Introduction: The Prophet's Mockery of Idolatry
In this part of the chapter, Yeshayahu stands and mocks idol worship. The prophet is not content with a general declaration that an idol has no substance, but rather leads us step by step through every stage of fashioning the image: from quarrying, smelting, carving, and painting, until bowing down before it, showing that at each and every stage its futility is exposed. The Malbim explains that the prophet is simultaneously confronting two schools of thought that were prevalent among idolaters, with every expression in the verses directed against one of them.
A Disgraceful Act Without Even Any Benefit
מִי־יָצַר אֵל וּפֶסֶל נָסָךְ לְבִלְתִּי הוֹעִיל׃ (י) - Who formed a god or cast an idol to no profit? (10)
"Who formed a god" - who would perform such a futile, senseless act as to go and fashion a divinity? Moreover, "to no profit" - a god that yields no benefit whatsoever. The Malbim explains: when a person commits a disgraceful act, it ought to yield great benefit so that he would endure the shame resulting from his deed. A person does something bizarre and foolish, and people ask him, "What is that?" He answers, "The Guinness Book of World Records." True, everyone views it as foolishness, but he wants to engrave his name in history, to be written about and photographed. If a person climbs into the garbage and rummages through it, what a disgrace! And if he is a respected person, the indignity is multiplied many times over. But if he tells you, "Sir, an envelope with fifty thousand dollars fell in there," that sounds entirely different. Enduring humiliation is worthwhile according to the value of what is gained from it. But to crawl into a garbage bin for a block of wood? That is the question: who would do such a foolish thing, making a statue without any benefit at all? ("Cast" [nasakh] - Rashi explains this as casting molten metal.) After all the humiliation, you should at least gain something from it!
The Two Sects of Idolaters
The Malbim explains that there were two viewpoints in the world of idolatry. One sect believed that the idol itself possesses divinity; it itself is the god. The second sect argued that the idol possesses no power of its own, but is rather a conduit and vessel to draw down the celestial flow: in order for the stars to channel their influence below, one must create a recipient, a medium, an intermediary between man and the celestial forces - and as an intermediary, it has validity. The prophet settles accounts with both of these sects here and in the continuation.
יֹצְרֵי־פֶסֶל כֻּלָּם תֹּהוּ וַחֲמוּדֵיהֶם בַּל־יוֹעִילוּ וְעֵדֵיהֶם הֵמָּה בַּל־יִרְאוּ וּבַל־יֵדְעוּ לְמַעַן יֵבֹשׁוּ׃ (ט) - Those who fashion an idol are all of them vanity, and their precious things shall not profit; and their witnesses are they themselves, seeing not and knowing not, so that they may be ashamed. (9)
Against the sect that maintains the idol possesses intrinsic power, it is said, "Those who fashion an idol are all of them vanity," and against it is said, "Who formed a god" - is it even conceivable to fashion God? That is an unthinkable notion. And against the sect that viewed it merely as a vessel and conduit to receive celestial influence, it is said, "or cast an idol to no profit" - even as a conduit, it serves no benefit whatsoever. We find, then, that the prophet addresses both of them: "a god" - against those who believe it is an actual deity; "an idol" - against those who view it merely as a carved object whose sole value is serving as a conduit.
The Idol's Associates Shall Be Ashamed Together
הֵן כׇּל־חֲבֵרָיו יֵבֹשׁוּ וְחָרָשִׁים הֵמָּה מֵאָדָם יִתְקַבְּצוּ כֻלָּם יַעֲמֹדוּ יִפְחֲדוּ יֵבֹשׁוּ יָחַד׃ (יא) - Behold, all his fellows shall be ashamed, and the craftsmen, they are of men; let them all be gathered together, let them stand up; they shall fear, they shall be ashamed together. (11)
Who are "all his fellows"? The Radak cites one explanation, and Rashi explains similarly, that this refers to the creator's associates - the companions who gather with him to worship this image. There is another explanation: the idol's fellows, where the craftsman himself is called its companion - meaning, these are your "friends," and they are just as futile as it is, and they too will be shamed. "And the craftsmen, they are of men" - do not imagine that an angel or a sublime spiritual force fashioned this figure; it is a smith, it is a carpenter, merely a mortal human being. And what could possibly come from the handiwork of a craftsman and carpenter? "Let them all be gathered together, let them stand up" - they all gather and gaze at the image he has made; "they shall fear, they shall be ashamed together" - on the one hand, they fear the god they made with their own hands, and on the other hand, they are ashamed of themselves. In the end, it will become clear that all the actions, intentions, timings, and all the craftsmanship of the artisans who know how to direct their intentions - none of this availed to infuse the idol with the power of life or divine power.
The Five Factors that Determine the Value of an Object
חָרַשׁ בַּרְזֶל מַעֲצָד וּפָעַל בַּפֶּחָם וּבַמַּקָּבוֹת יִצְּרֵהוּ וַיִּפְעָלֵהוּ בִּזְרוֹעַ כֹּחוֹ גַּם־רָעֵב וְאֵין כֹּחַ לֹא־שָׁתָה מַיִם וַיִּיעָף׃ (יב) - The craftsman in iron sharpens an axe and works with coals, fashions it with hammers, and works it with his strong arm; he is also hungry and has no strength, he has drunk no water and grows faint. (12)
The Malbim explains: The value of anything is determined by its material, form, maker, purpose, and the means that led to that purpose. The material - what the object is made of, whether earth or gold; if the material is precious, the outcome is valuable by virtue of its physical substance. The form - a piece of wood is worth ten shekels, but if a master artisan carves a unique creation into it, its value can climb into the thousands of shekels thanks to the craftsmanship invested in it. The maker - who made the object. The purpose - why it was made: a piece of stone has no inherent utility, but if fashioned into a planter, it gains worth by virtue of its function; earth and pottery shards have no intrinsic use, but a jug has utility, as one can drink from it. And the means - how much investment was required to reach the purpose. There are things that are not costly in terms of their raw materials, but the investment in them is immense. Consider, for example, heavy water and enriched uranium used to produce nuclear power. Nations are willing to pay billions for nuclear weapons, yet the raw materials from which they are made are found in nature and are not exceptionally expensive; the valuable aspect is the fission produced in a reactor, and for that, immense fortunes are needed to construct reactors. Thus, sometimes the material is not worth much, but the maker and the investment are what make the item worth a fortune.
The Idol: Valueless from Every Perspective
In terms of form - "that they cannot see and cannot know": it possesses no intellectual form and no faculty of sensation. After all, plant life is higher than inanimate matter, and animals are higher than plant life, for plants lack locomotion whereas animals both feel and move themselves. Yet the idol neither feels nor moves at all; it has no intellectual form whatsoever, but is completely inanimate.
In terms of purpose - one might say: I derive benefit from it, I bring requests before it and it fulfills my wishes. Concerning this it says, "Who fashions a god... to no profit?" - even in terms of any benefit you receive from it, you have nothing at all.
In terms of the maker - "and the craftsmen, they are of men." Who created this god? A human being. Have you ever seen a man create a god? You are God's creation - and you create the god? Woe to such a god that was fashioned by human beings! To illustrate the meaning of value derived from the maker: sometimes scribbles are sold to you; you look at them and say, "What is this?" You are told, "This is art; Van Gogh painted this." You argue that your child paints more nicely, and that may be true - but the question is who painted it. Similarly, doodles by President Kennedy on a scrap of paper can sell at Sotheby's for tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars. Neither the paper nor the ink is valuable, and the drawing has no artistic merit, yet all its value lies in the person who made it. As nonsensical as that may be, people assign value to it. But the idol - who made it? Merely a human being. Thus, in terms of its maker, it possesses no distinction either.
In Terms of Material: Iron and Wood
You might say: But the material itself is very valuable! To this the prophet says, "The craftsman in iron" - they make the idol out of iron. And why iron specifically? Because iron is strong, and the idol needs to endure for a long time. For if it were truly a god, it would sustain itself, but here one must sustain the god; therefore, they make it from a durable material. When someone builds out a balcony, he does not make it from aluminum, but from iron support beams so that it will last for many years. So too with the idol: it must be strong, not like a wooden pergola that must be painted constantly so it does not rot. And iron - does it have great intrinsic value? It is a cheap material. Others made idols from wood, even though wood is weaker than iron, because wood is considered higher: iron is merely inanimate, whereas wood possesses vegetative life. For this reason, some worshipped the asherah and sacred trees, believing that by virtue of the vegetative soul within it, it possessed greater vitality and power to draw down supernal forces.
The Stages of Crafting the Iron Idol - And a Refutation at Every Stage
The Malbim notes: If it possessed divinity, a prerequisite of divinity is that it must create others, not that others create it. This is the most basic definition of God - that He is the Creator. Yet here, "the craftsman in iron sharpens an axe" - with an axe or adze, a carving tool, they cut and hewed the iron from its quarry. How can a god be something fashioned by man? A god must be a spiritual power that created man, not the work of man's hands.
You might say: The divine power was not present during the quarrying stage, but entered it only afterward. To this he says, "and works with coals" - afterward, he melts it down in the fire. But if it had already received divine power, how could the fire overpower it and melt it? A god is supposed to transcend the forces of nature, so how can nature rule over it?
You might say: divinity began only after it received its form. To this the verse responds, "and fashions it with hammers" - even after the smelting, he still hammers away at it to give it a specific form. Can one really fashion a form into a god?
You might say: all this is only your imagination; in truth, divine power was granted to the craftsman to sculpt the idol. That is, it was not the craftsman who made the idol, but rather the idol's own divine power entered the craftsman so he would fashion it - and with this we have resolved everything: the idol created itself! To this the prophet replies: "and works it with the arm of his strength" - the craftsman feels that he is exerting strength while working. Had divine power been operating through him, he would have been like a lifeless stone whose hands suddenly move on their own; but if I feel that I am exerting strength to saw, strength to hew, strength to draw - it is a sign that it is my own strength I have invested in it, and do not tell me that the idol's divine power created itself and entered me.
And the verse continues: "he is also hungry and has no strength; he drinks no water and is faint." How do we know that it was my own strength at work and not the power of the idol that entered me? Because if the idol's power were at work, why after two hours of labor am I hungry and thirsty like any working man? Inevitably, I expended energy of my own - and whoever expends energy needs to eat and drink. The very hunger, thirst, and fatigue prove that the person acted from his own human strength, not from any divine power of the idol; for had everything been through the idol's power, he would not have needed bread and water.
Rashi and Radak on the Meaning of "He Is Also Hungry and Has No Strength"
Rashi explains differently: the maker himself lacks strength and is weak - if he hungers he cannot continue his work, and if he does not drink water he grows faint. And if the maker is so limited, is it at all possible that he could create something better and more exalted than himself? If the maker is hungry and thirsty and grows weak during his labor, that which is made by him is all the more certainly limited.
Radak explains that the verse comes to describe the maker's zeal: he is hungry and thirsty, yet he notices nothing, continuing his work out of immense perseverance and enthusiasm - behold, he is fashioning a god for himself! Hunger does not deter him and thirst does not deter him; out of his great passion for the work, he acts with desire and fervor. Look at the sheer foolishness of these people.
The Craftsman in Wood
חָרַשׁ עֵצִים נָטָה קָו יְתָאֲרֵהוּ בַשֶּׂרֶד יַעֲשֵׂהוּ בַּמַּקְצֻעוֹת וּבַמְּחוּגָה יְתׇאֳרֵהוּ וַיַּעֲשֵׂהוּ כְּתַבְנִית אִישׁ כְּתִפְאֶרֶת אָדָם לָשֶׁבֶת בָּיִת׃ (יג) - The craftsman in wood stretches out a line; he marks it out with a stylus; he shapes it with planes, and he outlines it with a compass; and he makes it in the figure of a man, according to the beauty of a human being, to dwell in a house. (13)
Until now the discussion concerned one who works with metal; now the prophet turns to the carpenter. "Stretches out a line" - when the carpenter comes to cut, he first measures and marks, so that he knows how to cut properly. "He outlines it with a stylus" - the Malbim explains that *sered* has no parallel anywhere in Scripture, and its meaning is close to the word *seret* (scratch or incision), in the sense of "You shall not make any cuttings [*veseret*] in your flesh" (Vayikra 19:28), that is, a scratch: he scratches a mark to trace the exact dimensions of the cut. Thus, the wood does not cut itself; rather, I must act upon it - and we return to the principle: even with a wooden idol, the entire action originates with me, and if this is a god, how can I make a god? A god must exist of its own accord.
You might say here too that divinity entered only afterwards - yet "he shapes it with planes"; planes are carving tools: after the cutting, once there is a log of wood, they begin to carve and create a form in it. Can one really take a god and carve it? And should you say that divinity entered only after it became a sculpture - yet "and he outlines it with a compass", for there is an additional stage in which he draws designs and circles with a compass, gives it outline and form, and paints it with colors, as was their way to paint their idols. Can one really paint a god? Rather, there is no god here whatsoever.
"In the Figure of a Man, According to the Beauty of a Human Being"
And even more than that - and here the prophet refers to both the iron idol and the wooden idol - "and he makes it in the figure of a man [*ish*]." The Malbim explains the distinction between *ish* and *adam*: *ish* describes any individual entity, and we find this term applied even to animals, to angels - "the man [*ha'ish*] Gabriel" (Daniel 9:21) - and to the cherubim - "with their faces one to another [*ish el achiv*]" (Shemot 25:20). By contrast, *adam* refers exclusively to the human species. And the question arises: how could it possibly possess divine power if you fashion it in the likeness of something that exists right here in the physical world? A god must be spiritual, supreme, exalted, and elevated far above everything found here, something beyond me - yet you make it in the image of an entity that exists right here! Indeed, they used to make forms of animals: Nibhaz and Tartak, the form of a fish and the form of a goat, and Ashima and the like, as we learned earlier, and likewise their sphinx, the image of a crouching lion, and similar figures.
And not only this, but "according to the beauty of a man." If you believe that God is exalted above man, how can you fashion Him in the likeness of a man? After all, we already have man, so why would one need another god like him? Man is the one in need of a higher figure above him, not that you should create another human figure for him out of wood or metal. Furthermore, this "man" is even more limited than a natural human being: "to dwell in a house" - the idol is stuck in the house, unable to move, possessing no vitality and nothing at all. A natural human being has vitality and moves himself, whereas with these, "they have feet, but cannot walk." It turns out that you have created a man - and not an exalted man, but a limited, disabled man who sits in the house all his days, unable to move.
No Holiness in the Wood Itself
לִכְרׇת־לוֹ אֲרָזִים וַיִּקַּח תִּרְזָה וְאַלּוֹן וַיְאַמֶּץ־לוֹ בַּעֲצֵי־יָעַר נָטַע אֹרֶן וְגֶשֶׁם יְגַדֵּל׃ (יד) - He cuts down cedars for himself, and takes a cypress and an oak, strengthening for himself among the trees of the forest; he plants an ash tree, and the rain makes it grow.
After demonstrating how futile it is to believe that the idol possesses power - since it did not make itself, but rather the carpenter or metalsmith fashioned it with an adze, with charcoal, and with hammers, and how foolish are those who worship an image crafted by man - he now comes to show that even in the wood itself there is no spirituality or holiness. For one might argue: it does not matter who made it or how it was made; the wood itself possesses intrinsic virtue, just as we previously noted that gold gives value to jewelry even if it is ugly, by virtue of the material itself. It is this opinion that the prophet comes to refute. "He cuts down cedars for himself" - yet the cedar is not reserved exclusively for making idols, but is used for many mundane purposes, so what divinity or holiness does it possess in and of itself? And if you should say that all cedar trees possess special virtue, behold, "he takes a cypress and an oak," showing that he is not particular about cedar alone, nor does he show special care regarding other trees. "Strengthening for himself among the trees of the forest" - he reinforces the idol from all sides, even using lesser trees. And not only that, but "he plants an ash tree, and the rain makes it grow" - he plants an entire forest, and its growth is not supernatural, but rather the rain nourishes it through natural means. Thus we see: man planted it, natural rain watered it, and man himself formed the entire image. It possesses no special virtue, neither from its craftsmanship nor from its raw material.
וְהָיָה לְאָדָם לְבָעֵר וַיִּקַּח מֵהֶם וַיָּחׇם אַף־יַשִּׂיק וְאָפָה לָחֶם אַף־יִפְעַל־אֵל וַיִּשְׁתָּחוּ עָשָׂהוּ פֶסֶל וַיִּסְגׇּד־לָמוֹ׃ (טו) - Then it serves a man for burning; he takes some of them and warms himself; he also kindles a fire and bakes bread; he also fashions a god and bows down; he makes it an idol and falls prostrate before them.
Do not claim that the wood inherently possesses holiness from its origin, for "it serves a man for burning" - from that very same forest, wood is taken for fuel. Furthermore, man derives physical benefit from it: "he takes some of them and warms himself" - he warms his body with them; and even more, "he also kindles a fire and bakes bread" - he fuels the oven with them and bakes bread upon their coals. From such an ordinary thing can one "fashion a god and bow down, make it an idol and fall prostrate before them"? This is entirely mundane, containing originally neither holiness nor special virtue, so how could anyone worship it and prostrate before it?
"Fashions a God" Versus "Makes It an Idol"
Here too, the two groups are addressed: against those who believe that the image itself is a god, it says, "he also fashions a god and bows down" - from such a thing can one create a god to bow down to? And against those who believe that it is merely a conduit to draw down celestial forces, it says, "he makes it an idol and falls prostrate before them" - he makes of it a sculpted image aligned with the heavenly forces to draw down their flow, and before it he prostrates.
There is an additional textual nuance: in reference to the god, the verse uses the term yif'al ("fashions" or works upon), whereas in reference to the idol, it uses asahu ("makes it"). The Malbim explains that the root pe'ulah implies being engaged in an action - working on a matter without necessarily concluding it; whereas the root asiyah denotes full completion and finalization, as in "which God created to make (la'asot)." Therefore, regarding the god it says yif'al, for a god is an independent power in their eyes, and how could one say that a human being completed or "made" it? Rather, according to their view, he merely works upon it, engaging with the material, while the divine force supposedly actualized itself. But the idol - which they fashioned aligned with the hours of the day and celestial influences, and which had to be brought to complete perfection so that it would be receptive to the cosmic influence according to their understanding - regarding it the verse says "he makes it (asahu) an idol," because in that case man is indeed the one who finishes and truly completes the work.
Even the Specific Piece of Wood Is Not Divine
חֶצְיוֹ שָׂרַף בְּמוֹ־אֵשׁ עַל־חֶצְיוֹ בָּשָׂר יֹאכֵל יִצְלֶה צָלִי וְיִשְׂבָּע אַף־יָחֹם וְיֹאמַר הֶאָח חַמּוֹתִי רָאִיתִי אוּר׃ (טז) - Half of it he burns in the fire; over half of it he eats meat, roasts a roast, and is satisfied; he also warms himself and says, "Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire."
At first glance, the prophet appears to be repeating himself, having already stated: "he takes some of them and warms himself; he also kindles a fire and bakes bread." But the Malbim explains: in the preceding verse, the prophet was addressing the forest as a whole, responding that there is no divine forest here, since ordinary firewood is gathered from it. Now he comes to refute yet another claim: "Perhaps not all the forest is divine, but this particular log that I took is special, endowed with unique spiritual virtue and divine powers; I merely performed the external craftsmanship upon it, but divinity already resided within it." For to claim "I have just carved a god from scratch" was absurd even to the idolaters themselves, so they would assert instead that divine forces were already inherent in the material and man merely shaped it. To this the prophet replies: from that very same log - "half of it he burns in the fire," half has already been consumed by flames, and "over half of it he eats meat," roasting meat over it. Thus, it acquired no holiness, neither prior to its crafting nor after it.
And do not say that whoever burns a divine tree will be punished and not be satisfied by what he eats - for "he roasts a roast and is satisfied." It is an ordinary tree, like standard wood used to make coals, and the one who eats roasted meat from it is indeed satisfied. And do not say that it was not roasted by the wood itself but by a miracle - for "he also warms himself," he approaches the fire and feels its heat, and this is not a divine fire but a natural fire. And do not say that he is imagining it - for "he says, 'Aha, I am warm, I have seen the light.'" Fire possesses two properties: the property of heating and the property of illuminating, and both are present here. "Aha" (*he'ach*) is an expression of pleasure and joy, as in "Aha, aha, our eyes have seen it" - meaning, how good and wonderful; "I am warm" - I warmed myself with it; "I have seen the light" - I saw something illuminating in it. Thus, all the natural properties of wood are present in it, so what divinity became invested in the wood from which you made the idol? It turns out that the prophet has refuted everything: the forest is not divine, the species of tree is not divine, and even the specific tree from which you carved is not divine, for with part of it you roasted meat, warmed yourself, ate and were satisfied, and saw light - it is completely physical.
וּשְׁאֵרִיתוֹ לְאֵל עָשָׂה לְפִסְלוֹ יִסְגׇּד־לוֹ וְיִשְׁתַּחוּ וְיִתְפַּלֵּל אֵלָיו וְיֹאמַר הַצִּילֵנִי כִּי אֵלִי אָתָּה׃ (יז) - "And the rest of it he makes into a god, his idol; he bows down to it, prostrates himself, and prays to it, saying: 'Save me, for you are my god!'" (17)
And how is it possible that from the very leftover remaining from that tree he makes a god? Here, too, the two factions are addressed: against those who worship it as a god itself, it says, "he makes into a god... and prostrates himself"; and against those who accept it only as an image to draw down the supernal forces, it says, "his idol, he bows down to it" - he made it into an image directed toward the supernal powers to draw down their flow, and he bows down to it. And finally, he addresses it and says, "Save me, for you are my god" - how is it conceivable that he calls a piece of wood "you are my god"?
"For Their Eyes Are Plastered Over from Seeing"
לֹא יָדְעוּ וְלֹא יָבִינוּ כִּי טַח מֵרְאוֹת עֵינֵיהֶם מֵהַשְׂכִּיל לִבֹּתָם׃ (יח) - "They do not know, nor do they understand, for their eyes are plastered over from seeing, their hearts from comprehending." (18)
"Plastered over from seeing" - as though plaster was smeared over their eyes, blocking their ability to see. But note: *tach* ("plastered") is an active verb - someone plastered. Therefore, the Radak explains that it is the Holy One, Blessed be He, Who plastered their eyes from seeing, as it says, "Make the heart of this people fat, and make their eyes heavy" - that Hashem, Blessed be He, did this. Meaning, after they became so deeply immersed in sin, the Holy One, Blessed be He, shut their eyes so that they cannot see even completely obvious things. And the Radak brings another explanation: the Yetzer Hara (the evil inclination) is the one who plastered their eyes from seeing; it placed plaster over their eyes so they could not see, and caused them not to realize how much futility lies in their deeds.
And the Malbim explains: "They do not know, nor do they understand" - they do not know and do not perceive all the vanity and folly we have described, and you should not wonder at this. "They do not know" - why? "For their eyes are plastered over from seeing." "Nor do they understand" - why? "For their hearts are plastered over from comprehending." The word *tach* applies to both. The explanation is simple: knowledge (*yedi'ah*) always comes from empirical examination and experience. How do you know that a pot on the fire is hot? A small child does not know this; we have touched it enough times and come to recognize that a pot that has sat on the fire for minutes is boiling hot, which is why a child might pull down a pot and all its contents, God forbid. I hear the sound of a car and know it is dangerous to step into the street - from where? From experience, having gotten too close once and been startled; whereas a child hears a car's noise and steps into the road freely, because he lacks empirical examination and experience. Things acquired through experience fall under the category of knowledge, external knowledge, and it is acquired through the eyes - thus "they do not know" because "their eyes are plastered over from seeing." But there is also understanding (*havanah*), which is intellectual comprehension - not sight of the eyes and not external experience, but something internal and intellectual. Regarding this it says, "their hearts from comprehending" - the heart too is sealed shut. Even regarding things not proven by experience but proven by intellect and logic, if one were to contemplate and reflect - even this will not help, for his heart is sealed, and on account of this he fails to understand even simple things that even a child could understand.
In Summary:
The prophet deconstructs idolatry into its components and shows that it has no value from any angle by which a thing can be evaluated: not in terms of form - for it is inanimate, neither seeing nor knowing; not in terms of purpose - "of no profit"; not in terms of the maker - "and craftsmen, they are of men"; and not in terms of material - cheap iron or wood, half of which is burned in the fire to roast meat and bake bread. Every excuse attempting to push divinity into some other stage of the process collapses at the next step: the adze, the coals, the hammers, the measuring line, the red chalk, the planes, and the compass - all testify that man is the creator, and even the hunger, thirst, and exhaustion he experiences prove that it was his own human strength at work. And against the two factions, those who viewed the idol itself as a god and those who viewed it as a conduit for supernal influence, the prophet answers them both. At the end of it all, the question arises: How do they fail to see the simplest truth? The answer is: "For their eyes are plastered over from seeing, their hearts from comprehending." Once people become deeply immersed in sin, their eyes are shut from knowledge and their hearts are sealed from understanding, until a person fails to grasp what even a small child would comprehend.