Isa 56:10-12 | JFB | STEP | 10. His watchmen —Israel's spiritual leaders ( ). dumb dogs —image from bad shepherds' watchdogs, which fail to give notice, by barking, of the approach of wild beasts. blind — ( ). sleeping, lying down —rather, "dreamers, sluggards" [LOWTH ]. Not merely sleeping inactive, but under visionary delusions. loving to slumber —not merely slumbering involuntarily, but loving it.

Isaiah 56:10-12

10. His watchmen—Israel's spiritual leaders (Isa 62:6; Eze 3:17).

dumb dogs—image from bad shepherds' watchdogs, which fail to give notice, by barking, of the approach of wild beasts.

blind— (Mt 23:16).

sleeping, lying down—rather, "dreamers, sluggards" [LOWTH]. Not merely sleeping inactive, but under visionary delusions.

loving to slumber—not merely slumbering involuntarily, but loving it.

11. greedy—literally, "strong" (that is, insatiable) in appetite (Eze 34:2, 3; Mic 3:11).

cannot understand—unable to comprehend the wants of the people, spiritually: so Isa 56:10, "cannot bark."

look to . . . own way—that is, their own selfish interests; not to the spiritual welfare of the people (Jer 6:13; Eze 22:27).

from his quarter—rather, "from the highest to the lowest" [LOWTH]. "From his quarter"; that is, from one end to the other of them, one and all (Ge 19:4).

12. fetch wine—language of the national teachers challenging one another to drink. BARNES translates, "I will take another cup" (Isa 5:11).

to-morrow, &c.—Their self-indulgence was habitual and intentional: not merely they drink, but they mean to continue so.