According to this verse, Yahweh is the cause of the stupidity and blindness of his people and their prophets. In Hebrew thought all that happens, whether good or bad, is ultimately caused by the LORD. This may include an attitude of sinfulness; for example, Yahweh hardened the heart of Pharaoh (see Exo 7.3; 9.12). However, Pharaoh also hardened his own heart (see Exo 8.15). In the same way verses 9-10 present both Yahweh and his people as responsible for rejecting his message through the prophet. This is a paradox we cannot fully understand.

The Hebrew particle ki rendered For may be expressed as a causal connector (for example, Revised English Bible has “for,” and Bible en français courant says “Because”) or an emphatic marker (for example, “Truly” or “Indeed”). It may also be omitted, as in Good News Translation, New International Version and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch.

The LORD has poured out upon you a spirit of deep sleep: The irony in the previous verse continues here. An impressive play-on-words in these lines supports the irony. The Hebrew verb rendered poured out is usually linked with making a drink offering to God. In Num 28.7 the drink offering is “strong drink” (that is, “beer”). Verse 9 spoke of the people staggering, but not because of “strong drink.” These lines say it was caused by Yahweh pouring the drink offering of sound sleep on them. It may be difficult to reflect this wordplay in most translations, but it can be explained in a study note. The examples below use the word “libation” to do it.

Deep sleep is the time for “visions of the night” (see Job 4.13; 33.15). This association provides a link to verses 7 and 11. Deep sleep is a metaphor for the indifference and moral weariness of the people, but this should not be made explicit in translation. New International Version renders a spirit of deep sleep simply as “a deep sleep” (similarly Good News Translation, Bible en français courant), which is acceptable. For similar expressions with spirit, see 4.4; 11.2; 19.14; 28.6.

And has closed your eyes, the prophets: This is a metaphor for Yahweh preventing the prophets from receiving or understanding his words. In Hebrew your eyes and the prophets are both objects of the verb has closed. The prophets is in apposition to your eyes. New International Version and New Jerusalem Bible show the apposition by using parentheses, saying “your eyes (the prophets).” For listeners it is better to say “your eyes, that is, the prophets.” Revised English Bible provides a good model with “your eyes (that is, the prophets).” The prophets were traditionally the eyes of God’s people since they were the ones who saw the visions that brought God’s word to the people. For prophets see the comments on 3.2.

And covered your heads, the seers: This line is parallel and synonymous with the previous one. This metaphor speaks of Yahweh covering the whole head to prevent the prophets from receiving his message. The seers is in apposition with your heads. The Hebrew word rendered seers has the same sense as prophets here (see 1 Sam 9.9, where a different Hebrew word for “seer” is used). For this line New Jerusalem Bible has “he has veiled your heads (the seers).” Good News Translation combines the last two lines by saying “The prophets should be the eyes of the people, but God has blindfolded them.” This sacrifices the parallelism, but it does convey the meaning.

Translation examples for this verse are:

• For Yahweh has poured over you [like a libation] sound sleep;
he has shut your eyes (that is, the prophets),
he has covered your heads (that is, the seers).

• Indeed, Yahweh has made a libation over you, a [spirit of] deep sleep.
Your eyes, the prophets, he has closed,
your heads, the seers, he has covered over.

Quoted with permission from Ogden, Graham S. and Sterk, Jan. A Handbook on Isaiah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2011. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .