Our chapter continues the rebuke of Jerusalem and features many motifs worthy of analysis. We will focus on one central theme: the motif of sight. In Chapter 6, during Yeshayahu’s commissioning prophecy, an unusual command was given: “Fatten the heart of this people; make their ears heavy; coat their eyes with plaster, lest they see with their eyes” (6:10). This referred to the people’s blindness toward Yeshayahu’s prophecies — either as a description of their existing state or as an active punishment. This motif continues to develop in our chapter.

Building on the previous chapter’s statement that the punishment for the prophets was that God’s word would become “a little bit here, a little bit there” (28:13), the idea is expressed here even more sharply through the blindness motif: “Stop for a moment dumbfounded ... the Lord has poured over you a spirit of sleep and closed your eyes; your prophets, your leaders who see visions - He covered their eyes” (29:9–10). The prophet, often referred to as a seer in Tanakh, symbolizing vision, is struck with blindness. Later, we encounter sinners who believe they can hide their actions from the eyes of God: “Gone, those who think to go deeper than the Lord, to hide their counsel in the darkness of their deeds. ‘Who sees us?’ they say. ‘Who will know?’” (29:15). They presume that God does not see them.

Immediately following this comes the antithesis: “On that day, the deaf will hear book words, and out of the gloom and darkness, blind men's eyes will see” (29:18). While now even the prophets, who are supposed to see, are struck blind, in the future even the blind will regain their sight. Why will this happen? The answer is simple: “The humble will rejoice in the Lord, more and more; the most pitiful of men will celebrate the Holy One” (29:19), those who are humble — namely, the righteous — recognize their Creator. A prophet who does not acknowledge his role and purpose will lose his sight, even if he is a prophet. In contrast, a righteous person who recognizes God will see clearly, even if he were once blind.