Isaiah 29:9
Stay yourselves, and wonder; cry ye out, and cry: they are drunken, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink.
Original Language Analysis
הִתְמַהְמְה֣וּ
Stay
H4102
הִתְמַהְמְה֣וּ
Stay
Strong's:
H4102
Word #:
1 of 10
properly, to question or hesitate, i.e., (by implication) to be reluctant
וָשֹׁ֑עוּ
and cry
H8173
וָשֹׁ֑עוּ
and cry
Strong's:
H8173
Word #:
3 of 10
(in a good acceptation) to look upon (with complacency), i.e., fondle, please or amuse (self); (in a bad one) to look about (in dismay), i.e., stare
וָשֹׁ֑עוּ
and cry
H8173
וָשֹׁ֑עוּ
and cry
Strong's:
H8173
Word #:
4 of 10
(in a good acceptation) to look upon (with complacency), i.e., fondle, please or amuse (self); (in a bad one) to look about (in dismay), i.e., stare
שָֽׁכְר֣וּ
they are drunken
H7937
שָֽׁכְר֣וּ
they are drunken
Strong's:
H7937
Word #:
5 of 10
to become tipsy; in a qualified sense, to satiate with a stimulating drink or (figuratively) influence
וְלֹא
H3808
וְלֹא
Strong's:
H3808
Word #:
6 of 10
not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles
יַ֔יִן
but not with wine
H3196
יַ֔יִן
but not with wine
Strong's:
H3196
Word #:
7 of 10
wine (as fermented); by implication, intoxication
נָע֖וּ
they stagger
H5128
נָע֖וּ
they stagger
Strong's:
H5128
Word #:
8 of 10
to waver, in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively (as subjoined)
Cross References
Revelation 17:6And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.Isaiah 19:14The LORD hath mingled a perverse spirit in the midst thereof: and they have caused Egypt to err in every work thereof, as a drunken man staggereth in his vomit.Isaiah 49:26And I will feed them that oppress thee with their own flesh; and they shall be drunken with their own blood, as with sweet wine: and all flesh shall know that I the LORD am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob.Isaiah 51:17Awake, awake, stand up, O Jerusalem, which hast drunk at the hand of the LORD the cup of his fury; thou hast drunken the dregs of the cup of trembling, and wrung them out.Isaiah 29:10For the LORD hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered.Isaiah 1:2Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the LORD hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me.Jeremiah 23:9Mine heart within me is broken because of the prophets; all my bones shake; I am like a drunken man, and like a man whom wine hath overcome, because of the LORD, and because of the words of his holiness.Jeremiah 25:27Therefore thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Drink ye, and be drunken, and spue, and fall, and rise no more, because of the sword which I will send among you.Jeremiah 51:7Babylon hath been a golden cup in the LORD'S hand, that made all the earth drunken: the nations have drunken of her wine; therefore the nations are mad.Jeremiah 2:12Be astonished, O ye heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid, be ye very desolate, saith the LORD.
Historical Context
Despite witnessing miraculous deliverance from Assyria (701 BC), Judah failed to maintain spiritual fidelity. Within a generation, King Manasseh led the nation into gross idolatry (2 Kings 21). The temporary reform under Josiah couldn't prevent eventual Babylonian exile. The spiritual drunkenness Isaiah diagnosed proved chronic and fatal.
Questions for Reflection
- What does 'spiritual drunkenness' look like—being unable to perceive God's work despite evidence?
- How can people witness God's miraculous intervention yet remain in stubborn unbelief?
- In what areas might you be 'staggering' in moral confusion rather than walking in clear-minded obedience?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
Stay yourselves, and wonder; cry ye out, and cry (הִתְמַהְמְהוּ וּתְמָהוּ הִשְׁתַּעַשְׁעוּ וָשֹׁעוּ, hitmahmehu utmahu hishta'ash'u vasho'u)—a cascade of imperatives calling for astonishment and dismay. The verb מהה (mahah) means to delay, linger in stunned amazement. They are drunken, but not with wine (שָׁכְרוּ וְלֹא יַיִן, shakhru velo yayin)—they stagger in spiritual stupor, not alcoholic intoxication. They stagger, but not with strong drink (נָעוּ וְלֹא שֵׁכָר, na'u velo shekhar)—their reeling comes from divine judgment, not שֵׁכָר (shekhar, beer/fermented drink).
Isaiah shifts from Assyria's defeat (vv. 1-8) to Judah's spiritual blindness. The people should be astonished at God's deliverance, but instead they remain in drunken stupor—unable to perceive spiritual realities. They're cognitively impaired, not by wine but by willful rebellion. This moral intoxication renders them incapable of discernment. Paul quotes this passage (Romans 11:8) regarding Israel's spiritual blindness to the Messiah.