Isaiah 56:10 (GNV)

Passage

Their watchmen are all blinde: they haue no knowledge: they are all dumme dogs: they can not barke: they lie and sleepe and delite in sleeping.

Nearby Context

Isaiah 56:8 The Lord God sayth, which gathereth the scattered of Israel, Yet wil I gather to them those that are to be gathered to them.

Isaiah 56:9 All ye beastes of the fielde, come to deuoure, euen all ye beastes of the forest.

Isaiah 56:10 Their watchmen are all blinde: they haue no knowledge: they are all dumme dogs: they can not barke: they lie and sleepe and delite in sleeping.

Isaiah 56:11 And these griedy dogs can neuer haue ynough: and these shepheards cannot vnderstand: for they all looke to their owne way, euery one for his aduantage, and for his owne purpose.

Isaiah 56:12 Come, I wil bring wine, and we wil fill our selues with strong drinke, and to morowe shalbe as this day, and much more abundant.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "watchmen", "blinde", "haue", "knowledge", "dumme", "dogs", "barke", and "sleepe". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "watchmen" and "blinde", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 9's "All ye beastes of the fielde come..." into verse 11's "And these griedy dogs can neuer haue...", so "watchmen" and "blinde" belong inside that flow. In Isaiah context, the local focus is the Holy One of Israel, judgment and restoration, the servant of the LORD, and Zion's hope.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "watchmen" and "blinde" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.