John Gill Commentary Isaiah 56:10

"His watchmen are blind, they are all without knowledge; they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; dreaming, lying down, loving to slumber." — Isaiah 56:10 (ASV)

His watchmen are blind A sad character of watchmen; who, of all men, ought to have good sight, to see who is coming, to discover an enemy, to discern approaching danger, and so be capable of giving notice thereof.

This some apply to the Scribes and Pharisees, who are often called blind guides, and blind leaders of the blind, (Matthew 15:14) (Matthew 23:16Matthew 23:17Matthew 23:19Matthew 23:24Matthew 23:26) and well suits the character of the Popish clergy, bishops, and priests, those ecclesiastical watchmen, whose business should be to look after the souls of men, and feed them with knowledge and understanding; but are very ill qualified for it, being blind and ignorant regarding divine and spiritual knowledge.

The first letter in this clause is larger than usual, perhaps designed to strike the eye, and raise the attention to what follows, as being something remarkable and extraordinary, as indeed the character given of these men is, and directing to beware of them. The first word, which is the word for "watchmen", has the letter "jod" wanting; which, being a note of multitude, shows, it is observed ^F21, that all the watchmen were universally deficient in the light of their minds, and not one of them did their duty, as follows:

they are all ignorant; or do not know ^F23, or "nothing", not the Scriptures, and the meaning of them; the Gospel, and the doctrines of it; Christ, and the way of salvation by him; the Spirit of God, and his operations on the souls of men; and so are very unfit to be spiritual watchmen, or to have the care of immortal souls. A Popish bishop in Scotland declared he did not know neither the Old nor the New Testament; and Bishop Albert, reading the Bible, could not tell what book it was, only found it was contrary to their religion.

They are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; and so are useless; as a house dog, or one set to keep the sheep, if it does not bark at the noise of a thief, or the approach of a wolf, to give notice to the family or the shepherd, it is of no service. It may refer to such who call themselves ministers of the word, and yet either cannot or will not preach, such as non-preaching bishops; or who in their ministry do not reprove the errors and vices of men, and warn them of their danger:

sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber; as dogs do; slothful, indolent, do not care to be concerned in business, but take their ease and pleasure, and are very improper persons for watchmen. The first word ^F24 used is observed to signify speaking vain things in dreams, things that are delirious; and agrees well with the dreaming doctrines and delirious notions of the Romish clergy.

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FOOTNOTES:

• F21: Buxtorf. Tiberias, c. 14. p. 39. Vid. Hiller. De Arcano Cethib & Keri, I. 1. c 7. p. 55.
• F23: (wedy al) "nesciverunt", Pagninus, Montanus; "nil sciunt", Piscator.
• F24: (Myzh) "deliria loquentes", Montanus; "videntes vans", V. L. So Ben Melech interprets it of such that speak vain things in their sleep.