King James Version

Isaiah 29:15

Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the LORD, and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who seeth us? and who knoweth us?

Study

Hebrew

Tap a word to see its meaning. Words run left to right in English reading order.

ה֛וֹיhoyalasהוֹיparticle, interjection — “alas”H1945oh!ah, alas, ho, O, woe.הַמַּעֲמִיקִ֥יםhamaamiqimthe deepעָמַקdefinite article, verb, hiphil, participle, absolute — “the deep”, a verb used as a describing wordH6009to be (causatively, make) deep (literally or figuratively)(be, have, make, seek) deep(-ly), depth, be profound.מֵֽיהוָ֖הmeyhvahfrom Jehovahיְהֹוָהpreposition, noun, proper name — “from Jehovah”H3068Jehovah, Jewish national name of GodJehovah, the Lord. Compare H3050 (יָהּ), H3069 (יְהֹוִה).לַסְתִּ֣רlastirto hideסָתַרpreposition, verb, hiphil, infinitive construct — “to hide”, the to-form of the verbH5641to hide (by covering), literally or figurativelybe absent, keep close, conceal, hide (self), (keep) secret, [idiom] surely.עֵצָ֑הetsahadviceעֵצָהnoun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “advice”, the ordinary formH6098advice; by implication, plan; also prudenceadvice, advisement, counsel(l-(or)), purpose.וְהָיָ֤הvehayahand beהָיָהconjunction, verb, qal, sequential perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and be”, a completed action in a sequenceH1961to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)beacon, [idiom] altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, [phrase] follow, happen, [idiom] have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, [idiom] use.בְמַחְשָׁךְ֙vemachshakhein darkמַחְשָׁךְpreposition, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “in dark”, the ordinary formH4285darkness; concretely, a dark placedark(-ness, place).מַֽעֲשֵׂיהֶ֔םmaaseyhembusinessמַעֲשֶׂהnoun, common, masculine, plural, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “business”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH4639an action (good or bad); generally, a transaction; abstractly, activity; by implication, a product (specifically, a poem) or (generally) propertyact, art, [phrase] bakemeat, business, deed, do(-ing), labor, thing made, ware of making, occupation, thing offered, operation, possession, [idiom] well, (handy-, needle-, net-) work(ing, -manship), wrought.וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּvayomrvand sayאָמַרconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “and say”, the next action in the storyH559to say (used with great latitude)answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [id…מִ֥יmiwhoמִיparticle, interrogative — “who”H4310who? (occasionally, by a peculiar idiom, of things); also (indefinitely) whoever; often used in oblique construction with prefix or suffixany (man), [idiom] he, [idiom] him, [phrase] O that! what, which, who(-m, -se, -soever), [phrase] would to God.רֹאֵ֖נוּroenvseeרָאָהverb, qal, participle, construct, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, plural — “see”, a verb used as a describing wordH7200to see, literally or figuratively (in numerous applications, direct and implied, transitive, intransitive and causative)advise self, appear, approve, behold, [idiom] certainly, consider, discern, (make to) enjoy, have experience, gaze, take heed, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] joyfully, lo, look (on, one another, one on another, one upon another, out, up, upon), m…וּמִ֥יumiand whoמִיconjunction, particle, interrogative — “and who”H4310who? (occasionally, by a peculiar idiom, of things); also (indefinitely) whoever; often used in oblique construction with prefix or suffixany (man), [idiom] he, [idiom] him, [phrase] O that! what, which, who(-m, -se, -soever), [phrase] would to God.יוֹדְעֵֽנוּyodeenvknowיָדַעverb, qal, participle, construct, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, plural — “know”, a verb used as a describing wordH3045to know (properly, to ascertain by seeing); used in a great variety of senses, figuratively, literally, euphemistically and inferentially (including observation, care, recognition; and causatively, instruction, designation, punishment, etc.)acknowledge, acquaintance(-ted with), advise, answer, appoint, assuredly, be aware, (un-) awares, can(-not), certainly, comprehend, consider, [idiom] could they, cunning, declare, be diligent, (can, cause to) discern, discover, endued with…

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the LORD, and their works are in the dark, and they say: 'Who seeth us? and who knoweth us?'

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

Woe unto them that hide deep their counsel from Jehovah, and whose works are in the dark, and that say, Who seeth us? and who knoweth us?

Young’s Literal Translation

Woe [to] those going deep from Jehovah to hide counsel, And whose works have been in darkness. And they say, 'Who is seeing us? And who is knowing us?'

World English Bible

Woe to those who deeply hide their counsel from Yahweh, and whose deeds are in the dark, and who say, “Who sees us?” and “Who knows us?”

Darby Translation

Woe unto them that hide deep, far from Jehovah, their counsel! And their works are in the dark, and they say, Who seeth us? and who knoweth us?

Douay-Rheims

Woe to you that are deep of heart, to hide your counsel from the Lord: and their works are in the dark, and they say: Who seeth us, and who knoweth us?

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the LORD, and their works are in the dark, and they say: 'Who seeth us? and who knoweth us?'

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

Woe to them that deepen their counsel, and not by the Lord. Woe to them that take secret counsel, and whose works are in darkness, and they say, Who has seen us? and who shall know us, or what we do?

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Οὐαὶ οἱ βαθέως βουλὴν ποιοῦντες, καὶ οὐ διὰ Κυπίυο· οὐαὶ οἱ ἐν κρυφῇ βουλὴν ποιοῦντες, καὶ ἔσται ἐν σκότει τὰ ἔργα αὐτῶν· καὶ ἐροῦσι, τίς ἑόρακεν ἡμᾶς; καὶ τίς ἡμᾶς γνώσεται, ἢ ἃ ἡμεῖς ποιοῦμεν;