Lexical Summary gashash: To grope, feel about Original Word: גָּשַׁשׁ Strong's Exhaustive Concordance grope A primitive root; apparently to feel about -- grope. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. root Definition to feel with the hand, feel, stroke NASB Translation grope (2). Brown-Driver-Briggs [גשׁשׁ] verb feel with the hand, feel, stroke (Late Hebrew id., Arabic  , Aramaic גְשַׁשׁ Pa`el,  ; Ethiopic  or  stroke, touch) — Pi`el Imperfect1plural cohortative נְגַשֲׁשָׁ֫ה Isaiah 59:10, נְגַשֵּׁ֑שָׁה ib., grope, grope for compare Che. Topical Lexicon Root Meaning and Figurative Sense גָּשַׁשׁ conveys the action of groping or feeling one’s way in darkness. When applied figuratively, it depicts spiritual or moral blindness in which people, deprived of light, stumble about in confusion and danger. Canonical Context The verb appears twice in Isaiah 59:10, the only occurrences in the Hebrew canon. The prophet laments Judah’s condition: “Like the blind we grope along the wall, and like the eyeless we feel our way; we stumble at noon as in the twilight; among the vigorous we are like the dead” (Isaiah 59:10). Here the repetition intensifies the portrayal of a nation so estranged from God’s righteousness that even daylight offers no guidance. Prophetic Imagery in Isaiah Isaiah 59 diagnoses Judah’s societal collapse—violence, injustice, absence of truth—and traces it to persistent sin. גָּשַׁשׁ captures the cumulative effect: a spiritual cataract that renders the brightest day opaque. The image bridges two ideas: 1. Physical blindness, evoking pity and urgency. Thus the verb anchors the chapter’s transition from confession (verses 9–15) to hope (verses 16–21), preparing for the promise of a Redeemer who will come to Zion. Intertextual Parallels Other passages develop the “groping” motif, though with different verbs, reinforcing the theology behind גָּשַׁשׁ: These parallels underline a consistent biblical pattern: separation from God produces disorientation; returning to Him restores sight. Theological Themes 1. Human Inability: גָּשַׁשׁ underscores the incapacity of sinners to navigate life’s path apart from divine illumination. Practical Ministry Applications • Preaching and Teaching: Use Isaiah 59:10 to expose the futility of self-guided morality and to highlight the necessity of Christ, the Light of the World. Historical Jewish Interpretation Rabbinic commentators typically link the verse to exile experiences, seeing the nation as stumbling among hostile powers. The Targum expands the idea to moral ignorance, anticipating the Messianic hope later unfolded in Isaiah 60. Christological Fulfillment Isaiah 59 sets the stage for Isaiah 60:1, “Arise, shine, for your light has come.” New Testament writers recognize Jesus as that promised Light. His healing of the man born blind (John 9) enacts the reversal of גָּשַׁשׁ, demonstrating that messianic light restores both physical and spiritual sight. Contemporary Relevance Modern culture often congratulates itself on intellectual enlightenment yet repeats the pattern of Isaiah 59. Wherever God’s truth is neglected, societies still grope—confusing good and evil, life and death. The church’s commission remains clear: proclaim the gospel so that “people walking in darkness” may see “a great light” (Isaiah 9:2). Forms and Transliterations נְגַֽשְׁשָׁ֤ה נְגַשֵּׁ֑שָׁה נגששה nə·ḡaš·šāh nə·ḡaš·šê·šāh negashShah negashSheshah nəḡaššāh nəḡaššêšāhLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Isaiah 59:10 HEB: נְגַֽשְׁשָׁ֤ה כַֽעִוְרִים֙ קִ֔יר NAS: We grope along the wall KJV: We grope for the wall like the blind, INT: grope blind the wall Isaiah 59:10 2 Occurrences |
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