“They are a rebellious people!
They are faithless children!
They are children who do not hear
The instruction of Yahweh.
They say to the seers.
‘Do not see!’
They say to the prophets.
‘Do not prophesy to us what is right!
Speak to us about smooth things!
Prophesy illusions!
Leave the way!
Turn aside from the path!
Let us hear no more
About the Holy One of Israel.’”
As in chapter 1 of this book, Isaiah says that the Israelites were a rebellious people. This theme comes from the Exodus situation with Moses in the desert as found in Exodus and Numbers. These faithless children did not want to hear the instructions of Yahweh as presented by Isaiah. They told their wise men not to see. They wanted their prophets not to prophesize about truth, but rather easy smooth things. They wanted to hear about illusions. They were tired of all this talk about the Holy One of Israel. They wanted to get off the idea of the straight and narrow path.
Eugene Finnegan Bible Project 