John Calvin Commentary Isaiah 29:11

"And all vision is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee; and he saith, I cannot, for it is sealed:" — Isaiah 29:11 (ASV)

Therefore every vision has become to you. The Prophet expresses still more clearly what he had previously said, that the blindness of the Jews will be so great that, though the Lord enlightens them by the clearest light of His word, they will understand nothing. Nor does he mean that this will happen to the common people alone, but even to the rulers and teachers, who should have been wiser than others and should have set an example for them. In short, he means that this stupidity will permeate all ranks; for both “learned and unlearned,” he declares, will be so dull and stupid as to be completely dazzled by the word of God, and to see no more in it than in a “sealed letter.” He makes the same statement, but in different words, which he had made in the previous chapter, that the Lord will be to them as precept upon precept, line upon line; for they will always remain in the basic principles and will never arrive at solid doctrine (Isaiah 28:13).

In the same sense he now shows that, from the highest to the lowest, they will derive no benefit from the word of God. He does not say that doctrine will be taken away, but that, though it is in their possession, they will not have reason and understanding.

In two ways the Lord punishes the wickedness of men: sometimes He takes away entirely the use of the word, and sometimes, when He leaves it, He takes away understanding and blinds the minds of men, so that seeing they do not see (Isaiah 6:9).

1. Therefore, He deprives them of reading, either by taking away the books through the tyranny of wicked men, as frequently happens, or by a false conviction of men, which leads them to think that the books were not delivered to be read universally by all.
2. Although He allows them to handle and read the books, yet, because men abuse them, are ungrateful, and do not look straight to the glory of God, they are blinded and see no more than if not a single ray of the word had shone on them.

We must not boast, therefore, of the outward preaching of the word, for it will be of no avail unless it produces its fruit by enlightening our minds. It is as if he had said,

“On account of that covenant which He made with your fathers, the Lord will leave to you the tables of that covenant; but they will be to you ‘a sealed letter,’ for you will learn nothing from them” (Deuteronomy 4:20, 37; 7:6).

When we see that these things happened to the Jews, as Isaiah threatened, and when we consider the condition of that people, whom God had adopted and separated, it is impossible that we should not tremble altogether at such dreadful vengeance.

Though they had been instructed by both the Law and the Prophets, and had been enlightened by a light of surpassing brightness, yet they fell into frightful superstitions and shocking impiety.

The worship of God was corrupted, all religion was scattered and overthrown, and they were torn and divided into various and monstrous sects.

Eventually, when the Sadducees, the most wicked of them all, held the chief power, when all faith and all hope of a resurrection, and even of immortality, had been taken away, what, I ask, could they resemble but cattle or swine?

For what is left to man if the hope of a blessed and eternal life is taken from him?

And yet the Evangelists (Matthew 22:23; Mark 12:18; Luke 20:27; Acts 23:8) clearly tell us that there were such persons when Christ came.

For at that time these things were actually fulfilled, as they had been foretold by the Prophet, so that we may know that these threatenings were not thrown out at random or by chance, and that they did not fail to be accomplished, because at that time they were obstinately and rebelliously despised and scorned by wicked men.

At that time, therefore, both their unbelief and their folly were clearly seen, when the true light was revealed to the whole world—that is, Christ, the only light of truth, the soul of the Law, the end of all the Prophets.

At that time, I say, there was placed before the eyes of the Jews, in a special manner, “that veil which was foreshadowed in Moses” (Exodus 34:30)—whom they could not look at on account of his excessive brightness.

And it was actually fulfilled in Christ, to whom it belonged, as Paul tells us, to take away and destroy that veil (2 Corinthians 3:16).

Until now, therefore, the veil lies on their hearts when they read Moses, for they reject Christ, to whom Moses should be viewed as related. In that passage, “Moses” must be viewed as denoting the Law; and if it is referred to its end, that is, to Christ, that veil will be taken away.

While we contemplate these judgments of God, let us also acknowledge that He who was previously the Judge is still the Judge, and that the same vengeance is prepared for those who refuse to lend their ear to His most holy warnings. When He expressly names the “learned and unlearned,” it should be observed that we do not understand spiritual doctrine simply because we possess an acute understanding or have received a superior education in the schools. Learning did not prevent them from being blinded. We should, therefore, embrace the word sincerely and earnestly if we wish to escape this vengeance, which is threatened not only against the ignorant but also against the “learned.”