Isaiah 56:10
His watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber.
Study Note
Study Note
'His watchmen are blind; they are all without knowledge; they are all silent dogs; they cannot bark, speaking lies, dreaming, lying down, loving to slumber' — the satirical indictment of Israel's 'watchmen' (tsofim, prophets and leaders charged with warning the community) employs animal imagery of unusual sharpness. A dog that cannot bark fails its fundamental function; applied to spiritual leaders, the image captures the dereliction of those who should sound the alarm of impending moral and spiritual danger. The following verse's image of 'shepherds who have no understanding' (56:11) extends the critique to the full leadership class, connecting this passage to Ezekiel 34's sustained attack on false shepherds. Jesus's warnings against 'blind guides' (Matthew 15:14; 23:16–24) draw on this prophetic tradition of attacking leaders whose blindness misleads those in their care.
Other Translations
His watchmen are blind, they are all without knowledge; they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; dreaming, lying down, loving to slumber.
Blind <FI>are<Fi> his watchmen--all of them, They have not known, All of them <FI>are<Fi> dumb dogs, they are not able to bark, Dozing, lying down, loving to slumber.
His watchmen are blind, they are all without knowledge; they are all dogs without tongues, unable to make a sound; stretched out dreaming, loving sleep.
Cross References
So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth; and thy want as an armed man.
I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding;
Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:
Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids.
Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house …
Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall see eye to …
For the Lord hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes: the prophets …
I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem an horrible thing: they commit adultery, and walk in lies: they …
And I have seen folly in the prophets of Samaria; they prophesied in Baal, and caused my people Israel to …
Then the Lord said unto me, The prophets prophesy lies in my name: I sent them not, neither have I …