, and proclaim
His praise in the islands. Jehovah, like a hero will He go forth, kindle jeal
ousy like a man of war; He will breath forth into a war-cry, a yelling war-c
ry, prove Himself a hero upon His enemies." The "new things" furnish the
impulse and materials of "a new song," such as had never been heard in
the heathen world before. This whole group of vv. is like a variation of Isa
iah 24:14-15. The standing-place, whence the summons is uttered, is appa
rently Ezion-geber, at the head of the Elanitic Gulf, that seaport town from
which in the time of the kings the news of the nations reached the Holy
Land through the extensive commerce of Israel. From this point the eye st
retches to the utmost circle of the earth, and then returns from the point
where it meets with those who "go down to the sea," i.e., who navigate th
e ocean which lies lower than the solid ground. These are to sing, and ev
erything that lives and moves in the sea is to join in the sailors' song. Th
e islands and coast lands, that are washed by the sea, are likewise to sin
g together with their inhabitants. After the summons has drawn these into
the net of the song of praise, it moves into the heart of the land. The des
ert and its cities are to lift up (viz., "their voice"), the villages which Kedar
inhabits. The reference to Sela', the rock-city of Edomitish Nabataea, whic
h is also mentioned in Isaiah 16:1 (the Wadi Musa, which is still celebrate
d for its splendid ruins), shows by way of example what cities are intende
d. Their inhabitants are to ascend the steep mountains by which the city i
s surrounded, and to raise a joyful cry (yitsvâchū, to cry out with a loud n
oise; cf., Isaiah 24:11). Along with the inhabitants of cities, the stationary
Arabs, who are still called Hadariye in distinction from Wabariye, the Arab
s of the tents, are also summoned; hadar (châtsēr) is a fixed abode, in co
ntrast to bedû, the steppe, where the tents are pitched for a short time, n
ow in one place and now in another. In Isaiah 42:12the summons become
s more general. The subject is the heathen universally and in every place;
they are to give Jehovah the glory (Psalm 56:2), and declare His praise
upon the islands, i.e., to the remotest ends of the whole world of nations.
In Isaiah 42:13 there follows the reason for this summons, and the theme
of the new song in honour of the God of Israel, viz., His victory over His
enemies, the enemies of His people. The description is anthropomorphicall
y dazzling and bold, such as the self-assurance and vividness of the Israe
litish idea of God permitted, without any danger of misunderstanding. Jeho
vah goes out into the conflict like a hero; and like a "man of war," i.e., lik
e one who has already fought many battles, and is therefore ready for wa
r, and well versed in warfare, He stirs up jealousy (see at Isaiah 9:6). His
jealousy has slumbered as it were for a long time, as if smouldering unde
r the ashes; but now He stirs it up, i.e., makes it burn up into a bright fla
me. Going forward to the attack, ‫יריע‬, "He breaks out into a cry," ‫אף־יצריח‬,
"yea, a yelling cry" (kal Zephaniah 1:14, to cry with a yell; hiphil, to utter
a yelling cry). In the words, "He will show Himself as a hero upon His en
emies," we see Him already engaged in the battle itself, in which He prov
es Himself to possess the strength and boldness of a hero (hithgabbar onl
y occurs again in the book of Job). The overthrow which heathenism here
suffers at the hand of Jehovah is, according to our prophet's view, the fin
al and decisive one. The redemption of Israel, which is thus about to app
ear, is redemption from the punishment of captivity, and at the same time
from all the troubles that arise from sin. The period following the captivity
and the New Testament times here flow into one.
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