Who is blind, but my servant? or deaf, but he to whom I have sent my messengers? Who is blind, but he that is sold? or who is blind, but the servant of the Lord?
מִ֤י עִוֵּר֙ כִּ֣י אִם־עַבְדִּ֔י וְחֵרֵ֖שׁ כְּמַלְאָכִ֣י אֶשְׁלָ֑ח מִ֤י עִוֵּר֙ כִּמְשֻׁלָּ֔ם וְעִוֵּ֖ר כְּעֶ֥בֶד יְהוָֽה׃
4 Church Fathers comment on this verse
The Jewish people were spiritually deaf and blind. Christ states, "He that hath ears to hear, let him hear" (Mark 4:9), and in another passage, He declares, "Blessed are the eyes that see, and your ears that hear" (Matthew 13:16). This illustrates that the Jews were indeed deaf and failed to listen, blind and could not perceive, leading to the conclusion that they were blind, much like the servant of the Lord.
It is accurately stated that those who worshipped idols are referred to as deaf and blind, mirroring the insight of the wise Paul, who declares: The God of this age has blinded the minds of the unfaithful, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ should shine upon them (2 Cor. 4:4). This assertion primarily pertains to the Israelites, who had the opportunity to illuminate their minds with divine truth, as the law provided them with the light of sacred knowledge. However, they foolishly preferred to wander in darkness and become ensnared by deceptive illusions.
They were also blind in another sense: although nothing impeded them from recognizing their Creator through the beauty of His creation, for, as Paul wisely states, His invisible attributes, understood through what has been made, are clearly visible, including His eternal power and divine nature (Rom. 1:20). Still, they sank into such folly that they proclaimed to the molded figures, "You are our gods." The prophet, however, addressed not the multitude of Gentiles but rather the descendants of Israel, emphasizing: "Who are blind but my servants? And who are deaf but those who are my messengers?" As a result, the people they led became blind, suffering significantly due to the negligence of their leaders; they themselves were responsible for their ignorance and taught error. The foolish ones were indeed the rulers they followed, who, despite having witnessed the glory of God and having been partakers of His grace, chose rebellion and refused to obey God’s clear command: "You shall have no other gods before Me" (Ex. 20:3).
Thus, knowing well the divine revelations but turning away alongside their followers, the prophet expresses his astonishment, saying, "The servants of God are blinded." What caused their blindness? The prophet answers, "You brought this upon yourselves," emphasizing that they had the opportunity to remain vigilant, often witnessing the glory of God, and hearing, knowing, and understanding His written word. Yet they did not guard against neglecting it, nor did they show diligence in deepening their understanding of the sacred laws. Therefore, the sins of the Jews are not justifiable; although they had the truth available to them, guided by the law, they acted as if they were blind and deaf, ignoring the divine commandments due to their unwillingness to heed the truth.
The foolish will listen, and the blind will gain sight. Who are the blind? Are they not My servants? This is spoken of the Israelites. And who is deaf, if not My messenger whom I dispatched? This refers specifically to the one I sent to Babylon, as he chose not to heed My words. Who is blind but the one who holds power? This applies to the kings of Israel who were taken into exile.
Spiritual blindness prevails, and God’s servants remain in darkness (Is 42:19, LXX). Simmachus interprets this as a condition of those who, despite appearing complete, are oblivious, like those serving God. It is noted that while the Gentiles were similarly misled, they do not face the same consequences; they lacked prophets to guide them to the truth and were not blessed with such divine care. The phrase "he that is estranged" refers to one who has been called by God but has forsaken His service in favor of idolatry.
Passages read together with this verse.
THEOSIS