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?

ISAIAH 29:15KJV
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Isaiah 29:15 (KJV)

What does Isaiah 29:15 mean?

Isaiah 29:15 warns people who try to secretly plan and act in ways they think God cannot see or know, believing their hidden actions and thoughts are beyond His reach. The verse declares “woe” to those who believe they can hide their intentions and deeds from the LORD, thinking no one—including God—will notice or understand what they are doing.

The prophet Isaiah is speaking to people in Jerusalem who are plotting in secret, acting as if God is unaware of their schemes. This verse is part of a larger warning against hypocrisy and false security among the people, who think their hidden motives and actions are safe from God’s knowledge. Isaiah’s words challenge the idea that darkness or secrecy can shield anyone from God’s awareness.

The Hebrew behind Isaiah 29:15

  • “Woe” (הוֹי, hoy) is a strong word expressing grief or warning, signaling serious trouble ahead for those addressed.
  • “Hide” (סָתַר, satar) means to conceal or cover up, emphasizing the deliberate effort to keep plans and actions secret from God.
  • “Counsel” (עֵצָה, etsah) refers to plans or advice, highlighting that it is not just actions but also secret intentions being hidden.
  • “Dark” (מַחְשָׁךְ, machshakh) means darkness or a place without light, underlining the idea of secrecy and hiddenness, as if darkness could actually hide someone from God.

Why Isaiah 29:15 matters

  • Isaiah 29:15 clears up the misunderstanding that God can be fooled or kept in the dark by human secrecy; the verse insists that nothing is truly hidden from Him.
  • The verse highlights the seriousness of not just wrong actions, but the secret plotting and motives behind them, showing that God cares about both.
  • In the context of Isaiah 29, this warning connects to the larger theme of spiritual blindness and hypocrisy among the people, preparing the way for God’s call to repentance and true understanding.

Where else these words appear

“dark” Hebrew H4285 · used in 7 verses

  • Psalms 74:20 Have respect unto the covenant: for the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty.
  • Psalms 88:18 Lover and friend hast thou put far from me, and mine acquaintance into darkness.
  • Isaiah 42:16 And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them.

“deep” Hebrew H6009 · used in 9 verses

  • Psalms 92:5 O LORD, how great are thy works! and thy thoughts are very deep.
  • Isaiah 30:33 For Tophet is ordained of old; yea, for the king it is prepared; he hath made it deep and large: the pile thereof is fire and much wood; the breath of the LORD, like a stream of brimstone, doth kindle it.
  • Jeremiah 49:30 Flee, get you far off, dwell deep, O ye inhabitants of Hazor, saith the LORD; for Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon hath taken counsel against you, and hath conceived a purpose against you.

“Woe” Hebrew H1945 · used in 48 verses

  • Ruth 4:1 Then went Boaz up to the gate, and sat him down there: and, behold, the kinsman of whom Boaz spake came by; unto whom he said, Ho, such a one! turn aside, sit down here. And he turned aside, and sat down.
  • Isaiah 29:1 Woe to Ariel, to Ariel, the city where David dwelt! add ye year to year; let them kill sacrifices.
  • Ezekiel 13:18 And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Woe to the women that sew pillows to all armholes, and make kerchiefs upon the head of every stature to hunt souls! Will ye hunt the souls of my people, and will ye save the souls alive that come unto you?

“hide” Hebrew H5641 · used in 80 verses

  • Genesis 4:14 Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall slay me.
  • Psalms 10:11 He hath said in his heart, God hath forgotten: he hideth his face; he will never see it.
  • Proverbs 27:12 A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself; but the simple pass on, and are punished.