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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "//www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="//www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" /><title>Isaiah 8:21 They will roam the land, dejected and hungry. When they are famished, they will become enraged; and looking upward, they will curse their king and their God.</title><link rel="canonical" href="https://biblehub.com/isaiah/8-21.htm" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/new9.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><meta property="og:image" content="https://biblehub.com/visuals/10/23_Isa_08_21.jpg" /><meta property="og:title" content="Isaiah 8:21 - Darkness and Light" /><meta property="og:site_name" content="Bible Hub" /><meta property="og:description" content="They will roam the land, dejected and hungry. 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And because they are hungry, they will rage and curse their king and their God. They will look up to heaven<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/esv/isaiah/8.htm">English Standard Version</a></span><br />They will pass through the land, greatly distressed and hungry. And when they are hungry, they will be enraged and will speak contemptuously against their king and their God, and turn their faces upward.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/bsb/isaiah/8.htm">Berean Standard Bible</a></span><br />They will roam the land, dejected and hungry. When they are famished, they will become enraged; and looking upward, they will curse their king and their God.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/kjv/isaiah/8.htm">King James Bible</a></span><br />And they shall pass through it, hardly bestead and hungry: and it shall come to pass, that when they shall be hungry, they shall fret themselves, and curse their king and their God, and look upward.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nkjv/isaiah/8.htm">New King James Version</a></span><br />They will pass through it hard-pressed and hungry; and it shall happen, when they are hungry, that they will be enraged and curse their king and their God, and look upward.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb_/isaiah/8.htm">New American Standard Bible</a></span><br />They will pass through the land dejected and hungry, and it will turn out that when they are hungry, they will become enraged and curse their king and their God as they face upward.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb/isaiah/8.htm">NASB 1995</a></span><br />They will pass through the land hard-pressed and famished, and it will turn out that when they are hungry, they will be enraged and curse their king and their God as they face upward.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb77/isaiah/8.htm">NASB 1977 </a></span><br />And they will pass through the land hard-pressed and famished, and it will turn out that when they are hungry, they will be enraged and curse their king and their God as they face upward.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsb/isaiah/8.htm">Legacy Standard Bible </a></span><br />And they will pass through the land hard-pressed and hungry, and it will be that when they are hungry, they will be angry and curse their king and their God as they face upward.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/amp/isaiah/8.htm">Amplified Bible</a></span><br />They [who consult mediums and soothsayers] will pass through the land deeply distressed and hungry, and when they are hungry, they will become enraged and will curse their king and their God as they look upward.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/csb/isaiah/8.htm">Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />They will wander through the land, dejected and hungry. When they are famished, they will become enraged, and, looking upward, will curse their king and their God.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hcsb/isaiah/8.htm">Holman Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />They will wander through the land, dejected and hungry. When they are famished, they will become enraged, and, looking upward, will curse their king and their God. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/asv/isaiah/8.htm">American Standard Version</a></span><br />And they shall pass through it, sore distressed and hungry; and it shall come to pass that, when they shall be hungry, they shall fret themselves, and curse by their king and by their God, and turn their faces upward:<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cev/isaiah/8.htm">Contemporary English Version</a></span><br />They will go around in great pain and will become so hungry that they will angrily curse their king and their gods. And when they try to find help in heaven <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/erv/isaiah/8.htm">English Revised Version</a></span><br />And they shall pass through it, hardly bestead and hungry: and it shall come to pass that, when they shall be hungry, they shall fret themselves, and curse by their king and by their God, and turn their faces upward.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gwt/isaiah/8.htm">GOD'S WORD® Translation</a></span><br />They will pass through the land when they are hard-pressed and hungry. When they are hungry, they will be furious. Then they will look up, cursing their king and God.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gnt/isaiah/8.htm">Good News Translation</a></span><br />The people will wander through the land, discouraged and hungry. In their hunger and their anger they will curse their king and their God. They may look up to the sky <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/isv/isaiah/8.htm">International Standard Version</a></span><br />"They'll pass through the land, while greatly distressed and hungry. When they are hungry, they'll become enraged, and they'll curse their king and their god. They'll turn their faces upwards,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/msb/isaiah/8.htm">Majority Standard Bible</a></span><br />They will roam the land, dejected and hungry. When they are famished, they will become enraged; and looking upward, they will curse their king and their God.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/net/isaiah/8.htm">NET Bible</a></span><br />They will pass through the land destitute and starving. Their hunger will make them angry, and they will curse their king and their God as they look upward.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nheb/isaiah/8.htm">New Heart English Bible</a></span><br />They will pass through it, greatly distressed and hungry; and it will happen that when they are hungry, they will worry, and curse by their king and by their God. They will turn their faces upward,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/wbt/isaiah/8.htm">Webster's Bible Translation</a></span><br />And they shall pass through it, distressed and hungry: and it shall come to pass, that when they shall be hungry, they shall fret themselves, and curse their king and their God, and look upward.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/web/isaiah/8.htm">World English Bible</a></span><br />They will pass through it, very distressed and hungry. It will happen that when they are hungry, they will worry, and curse their king and their God. They will turn their faces upward, <div class="vheading2"><b>Literal Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsv/isaiah/8.htm">Literal Standard Version</a></span><br />And it has passed over into it, hardened and hungry, "" And it has come to pass, "" That it is hungry, and has been angry, "" And made light of its king, and of its God, "" And has looked upwards.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/ylt/isaiah/8.htm">Young's Literal Translation</a></span><br /> -- And it hath passed over into it, hardened and hungry, And it hath come to pass, That it is hungry, and hath been wroth, And made light of its king, and of its God, And hath looked upwards.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/slt/isaiah/8.htm">Smith's Literal Translation</a></span><br />And passing through it, harshly oppressed and hungry; and it was when he shall be hungry, and they brake forth and cursed against their king and their God, and looked upwards.<div class="vheading2"><b>Catholic Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/drb/isaiah/8.htm">Douay-Rheims Bible</a></span><br />And they shall pass by it, they shall fall, and be hungry: and when they shall be hungry, they will be angry, and curse their king, and their God, and look upwards. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cpdv/isaiah/8.htm">Catholic Public Domain Version</a></span><br />And he will pass by it; he will fall and become hungry. And when he is hungry, he will become angry, and he will speak evil against his king and his God, and he will lift himself upward. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nabre/isaiah/8.htm">New American Bible</a></span><br />He will pass through it hard-pressed and hungry, and when hungry, shall become enraged, and curse king and gods. He will look upward, <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nrsvce/isaiah/8.htm">New Revised Standard Version</a></span><br />They will pass through the land, greatly distressed and hungry; when they are hungry, they will be enraged and will curse their king and their gods. They will turn their faces upward,<div class="vheading2"><b>Translations from Aramaic</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lamsa/isaiah/8.htm">Lamsa Bible</a></span><br />And they shall pass through the land sorely beset and hungry; and it shall come to pass, that when they shall be hungry, they shall be angry and will curse their king, and their God, and be haughty.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hpbt/isaiah/8.htm">Peshitta Holy Bible Translated</a></span><br />And he shall go through in it and he shall strike it, and he shall be hungry, and when he is hungry, he shall be afraid, and he shall insult his King and his God, and he shall return above<div class="vheading2"><b>OT Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/jps/isaiah/8.htm">JPS Tanakh 1917</a></span><br />And they shall pass this way that are sore bestead and hungry; and it shall come to pass that, when they shall be hungry, they shall fret themselves, and curse by their king and by their God, and, whether they turn their faces upward,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/sep/isaiah/8.htm">Brenton Septuagint Translation</a></span><br />And famine shall come sorely upon you, and it shall come to pass, <i>that</i> when ye shall be hungry, ye shall be grieved, and ye shall speak ill of the prince and your fathers' ordinances: and they shall look up to heaven above,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/parallel/isaiah/8-21.htm">Additional Translations ...</a></span></div></div></div><div id="centbox"><div class="padcent"><a name="study" id="study"></a><div class="vheadingv"><b>Audio Bible</b></div><iframe width="100%" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Xv9bHT-nr9s?start=1815" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><div class="vheadingv"><b>Context</b></div><span class="hdg"><a href="/bsb/isaiah/8.htm">Darkness and Light</a></span><br>…<span class="reftext">20</span>To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, they have no light of dawn. <span class="reftext">21</span><span class="highl"><a href="/hebrew/5674.htm" title="5674: wə·‘ā·ḇar (Conj-w:: V-Qal-ConjPerf-3ms) -- To pass over, through, or by, pass on. A primitive root; to cross over; used very widely of any transition; specifically, to cover.">They will roam the land,</a> <a href="/hebrew/bāh (Prep:: 3fs) -- "></a> <a href="/hebrew/7185.htm" title="7185: niq·šeh (V-Nifal-Prtcpl-ms) -- To be hard, severe or fierce. A primitive root; properly, to be dense, i.e. Tough or severe.">dejected</a> <a href="/hebrew/7457.htm" title="7457: wə·rā·‘êḇ (Conj-w:: Adj-ms) -- Hungry. From ra'eb; hungry.">and hungry.</a> <a href="/hebrew/1961.htm" title="1961: wə·hā·yāh (Conj-w:: V-Qal-ConjPerf-3ms) -- To fall out, come to pass, become, be. A primitive root; to exist, i.e. Be or become, come to pass."></a> <a href="/hebrew/3588.htm" title="3588: ḵî- (Conj) -- That, for, when. ">When</a> <a href="/hebrew/7456.htm" title="7456: yir·‘aḇ (V-Qal-Imperf-3ms) -- To be hungry. A primitive root; to hunger.">they are famished,</a> <a href="/hebrew/7107.htm" title="7107: wə·hiṯ·qaṣ·ṣap̄ (Conj-w:: V-Hitpael-ConjPerf-3ms) -- To be angry. A primitive root; to crack off, i.e. burst out in rage.">they will become enraged;</a> <a href="/hebrew/6437.htm" title="6437: ū·p̄ā·nāh (Conj-w:: V-Qal-ConjPerf-3ms) -- To turn. A primitive root; to turn; by implication, to face, i.e. Appear, look, etc.">and looking</a> <a href="/hebrew/4605.htm" title="4605: lə·mā·‘ə·lāh (Prep-l:: Adv:: 3fs) -- From alah; properly, the upper part, used only adverbially with prefix upward, above, overhead, from the top, etc.">upward,</a> <a href="/hebrew/7043.htm" title="7043: wə·qil·lêl (Conj-w:: V-Piel-ConjPerf-3ms) -- To be slight, swift or trifling. A primitive root; to be light, literally Or figuratively.">they will curse</a> <a href="/hebrew/4428.htm" title="4428: bə·mal·kōw (Prep-b:: N-msc:: 3ms) -- King. From malak; a king.">their king</a> <a href="/hebrew/430.htm" title="430: ū·ḇê·lō·hāw (Conj-w, Prep-b:: N-mpc:: 3ms) -- Plural of 'elowahh; gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used of the supreme God">and their God.</a> </span><span class="reftext">22</span>Then they will look to the earth and see only distress and darkness and the gloom of anguish. And they will be driven into utter darkness.…<div class="cred"><a href="//berean.bible">Berean Standard Bible</a> · <a href="//berean.bible/downloads.htm">Download</a></div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="crossref" id="crossref"></a><div class="vheading">Cross References</div><div id="crf"><span class="crossverse"><a href="/deuteronomy/28-48.htm">Deuteronomy 28:48</a></span><br />you will serve your enemies the LORD will send against you in famine, thirst, nakedness, and destitution. He will place an iron yoke on your neck until He has destroyed you.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/lamentations/4-9.htm">Lamentations 4:9</a></span><br />Those slain by the sword are better off than those who die of hunger, who waste away, pierced with pain because the fields lack produce.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/amos/8-11.htm">Amos 8:11-12</a></span><br />Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord GOD, when I will send a famine on the land—not a famine of bread or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the LORD. / People will stagger from sea to sea and roam from north to east, seeking the word of the LORD, but they will not find it.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/micah/3-6.htm">Micah 3:6-7</a></span><br />Therefore night will come over you without visions, and darkness without divination. The sun will set on these prophets, and the daylight will turn black over them. / Then the seers will be ashamed and the diviners will be disgraced. They will all cover their mouths because there is no answer from God.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/2_kings/6-25.htm">2 Kings 6:25-29</a></span><br />So there was a great famine in Samaria. Indeed, they besieged the city so long that a donkey’s head sold for eighty shekels of silver, and a quarter cab of dove’s dung sold for five shekels of silver. / As the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman cried out to him, “Help me, my lord the king!” / He answered, “If the LORD does not help you, where can I find help for you? From the threshing floor or the winepress?” ...<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/jeremiah/14-18.htm">Jeremiah 14:18</a></span><br />If I go out to the country, I see those slain by the sword; if I enter the city, I see those ravaged by famine! For both prophet and priest travel to a land they do not know.’”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/ezekiel/7-15.htm">Ezekiel 7:15-19</a></span><br />The sword is outside; plague and famine are within. Those in the country will die by the sword, and those in the city will be devoured by famine and plague. / The survivors will escape and live in the mountains, moaning like doves of the valley, each for his own iniquity. / Every hand will go limp, and every knee will turn to water. ...<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/job/15-23.htm">Job 15:23-24</a></span><br />He wanders about as food for vultures; he knows the day of darkness is at hand. / Distress and anguish terrify him, overwhelming him like a king poised to attack.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/psalms/107-4.htm">Psalm 107:4-5</a></span><br />Some wandered in desert wastelands, finding no path to a city in which to dwell. / They were hungry and thirsty; their soul fainted within them.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/proverbs/19-3.htm">Proverbs 19:3</a></span><br />A man’s own folly subverts his way, yet his heart rages against the LORD.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/matthew/24-7.htm">Matthew 24:7</a></span><br />Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/luke/15-14.htm">Luke 15:14-16</a></span><br />After he had spent all he had, a severe famine swept through that country, and he began to be in need. / So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed the pigs. / He longed to fill his belly with the pods the pigs were eating, but no one would give him a thing.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/mark/13-8.htm">Mark 13:8</a></span><br />Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, as well as famines. These are the beginning of birth pains.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/revelation/6-5.htm">Revelation 6:5-6</a></span><br />And when the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come!” Then I looked and saw a black horse, and its rider held in his hand a pair of scales. / And I heard what sounded like a voice from among the four living creatures, saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius, and do not harm the oil and wine.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/revelation/18-8.htm">Revelation 18:8</a></span><br />Therefore her plagues will come in one day—death and grief and famine—and she will be consumed by fire, for mighty is the Lord God who judges her.”</div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="tsk" id="tsk"><div class="vheading">Treasury of Scripture</div><p class="tsk2">And they shall pass through it, hardly bestead and hungry: and it shall come to pass, that when they shall be hungry, they shall fret themselves, and curse their king and their God, and look upward.</p><p class="hdg">through</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/isaiah/8-7.htm">Isaiah 8:7,8</a></b></br> Now therefore, behold, the Lord bringeth up upon them the waters of the river, strong and many, <i>even</i> the king of Assyria, and all his glory: and he shall come up over all his channels, and go over all his banks: … </p><p class="hdg">hardly bestead</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/isaiah/9-20.htm">Isaiah 9:20</a></b></br> And he shall snatch on the right hand, and be hungry; and he shall eat on the left hand, and they shall not be satisfied: they shall eat every man the flesh of his own arm:</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/deuteronomy/28-33.htm">Deuteronomy 28:33,34,53-57</a></b></br> The fruit of thy land, and all thy labours, shall a nation which thou knowest not eat up; and thou shalt be only oppressed and crushed alway: … </p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/2_kings/25-3.htm">2 Kings 25:3</a></b></br> And on the ninth <i>day</i> of the <i>fourth</i> month the famine prevailed in the city, and there was no bread for the people of the land.</p><p class="hdg">they shall fret</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/proverbs/19-3.htm">Proverbs 19:3</a></b></br> The foolishness of man perverteth his way: and his heart fretteth against the LORD.</p><p class="hdg">curse</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/exodus/22-28.htm">Exodus 22:28</a></b></br> Thou shalt not revile the gods, nor curse the ruler of thy people.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/2_kings/6-33.htm">2 Kings 6:33</a></b></br> And while he yet talked with them, behold, the messenger came down unto him: and he said, Behold, this evil <i>is</i> of the LORD; what should I wait for the LORD any longer?</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/job/1-11.htm">Job 1:11</a></b></br> But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.</p><div class="vheading">Jump to Previous</div><a href="/songs/1-6.htm">Angry</a> <a href="/isaiah/5-20.htm">Bitter</a> <a href="/isaiah/6-5.htm">Curse</a> <a href="/ecclesiastes/7-21.htm">Cursing</a> <a href="/psalms/129-2.htm">Distressed</a> <a href="/psalms/102-8.htm">Enraged</a> <a href="/isaiah/6-10.htm">Eyes</a> <a href="/isaiah/8-17.htm">Face</a> <a href="/isaiah/6-2.htm">Faces</a> <a href="/isaiah/5-13.htm">Famished</a> <a href="/isaiah/7-22.htm">Food</a> <a href="/proverbs/24-19.htm">Fret</a> <a href="/ecclesiastes/8-1.htm">Hard</a> <a href="/job/39-16.htm">Hardly</a> <a href="/1_samuel/14-24.htm">Hard-Pressed</a> <a href="/isaiah/7-11.htm">Heaven</a> <a href="/isaiah/7-11.htm">High</a> <a href="/proverbs/27-7.htm">Hungry</a> <a href="/isaiah/5-13.htm">Need</a> <a href="/isaiah/1-6.htm">Pressed</a> <a href="/psalms/59-15.htm">Roam</a> <a href="/ecclesiastes/5-17.htm">Sore</a> <a href="/isaiah/5-21.htm">Themselves</a> <a href="/isaiah/8-14.htm">Trouble</a> <a href="/isaiah/8-20.htm">Turn</a> <a href="/isaiah/7-25.htm">Turned</a> <a href="/ecclesiastes/12-3.htm">Unable</a> <a href="/ecclesiastes/3-21.htm">Upward</a> <a href="/isaiah/8-11.htm">Way</a> <a href="/isaiah/7-11.htm">Whether</a> <a href="/1_samuel/9-20.htm">Worry</a><div class="vheading2">Jump to Next</div><a href="/isaiah/12-1.htm">Angry</a> <a href="/isaiah/14-4.htm">Bitter</a> <a href="/isaiah/24-6.htm">Curse</a> <a href="/jeremiah/25-18.htm">Cursing</a> <a href="/isaiah/54-6.htm">Distressed</a> <a href="/isaiah/34-2.htm">Enraged</a> <a href="/isaiah/11-3.htm">Eyes</a> <a href="/isaiah/9-15.htm">Face</a> <a href="/isaiah/13-8.htm">Faces</a> <a href="/genesis/25-29.htm">Famished</a> <a href="/isaiah/9-5.htm">Food</a> <a href="/jeremiah/12-5.htm">Fret</a> <a href="/isaiah/14-3.htm">Hard</a> <a href="/daniel/10-17.htm">Hardly</a> <a href="/philippians/1-23.htm">Hard-Pressed</a> <a href="/isaiah/13-5.htm">Heaven</a> <a href="/isaiah/9-11.htm">High</a> <a href="/isaiah/9-20.htm">Hungry</a> <a href="/isaiah/9-20.htm">Need</a> <a href="/jeremiah/17-16.htm">Pressed</a> <a href="/jeremiah/2-31.htm">Roam</a> <a href="/isaiah/27-1.htm">Sore</a> <a href="/isaiah/9-18.htm">Themselves</a> <a href="/isaiah/8-22.htm">Trouble</a> <a href="/isaiah/9-12.htm">Turn</a> <a href="/isaiah/9-12.htm">Turned</a> <a href="/isaiah/44-20.htm">Unable</a> <a href="/isaiah/9-18.htm">Upward</a> <a href="/isaiah/9-1.htm">Way</a> <a href="/isaiah/30-21.htm">Whether</a> <a href="/matthew/6-25.htm">Worry</a><div class="vheading2">Isaiah 8</div><span class="reftext">1. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/isaiah/8-1.htm">In Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz, he prophesies Syria and Israel shall be subdued by Assyria</a></span><br><span class="reftext">5. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/isaiah/8-5.htm">Judah likewise for their infidelity</a></span><br><span class="reftext">9. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/isaiah/8-9.htm">God's judgments shall be irresistible</a></span><br><span class="reftext">11. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/isaiah/8-11.htm">Comfort shall be to those who fear God</a></span><br><span class="reftext">19. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/isaiah/8-19.htm">Great afflictions to idolaters</a></span><br></div></div><div id="mdd"><div align="center"><div class="bot2"><table align="center" width="100%"><tr><td><div align="center"> <script id="3d27ed63fc4348d5b062c4527ae09445"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=51ce25d5-1a8c-424a-8695-4bd48c750f35&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script> <script id="b817b7107f1d4a7997da1b3c33457e03"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=cb0edd8b-b416-47eb-8c6d-3cc96561f7e8&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-2'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-0' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-3'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-1' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div align="center" id='div-gpt-ad-1531425649696-0'> </div><br /><br /> <script type="text/javascript"> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><br /><br /> </div> </td></tr></table></div></div></div><div id="combox"><div class="padcom"><a name="commentary" id="commentary"></a><div class="vheading"><a href="/study/isaiah/8.htm">Berean Study Bible</a></div><b>They will roam the land</b><br />The phrase "They will roam the land" suggests a sense of aimlessness and desperation. In the Hebrew context, the word for "roam" (נָעָה, na'ah) often implies wandering without purpose or direction, akin to the Israelites' wilderness journey. Historically, this reflects the period of Assyrian invasion when the people of Judah faced displacement and uncertainty. Spiritually, it symbolizes the human condition without divine guidance, emphasizing the need for reliance on God rather than worldly solutions.<p><b>dejected and hungry</b><br />"Dejected and hungry" paints a vivid picture of physical and emotional desolation. The Hebrew word for "dejected" (קָשֶׁה, qasheh) can also mean hard or severe, indicating a state of deep distress. Hunger here is not just physical but spiritual, representing a lack of fulfillment that comes from being separated from God. This phrase serves as a reminder of the consequences of turning away from divine provision and the emptiness that follows.<p><b>When they are famished</b><br />The term "famished" (רָעֵב, ra'ev) intensifies the previous mention of hunger, suggesting a critical point of need. In the biblical narrative, famine often symbolizes divine judgment or testing, as seen in the accounts of Joseph and Elijah. This word underscores the severity of the people's plight and the urgency of their need for repentance and return to God.<p><b>they will become enraged</b><br />"Enraged" (קָצַף, qatsaph) conveys a sense of intense anger and frustration. This reaction is a common human response to unmet needs and unfulfilled expectations. In the context of Isaiah, it reflects the people's misplaced blame and anger towards God and their leaders, rather than recognizing their own role in their suffering. It serves as a caution against allowing bitterness to take root in times of trial.<p><b>and looking upward</b><br />The phrase "looking upward" (וְנָבַט לְמָעְלָה, ve'nabat lema'alah) suggests a physical and metaphorical act of seeking help or answers. In ancient Near Eastern culture, looking upward often implied seeking divine intervention. However, in this context, it is done in anger and defiance rather than humility and faith. This highlights the importance of approaching God with the right heart attitude.<p><b>will curse their king and their God</b><br />To "curse their king and their God" (וְקִלְּלוּ בְמַלְכָּם וּבֵאלֹהֵיהֶם, ve'killelu b'malkam u'be'eloheihem) reveals the depth of the people's rebellion and misplaced blame. The king, as God's appointed leader, and God Himself become targets of their frustration. This reflects a broader biblical theme of human tendency to reject divine authority in times of crisis. It serves as a warning against the dangers of turning away from God and the leaders He has established, urging believers to maintain faith and trust even in difficult circumstances.<div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/ellicott/isaiah/8.htm">Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers</a></div>(21) <span class= "bld">And they shall pass through it . . .</span>--<span class= "ital">i.e., </span>through the land over which hangs the sunless gloom. The abruptness with which the verse opens, the absence of any noun to which the pronoun "it" may refer, has led some critics (Cheyne) to transpose the two verses. So arranged, the thought of the people for whom there is no dawning passes naturally into the picture of their groping in that thick darkness. and then the misery of that midnight wandering is aggravated by the horrors of starvation. The words may point to the horrors of a literal famine (<a href="/isaiah/2-11.htm" title="The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day.">Isaiah 2:11</a>); but as the darkness is clearly figurative, so probably is the hunger--not a famine of bread, but of hearing the word of the Lord. The Authorised version rightly translates the indefinite singular by the plural.<p><span class= "bld">When they shall be hungry, they shall fret themselves.</span>--The faithful who waited for the Lord might bear even that darkness and that hunger, as soldiers bear their night-march fasting before the battle. Not so with the panic-stricken and superstitious crowd. With them despair would show itself in curses. (Comp. <a href="/revelation/16-11.htm" title="And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.">Revelation 16:11</a>; <a href="/revelation/16-21.htm" title="And there fell on men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.">Revelation 16:21</a>.) They would curse at once the king who had led them to destruction, and the God whom they had neglected. Possibly the words may mean, "the king who is also their God," as in <a href="/amos/5-26.htm" title="But you have borne the tabernacle of your Moloch and Chiun your images, the star of your god, which you made to yourselves.">Amos 5:26</a> (Heb.) and <a href="/zephaniah/1-5.htm" title="And them that worship the host of heaven on the housetops; and them that worship and that swear by the LORD, and that swear by Malcham;">Zephaniah 1:5</a>; but the analogy of <a href="/1_kings/21-13.htm" title="And there came in two men, children of Belial, and sat before him: and the men of Belial witnessed against him, even against Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying, Naboth did blaspheme God and the king. Then they carried him forth out of the city, and stoned him with stones, that he died.">1Kings 21:13</a> is in favour of the more literal meaning. The "upward" look is, we must remember, that of despair and defiance, not of hope. Upwards, downwards, behind, before, there is nothing for them but the darkness in which they are driven, or drifting onward. All seems utterly hopeless. Like Dante, they find themselves in a land "where silent is the sun." . . . <div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/pulpit/isaiah/8.htm">Pulpit Commentary</a></div><span class="cmt_sub_title">Verses 21, 22</span> are supposed by some to be cut of place, and to belong properly to the description of the Assyrian invasion, given in vers. 7, 8. But this bold solution of a difficulty is scarcely to be commended, there being no limit to its use. An order followed in all the manuscripts should not be disturbed, if it gives any tolerable sense. Such a sense can, it is thought, be found here by regarding the two verses as exegetical of the last clause of ver. 20 - "when there is no dawn for them." <span class="cmt_sub_title">Verse 21.</span> - <span class="cmt_word">They shall pass through it</span>. "It," which is feminine, must mean "the land." The Jews left in it shall wander about it (comp. <a href="/isaiah/7-21.htm">Isaiah 7:21-25</a>), seeking pasture for the remnant of their cattle. <span class="cmt_word">They shall fret themselves</span>; rather, <span class="accented">they shall be deeply angered</span> (Cheyne). <span class="cmt_word">And curse their king and their God</span>. As the causes of their sufferings. <span class="cmt_word">And look upward</span>. Not in hope, but in rage and defiance. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/commentaries/isaiah/8-21.htm">Parallel Commentaries ...</a></span><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><a name="lexicon" id="lexicon"></a><div class="vheading">Hebrew</div><span class="word">They will roam the land,</span><br /><span class="heb">וְעָ֥בַר</span> <span class="translit">(wə·‘ā·ḇar)</span><br /><span class="parse">Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_5674.htm">Strong's 5674: </a> </span><span class="str2">To pass over, through, or by, pass on</span><br /><br /><span class="word">dejected</span><br /><span class="heb">נִקְשֶׁ֣ה</span> <span class="translit">(niq·šeh)</span><br /><span class="parse">Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_7185.htm">Strong's 7185: </a> </span><span class="str2">To be hard, severe or fierce</span><br /><br /><span class="word">and hungry.</span><br /><span class="heb">וְרָעֵ֑ב</span> <span class="translit">(wə·rā·‘êḇ)</span><br /><span class="parse">Conjunctive waw | Adjective - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_7457.htm">Strong's 7457: </a> </span><span class="str2">Hungry</span><br /><br /><span class="word">When</span><br /><span class="heb">כִֽי־</span> <span class="translit">(ḵî-)</span><br /><span class="parse">Conjunction<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_3588.htm">Strong's 3588: </a> </span><span class="str2">A relative conjunction</span><br /><br /><span class="word">they are famished,</span><br /><span class="heb">יִרְעַ֜ב</span> <span class="translit">(yir·‘aḇ)</span><br /><span class="parse">Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_7456.htm">Strong's 7456: </a> </span><span class="str2">To be hungry</span><br /><br /><span class="word">they will become enraged,</span><br /><span class="heb">וְהִתְקַצַּ֗ף</span> <span class="translit">(wə·hiṯ·qaṣ·ṣap̄)</span><br /><span class="parse">Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hitpael - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_7107.htm">Strong's 7107: </a> </span><span class="str2">To crack off, burst out in rage</span><br /><br /><span class="word">and looking</span><br /><span class="heb">וּפָנָ֥ה</span> <span class="translit">(ū·p̄ā·nāh)</span><br /><span class="parse">Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_6437.htm">Strong's 6437: </a> </span><span class="str2">To turn, to face, appear, look</span><br /><br /><span class="word">upward,</span><br /><span class="heb">לְמָֽעְלָה׃</span> <span class="translit">(lə·mā·‘ə·lāh)</span><br /><span class="parse">Preposition-l | Adverb | third person feminine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_4605.htm">Strong's 4605: </a> </span><span class="str2">The upper part, with prefix upward, above, overhead, from the top</span><br /><br /><span class="word">they will curse</span><br /><span class="heb">וְקִלֵּ֧ל</span> <span class="translit">(wə·qil·lêl)</span><br /><span class="parse">Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_7043.htm">Strong's 7043: </a> </span><span class="str2">To be slight, swift or trifling</span><br /><br /><span class="word">their king</span><br /><span class="heb">בְּמַלְכּ֛וֹ</span> <span class="translit">(bə·mal·kōw)</span><br /><span class="parse">Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_4428.htm">Strong's 4428: </a> </span><span class="str2">A king</span><br /><br /><span class="word">and their God.</span><br /><span class="heb">וּבֵאלֹהָ֖יו</span> <span class="translit">(ū·ḇê·lō·hāw)</span><br /><span class="parse">Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_430.htm">Strong's 430: </a> </span><span class="str2">gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative</span><br /><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><div class="vheading">Links</div><a href="/niv/isaiah/8-21.htm">Isaiah 8:21 NIV</a><br /><a href="/nlt/isaiah/8-21.htm">Isaiah 8:21 NLT</a><br /><a href="/esv/isaiah/8-21.htm">Isaiah 8:21 ESV</a><br /><a href="/nasb/isaiah/8-21.htm">Isaiah 8:21 NASB</a><br /><a href="/kjv/isaiah/8-21.htm">Isaiah 8:21 KJV</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="//bibleapps.com/isaiah/8-21.htm">Isaiah 8:21 BibleApps.com</a><br /><a href="//bibliaparalela.com/isaiah/8-21.htm">Isaiah 8:21 Biblia Paralela</a><br /><a href="//holybible.com.cn/isaiah/8-21.htm">Isaiah 8:21 Chinese Bible</a><br /><a href="//saintebible.com/isaiah/8-21.htm">Isaiah 8:21 French Bible</a><br /><a href="/catholic/isaiah/8-21.htm">Isaiah 8:21 Catholic Bible</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/isaiah/8-21.htm">OT Prophets: Isaiah 8:21 They will pass through it sore distressed (Isa Isi Is)</a></div></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="left"><a href="/isaiah/8-20.htm" onmouseover='lft.src="/leftgif.png"' onmouseout='lft.src="/left.png"' title="Isaiah 8:20"><img src="/left.png" name="lft" border="0" alt="Isaiah 8:20" /></a></div><div id="right"><a href="/isaiah/8-22.htm" onmouseover='rght.src="/rightgif.png"' onmouseout='rght.src="/right.png"' title="Isaiah 8:22"><img src="/right.png" name="rght" border="0" alt="Isaiah 8:22" /></a></div><div id="botleft"><a href="#" onmouseover='botleft.src="/botleftgif.png"' onmouseout='botleft.src="/botleft.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botleft.png" name="botleft" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="botright"><a href="#" onmouseover='botright.src="/botrightgif.png"' onmouseout='botright.src="/botright.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botright.png" name="botright" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="bot"><iframe width="100%" height="1500" scrolling="no" src="/botmenubhnew2.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></td></tr></table></div></body></html>