King James Version:
(The Lord speaking is red text)
And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned.
Complete Jewish Bible:
If the scroll is given to someone who can't read with the request, "Please read this," he says, "I can't read."
Berean Standard Bible:
Or if the scroll is handed to one unable to read, he will say, “I cannot read.”
American Standard Version:
and the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee; and he saith, I am not learned.
KJV with Strong’s Numbers:
And the book{H5612} is delivered{H5414} to him that is not learned{H3045}{H5612}, saying{H559}, Read{H7121} this, I pray thee: and he saith{H559}, I am not learned{H3045}.
Cross-References (KJV):
John 7:15
- And the Jews marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?
John 7:16
- Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me.
Isaiah 29:18
- And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness.
Jeremiah 5:4
- Therefore I said, Surely these [are] poor; they are foolish: for they know not the way of the LORD, [nor] the judgment of their God.
Hosea 4:6
- ¶ My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.
Isaiah 28:12
- To whom he said, This [is] the rest [wherewith] ye may cause the weary to rest; and this [is] the refreshing: yet they would not hear.
Isaiah 28:13
- But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, [and] there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.
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Commentary for Isaiah 29:12
Isaiah 29:12 is a verse from the Old Testament book of Isaiah, who was a prophet in the Southern Kingdom of Judah during the 8th century BCE. The verse is part of a larger prophecy concerning the judgment of Jerusalem and the eventual redemption of Israel. In the historical context, Judah was facing threats from foreign powers, and the people had turned away from God, engaging in idolatry and social injustice.
The themes of this verse revolve around the idea of divine revelation and the unexpected means through which God communicates His messages. The verse speaks of a scenario where a book—symbolizing divine knowledge or prophecy—is given to someone who is uneducated or illiterate. When asked to read its contents, the person admits to being unlearned, which could imply a sense of unworthiness or inadequacy to receive and interpret divine wisdom. This moment underscores the theme that God's wisdom is not confined to the learned or elite, and His messages can be conveyed through the most unlikely of individuals. It also serves as a critique of the over-reliance on human wisdom and scholarship, suggesting that these can sometimes be obstacles to understanding God's will.
In a broader sense, Isaiah 29:12 highlights the paradox that those who consider themselves wise in their own eyes may be blind to spiritual truths, while the "unlearned" may be more open to divine guidance. It is a call to humility and a reminder that God's ways are not always aligned with human expectations or standards of knowledge. The verse foreshadows a time when conventional wisdom will be turned upside down, and God will reveal His plans to those who are receptive to His voice, regardless of their social or educational status.
*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model
Strong's Numbers and Definitions:
Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)
- Strong's Number: H5612
There are 174 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: סֵפֶר
Transliteration: çêpher
Pronunciation: say'-fer
Description: or (feminine) סִפְרָה; (Psalm 56:8 (אֲבֵדָה)), from סָפַר; properly, writing (the art or a document); by implication, a book; bill, book, evidence, [idiom] learn(-ed) (-ing), letter, register, scroll. - Strong's Number: H5414
There are 1816 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: נָתַן
Transliteration: nâthan
Pronunciation: naw-than'
Description: a primitive root; to give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etc.); add, apply, appoint, ascribe, assign, [idiom] avenge, [idiom] be (healed), bestow, bring (forth, hither), cast, cause, charge, come, commit, consider, count, [phrase] cry, deliver (up), direct, distribute, do, [idiom] doubtless, [idiom] without fail, fasten, frame, [idiom] get, give (forth, over, up), grant, hang (up), [idiom] have, [idiom] indeed, lay (unto charge, up), (give) leave, lend, let (out), [phrase] lie, lift up, make, [phrase] O that, occupy, offer, ordain, pay, perform, place, pour, print, [idiom] pull, put (forth), recompense, render, requite, restore, send (out), set (forth), shew, shoot forth (up), [phrase] sing, [phrase] slander, strike, (sub-) mit, suffer, [idiom] surely, [idiom] take, thrust, trade, turn, utter, [phrase] weep, [phrase] willingly, [phrase] withdraw, [phrase] would (to) God, yield. - Strong's Number: H3045
There are 873 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: יָדַע
Transliteration: yâdaʻ
Pronunciation: yaw-dah'
Description: a primitive root; to know (properly, to ascertain by seeing); used in a great variety of senses, figuratively, literally, euphemistically and inferentially (including observation, care, recognition; and causatively, instruction, designation, punishment, etc.); acknowledge, acquaintance(-ted with), advise, answer, appoint, assuredly, be aware, (un-) awares, can(-not), certainly, comprehend, consider, [idiom] could they, cunning, declare, be diligent, (can, cause to) discern, discover, endued with, familiar friend, famous, feel, can have, be (ig-) norant, instruct, kinsfolk, kinsman, (cause to let, make) know, (come to give, have, take) knowledge, have (knowledge), (be, make, make to be, make self) known, [phrase] be learned, [phrase] lie by man, mark, perceive, privy to, [idiom] prognosticator, regard, have respect, skilful, shew, can (man of) skill, be sure, of a surety, teach, (can) tell, understand, have (understanding), [idiom] will be, wist, wit, wot. - Strong's Number: H559
There are 4434 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אָמַר
Transliteration: ʼâmar
Pronunciation: aw-mar'
Description: a primitive root; to say (used with great latitude); answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [idiom] plainly, promise, publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), [idiom] still, [idiom] suppose, talk, tell, term, [idiom] that is, [idiom] think, use (speech), utter, [idiom] verily, [idiom] yet. - Strong's Number: H7121
There are 689 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: קָרָא
Transliteration: qârâʼ
Pronunciation: kaw-raw'
Description: a primitive root (rather identical with קָרָא through the idea of accosting a person met); to call out to (i.e. properly, address by name, but used in a wide variety of applications); bewray (self), that are bidden, call (for, forth, self, upon), cry (unto), (be) famous, guest, invite, mention, (give) name, preach, (make) proclaim(-ation), pronounce, publish, read, renowned, say.