In this verse the people use four similes to picture their extremely negative situation. In the first three similes they compare themselves with blind people who stumble about unable to see (compare 42.18-19), and in the fourth one they liken themselves to the dead who have no future.

We grope for the wall like the blind: The people compare themselves to blind people who have to feel their way along a wall to know where they are or where they are going. The image is a compelling one and no doubt describes a scene quite common in those days. The Hebrew verb rendered grope is used twice in this verse and occurs only here in the Old Testament. It figuratively describes the people feeling their way blindly toward something. The wall is literally “a wall.” No specific wall is in view. The figurative language simply refers to the people’s sense that they are blind, because they do not experience God’s righteous actions on their behalf.

We grope like those who have no eyes is parallel to the previous line. In Hebrew the verb for grope begins the previous line and ends this one, so it forms an inclusio for these two lines. Those who have no eyes is synonymous with the blind. This phrase should not be taken literally, since many blind people have eyes but eyes that cannot see.

Good News Translation combines the first two lines of this verse into one short statement: “and we grope about like blind people.” Bible en français courant keeps both lines by saying “We go forward, groping along like a blind person near a wall, we hesitate like a man who does not see where he is going.”

We stumble at noon as in the twilight once again pictures the people as having difficulty in finding their way. Even in the middle of the day when there is full light, they stumble and trip, just as they would if it were evening when it is more difficult to see objects clearly. The verb stumble appears often in prophetic speech as a way of talking about the devastating effects of sin (see, for example, 3.8; Jer 6.21; Ezek 36.15; Hos 5.5). The Hebrew word for noon refers to the time of day when the light is brightest. The Hebrew term for twilight refers to the early evening, when the sun has just set. If a language has no word for twilight, translators may use the term “night,” as in Good News Translation. For this whole line Bible en français courant has “At full noon we stumble as in the darkest night.”

Among those in full vigor we are like dead men: In this simile the sinners compare themselves to dead people. In comparison to people who are leading an active and vigorous life, they seem to lack all vitality, like the dead. Several versions mention in a footnote that the meaning of the Hebrew text here is uncertain. It is literally “among the fat [people, we are] like the dead [people].” But most versions interpret “fat” to mean “vigorous” or “full of life” in this context. New International Version expresses this line bluntly with “among the strong, we are like the dead.”

Translation examples for this verse are:

• We grope for a wall just like those who are blind,
like those who cannot see we grope.
We stumble at midday just as we do when it grows dark;
in comparison with the strong we are like dead people.

• We feel our way along a wall like a blind person,
like someone who cannot see we feel our way.
At midday we stumble as though it were night;
unlike the strong person, we are as though dead.

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 .