Isaiah 29:12

Or if the scroll is handed to one unable to read, he will say, “I cannot read.”

Berean Standard Bible

Study note

Setting — The prophet Isaiah addresses Judah in the midst of a prophetic oracle, positioned between the description of a sealed vision (v. 11) and God’s declaration of judgment on hypocritical worship (v. 13).

The words — יָדַע (ya.Da') means “he knows” and סֵפֶר (Se.fer) means “scroll” or “writing,” combining in the phrase לֹא יָדַע סֵפֶר (“he does not know writing”).

The thread — The unreadable scroll motif appears in Isaiah 29:11 and Isaiah 29:18, while the tension between human perception and divine revelation connects to John 7:15 and Isaiah 28:12.

Why it lands — The passage distinguishes between a physical inability to decode a sealed document and a spiritual inability to receive God’s message, requiring readers to test whether their outward religious activity reflects a heart that actually knows God’s word.

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The Hebrew words

וְנִתַּ֣ןve./ni.Tanand/ it is given הַסֵּ֗פֶרha./Se.ferthe/ scroll עַל֩'alto אֲשֶׁ֨ר'a.Sher[one] who לֹֽא־lo'-not יָדַ֥עya.Da'he knows סֵ֛פֶרSe.ferwriting לֵאמֹ֖רle./Mor<to>/ saying קְרָ֣אke.Ra'read aloud נָא־na'-please זֶ֑הZehthis וְאָמַ֕רve./'a.Marand/ he says לֹ֥אlo'not יָדַ֖עְתִּיya.Da'.tiI know סֵֽפֶר׃ סSe.ferwriting

King James Version

And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned.

Cross-references

John 7:15 The Jews were amazed and asked, “How did this man attain such learning without having studied?”
Isaiah 29:18 On that day the deaf will hear the words of the scroll, and out of the deep darkness the eyes of the blind will see.
Isaiah 28:12 to whom He has said: “This is the place of rest, let the weary rest; this is the place of repose.” But they would not listen.
Jeremiah 5:4 Then I said, “They are only the poor; they have played the fool, for they do not know the way of the LORD, the justice of their God.
Hosea 4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you as My priests. Since you have forgotten the law of your God, I will also forget your children.