Ésaïe 8:19

La Bible David Martin

Que s'ils vous disent; enquérez vous des esprits de Python, et des diseurs de bonne aventure, qui gazouillent et grommellent; [répondez]; le peuple ne s'enquerra-t-il point de son Dieu? [aller] pour les vivants aux morts!

Parallel Translations

La Bible Ostervald (1996)
Et si l'on vous dit: "Consultez les �vocateurs d'esprits et les devins, ceux qui chuchotent et qui murmurent", dites: Un peuple n'ira-t-il pas vers son Dieu? Pour les vivants, s'adressera-t-il aux morts?

Darby's French Translation
Et s'ils vous disent: Enqu�rez-vous des �vocateurs d'esprits et des diseurs de bonne aventure, qui murmurent et qui chuchotent,... un peuple ne s'enquiert-il pas de son Dieu? ira-t-il aux morts pour les vivants?

Louis Segond (1910)
Si l'on vous dit: Consultez ceux qui �voquent les morts et ceux qui pr�disent l'avenir, Qui poussent des sifflements et des soupirs, R�pondez: Un peuple ne consultera-t-il pas son Dieu? S'adressera-t-il aux morts en faveur des vivants?

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Seek: Isaiah 19:3, Leviticus 20:6, Deuteronomy 18:11, 1 Samuel 28:8, 1 Chronicles 10:13, 2 Chronicles 33:6

that peep: Isaiah 29:4

should not: 1 Samuel 28:16, 2 Kings 1:3, 2 Peter 2:1

for the living: Psalms 106:28, Jeremiah 10:10, 1 Thessalonians 1:9

Reciprocal: Genesis 40:8 - Do not Genesis 41:8 - the magicians of Egypt Leviticus 19:31 - General Deuteronomy 18:10 - that useth divination Judges 18:14 - now therefore 1 Samuel 15:23 - witchcraft 1 Samuel 28:7 - Seek me 2 Kings 17:17 - used 2 Kings 21:6 - familiar 2 Kings 23:24 - the workers Psalms 14:2 - seek Isaiah 2:6 - and are Isaiah 16:7 - mourn Isaiah 26:14 - dead Isaiah 30:1 - that take Isaiah 45:19 - Seek Isaiah 47:12 - General Jeremiah 27:9 - hearken Daniel 2:2 - General Daniel 4:6 - to bring Micah 5:12 - General Acts 8:11 - he had Acts 13:6 - certain Acts 16:16 - possessed Acts 19:19 - used

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And when they shall say unto you,.... These are the words of Christ continued, as making his appearance in Israel; and are an address to his people among them, even to his children, disciples, and followers, advising them what they should do, when those among whom they dwelt should press them to

seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards, that peep, and that mutter; meaning the Scribes and Pharisees, the doctors among the Jews, who sat in Moses's chair, and who were very much given to sorcery, and the magic art, and used enchantments, which were performed by "muttering"; hence we read of muttering over a wound for the healing of it; and muttering over serpents and scorpions at the driving of them away y; and of such a Rabbi muttering in the name of such an one z; and of such and such a doctor skilled in wonders or miraculous operations: :- yea, even such as were chosen into the sanhedrim, or great council, were to be skilled in the arts of soothsayers, diviners, and wizards, and the like, that they might know how to judge them a; now the Jews would have had the disciples of Christ to have applied to these men to direct their judgments in religious affairs, and be determined by them concerning the Messiah and other things:

should not a people seek unto their God? "to" Christ, who is the Lord God omniscient and omnipotent, who knows all things, and whose name is called Wonderful, Counsellor, the Angel of the great council; and who is able to give the best counsel and direction in matters of moment and consequence, and able to do everything for his people they stand in need of; and who being present with them, God manifest in the flesh, it would be egregious folly to apply to any other, and especially such as are here described; see John 6:68:

for the living to the dead? that is, should men seek to such who are no other than dead men, for the sake or on the account of such who are living? The disciples of Christ, the children that God had given him, were quickened and made alive by the grace of God, had principles of grace and spiritual life implanted in them, had passed from death to life, lived by faith on Christ, lived holy lives, and were heirs of eternal life; and therefore it does not become them, nor any of them, to consult persons dead in trespasses and sins, who knew no more, and were no more capable of judging of spiritual things, than dead men are. See 1 Corinthians 2:14.

y T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 101. 1. z T. Hieros. Avoda Zara, fol. 40. 4. a Maimon. Hilchot Sanhedrin, c. 2. sect. 1.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And when they shall say - When the people, instead of putting confidence in God, shall propose to apply to necromancers. In the time of Ahaz the people were, as they were often, much inclined to idolatry; 2 Kings 16:10. In their troubles and embarrassments, instead of looking to Yahweh, they imitated the example of surrounding nations, and applied for relief to those who professed to be able to hold converse with spirits. That it was common for idolatrous people to seek direction from those who professed that they had the power of divining, is well known; see Isaiah 19:3; Isaiah 29:4. It was expressly forbidden to the Jews to have recourse to those who made such professions; Leviticus 20:6; Deuteronomy 18:10-11. Yet, notwithstanding this express command, it is evident that it was no uncommon thing for the Jews to make application for such instructions; see the case of Saul, who made application to the woman of Endor, who professed to have a familiar spirit, in 1 Samuel 28:7-25. Among pagan nations, nothing was more common than for persons to profess to have contact with spirits, and to be under the influence of their inspiration. The oracle at Delphi, of this nature, was celebrated throughout Greece, and throughout the world. Kings and princes, warriors and nations, sought of the priestess who presided there, responses in undertaking any important enterprise, and were guided by her instructions; see the Travels of Anacharsis, vol. ii. 376ff.

Seek unto - Apply to for direction.

That hath familiar spirits - Hebrew, אבות 'obôth. The word ‘familiar,’ applied to spirit, is supposed to have been used by our translators to imply that they were attended by an invisible spirit that was subject to their call, or that would inspire them when they sought his direction. The Hebrew word is used to denote a necromancer, a conjuror; particularly one who was supposed to have power to call up the dead, to learn Of them respecting future events; see 1 Samuel 28:7-19; Deuteronomy 18:11. The word is most commonly applied to women; as it was almost entirely confined to women to profess this power; Leviticus 19:31; Leviticus 20:6; 1 Samuel 28:0. The idea was, that they could call up the spirits of the dead who were supposed to have seen objects invisible to the living, and who could, therefore, inform them in regard to things which mortals on earth could not see. The Vulgate renders this by ‘Pythons and diviners.’ A Python, among the Greeks and Romans, denoted one that had the spirit of prophesying, and was particularly applied to the priestess of Apollo at Delphi. The Septuagint renders the place thus: ‘And if they say to you, Seek the “ventriloquists,” ἐγγαστριμύθους engastrimuthous, and those speaking from the earth, and speaking vain things, who speak from the belly,’ οἵ ἐκ τῆς κοιλίας φωνοῦσιν hoi ek tēs koilias phōnousin. From this it is evident, that the art of the ventriloquist, so well known now, was known then; and it is highly probable that the secret of the art of soothsayers consisted very much in being able to throw the voice, with various modifications, into different places, so that it would seem to come from a grave, or from an image of a dead person, that was made to appear at the proper time.

And unto wizards - The word used here - ידענים yidd^e‛ônı̂ym - is derived from the verb ידע yâda‛ to know; and means a wise man, a soothsayer, a magician, or one possessed with a spirit of divination. The arts of the magician, or soothsayer, were often the arts of one skilled in natural magic; acquainted somewhat with the laws of chemistry; and able, therefore, to produce appearances among an ignorant people that would surprise them; see Brewster’s Natural Magic, where this art is fully explained.

That peep - This word is properly used of young birds, and means to chirp, to pip; and also to make a small noise by the gentle opening of the mouth. It is then applied to the gentle whispering which the ancients ascribed to departed spirits; the small, low, shrill voice which they were supposed to use, and which, probably, those attempted to imitate who claimed the power of raising them to the earth. It was believed among all the ancient nations, that departed spirits did not speak out openly and clearly, but with an indistinct, low, gentle, suppressed voice. Thus, in Virgil:

- Pars tollere vocem

Exiguam.

AEneid, vi. 492.

- gemitus lachrymabilis imo

Auditur tumulo, et vox reddita ferter ad aures.

AEneid, iii. 39.

Thus Horace:

Umbrae cum Sagana resonarint triste et acutum.

Sat. lib i. 8, 40.

Thus Homer, speaking of the shade or spirit of Patroclus, says that it went with a whizzing sound: ̓Ωχετο τετριγυῖα Ǒcheto tetriguia. - Iliad, ψ- 101.

He said, and with his longing arms essay’d

In vain to grasp the visionary shade;

Like a thin smoke he sees the spirit fly

And hears a feeble, lamentable cry.

This night my friend, so late in battle lost,

Stood at my side a pensive, plaintive ghost.

Pope.

So, also, Lucian says of the infernal regions, ‘The whizzing shades of the dead fly around us;’ see Gesenius in loc. and Rosenmuller; also Bochart’s Hieroz., Part i. B. iii. ch. ii. p. 731.

And that mutter - The word used here - הגה hâgâh - usually means to meditate, to consider; and then to speak, to utter. It also means to sigh, to mourn, Jeremiah 48:31; Isaiah 16:7; to coo, as a dove, Isaiah 37:14; Isaiah 59:11; and then to roar like a lion; not the loud roar, but the grumbling, the suppressed roar (Bochart); Isaiah 31:4. The idea here is, probably, that of gently sighing, or mourning - uttering feeble, plaintive lamentations or sighs, as departed shades were supposed to do; and this was; probably, imitated by necromancers. By thus feigning that they conversed with the dead, they imposed on the ignorant populace, and led them to suppose that they had supernatural powers.

Should not a people seek ... - Is it not proper that a people should inquire of the God that is worshipped, in order to be directed in perplexing and embarrassing events? Some have understood this to be a question of the idolaters, asking whether it was not right and proper for a people to seek counsel of those whom they worshipped as God. I understand it, however, as a question asked by the prophet, and as the language of strong and severe rebulge. ‘You are seeking to idols, to the necromancers, and to the dead, But Yahweh is your God. And should not a people so signally favored, a people under his special care, apply to him, and seek his direction?’

For the living - On account of the affairs of the living. To ascertain what will be their lot, what is their duty, or what will occur to them.

To the dead - The necromancers pretended to have contact with the spirits of the dead. The prophet strongly exposes the absurdity of this. What could the dead know of this? How could they declare the future events respecting the living? Where was this authorized? People should seek God - the living God - and not pretend to hold consultation with the dead.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Isaiah 8:19. Should not a people seek - "Should they seek"] After ידרש yidrosh, the Septuagint, repeating the word, read הידרש hayidrosh: Ουκ εθνος προς Θεον αυτου εκζητησουσι; τι εκζητησουσι περι των ζωντων τους νεκρους; Should not a nation seek unto its God? Why should you seek unto the dead concerning the living? and this repetition of the verb seems necessary to the sense; and, as Procopius on the place observes, it strongly expresses the prophet's indignation at their folly.