Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!

ISAIAH 5:21KJV
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Isaiah 5:21 (KJV)

What does Isaiah 5:21 mean?

Isaiah 5:21 warns against people who think they are wise and clever by their own standards, rather than seeking true wisdom. The verse pronounces a strong warning to those who trust in their own understanding instead of looking to God for guidance.

In this part of Isaiah, the prophet Isaiah is speaking to the people of Judah, calling out their pride and self-reliance. The verse is part of a series of "woes" where Isaiah lists behaviors that have led the nation away from what is right. The focus here is on arrogance—people believing they know best and refusing to listen to God or others.

The Hebrew behind Isaiah 5:21

  • Woe (הוֹי, hoy): This word signals deep sorrow or warning, not just a casual remark. It marks the seriousness of the prophet’s message.
  • Wise (חָכָם, chakam): This word often means someone skilled or experienced, but here it points to those who see themselves as wise, not necessarily those who truly are.
  • Eyes (עַיִן, ayin): In Hebrew thought, being "wise in their own eyes" means judging everything by one’s own perspective, rather than by truth.
  • Prudent (בִּין, bin): This word means understanding or discernment. Here, it refers to people who think they have good judgment, but only by their own measure.
  • Sight (פָּנִים, panim): Literally "face" or "presence," this word is used here to mean their own view or opinion, highlighting self-centeredness.

Why Isaiah 5:21 matters

  • Isaiah 5:21 helps clear up the idea that self-confidence alone is a virtue; the verse warns that trusting only in one’s own wisdom can be dangerous.
  • This verse highlights a key problem in Isaiah’s time: people were ignoring God’s ways because they thought they knew better, which led to injustice and moral decline.
  • The warning ties into the larger section of Isaiah 5, where several "woes" are pronounced against different wrong attitudes and actions, showing how pride and self-reliance can harm a whole community.

Where else these words appear

“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 29:15 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?
  • 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?

“wise” Hebrew H2450 · used in 133 verses

  • Genesis 41:8 And it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled; and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt, and all the wise men thereof: and Pharaoh told them his dream; but there was none that could interpret them unto Pharaoh.
  • Proverbs 3:7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.
  • Ecclesiastes 2:14 The wise man's eyes are in his head; but the fool walketh in darkness: and I myself perceived also that one event happeneth to them all.