Isaiah 56:10 (KJV)

Passage

His watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber.

Nearby Context

Isaiah 56:8 The Lord GOD, which gathereth the outcasts of Israel saith, Yet will I gather others to him, beside those that are gathered unto him.

Isaiah 56:9 All ye beasts of the field, come to devour, yea, all ye beasts in the forest.

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.

Isaiah 56:11 Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter.

Isaiah 56:12 Come ye, say they, I will fetch wine, and we will fill ourselves with strong drink; and to morrow shall be as this day, and much more abundant.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "watchmen", "blind", "ignorant", "dumb", "dogs", "bark", "sleeping", and "lying". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "watchmen" and "blind", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 9's "All ye beasts of the field come..." into verse 11's "Yea they are greedy dogs which can...", so "watchmen" and "blind" 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 "blind" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.