Isaiah 42:18

“Hear, ye deaf; and look, ye blind, that ye may see.] Jarchi and Kimchi think these words are spoken to Israel, who, as Aben Ezra says, were deaf and blind in heart; but they are rather an exhortation to the Gentiles that remained impenitent and unbelieving, and who were deaf to the voice of the Gospel, and blind as to the knowledge of it; and the purport of the exhortation is, that they would make use of their external hearing and sight, which they had, that they might attain to a spiritual hearing and understanding of divine things; “for faith comes by hearing, and hearing the word of God”, (<451017>Romans 10:17) to hear the Gospel preached, and to look into the Scriptures, and read the…”

“deaf--namely, to the voice of God. blind--to your duty and interest; wilfully so (Isa 42:20). In this they differ from "the blind" (Isa 42:16). The Jews are referred to. He had said, God would destroy the heathen idolatry; here he remembers that even Israel, His "servant" (Isa 42:19), from whom better things might have been expected, is tainted with this sin.”

“Hear, ye deaf - This is evidently an address to the Jews, and probably to the Jews of the time of the prophet. He had been predicting the coming of the Messiah, and the influence of his religion on the Gentile world. He had said that God would go forth to destroy the idolatry of the pagan nations, and to convince them of the folly of the worship of images, and to confound them for putting their trust in them. He seems here to have recollected that this was the easily-besetting sin of his own countrymen, and perhaps especially of the times when he penned this portion of the prophecy - under the reign of Manasseh; that that generation was stupid, blind, deaf to the calls of God, and sunk in…”

“Hear - O you, whosoever you are, who resist this clear light. Isaiah 42:19”

“42:18-20 The Israelites who refused to listen to what God said and to understand what they saw God doing in history were rendered spiritually blind and deaf (see 6:9-10). They had knowledge of the truth through God’s word and the prophets, but their closed minds refused to act upon it.”

“ye deaf: Isa 29:18, Isa 43:8; Exo 4:11; Pro 20:12; Mar 7:34-37; Luk 7:22; Rev 3:17, Rev 3:18 Isaiah 42:19”

“The thought which connects the second half with the first is to be found in the expression in Isa 42:16, "I will bring the blind by a way." It is the blind whom Jehovah will lead into the light of liberty, the blind who bring upon themselves not only His compassion, but also His displeasure; for it is their own fault that they do not see. And to them is addressed the summons, to free themselves from the ban which is resting upon them. "Ye deaf, hear; and ye blind, look up, that ye may see." הסהרשׁהים and העורים (this is the proper pointing, according to the codd. and the Masora) (Note: The Masora observes expressly פותחין רפוין סמיין כל, omnes caeci raphati et pathachati; but our editions…”