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Isaiah 8:21

New American Standard Bible (NASB ©1995) [2]
— 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.
King James Version (KJV 1769) [2]
— 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.
English Revised Version (ERV 1885)
— 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.
American Standard Version (ASV 1901) [2]
— 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:
Webster's Revision of the KJB (WEB 1833)
— 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.
Darby's Translation (DBY 1890)
— And they shall pass through it, hard pressed and hungry; and it shall come to pass when they are hungry, they will fret themselves, and curse their king and their God, and will gaze upward:
Rotherham's Emphasized Bible (EBR 1902)
— Therefore shall they pass through it, hard pressed and hungry,—And it shall be, when they hunger, then will they rage and revile their king and their god, and turn their faces upwards;
Young's Literal Translation (YLT 1898)
— —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.
Douay-Rheims Challoner Revision (DR 1750)
— 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.
Geneva Bible (GNV 1560)
— Then he that is afflicted and famished, shal go to and fro in it: and when he shalbe hungry, he shall euen freat himselfe, and curse his King and his gods, and shall looke vpward.
Original King James Bible (AV 1611) [2]
— And they shall passe through it, hardly bestead and hungry: and it shall come to passe, that when they shall be hungry, they shall fret themselues, and curse their King, and their God, and looke vpward.
Lamsa Bible (1957)
— 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.
Brenton Greek Septuagint (LXX, Restored Names)
— And famine shall come sorely upon you, and it shall come to pass, [that] 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,
Full Hebrew Names / Holy Name KJV (2008) [2] [3]
— 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 Elohim, and look upward.

Strong's Numbers & Hebrew NamesHebrew Old TestamentColor-Code/Key Word Studies
And they shall pass 5674
{5674} Prime
עָבַר
`abar
{aw-bar'}
A primitive root; to cross over; used very widely of any transition (literally or figuratively; transitively, intransitively, intensively or causatively); specifically to cover (in copulation).
z8804
<8804> Grammar
Stem - Qal (See H8851)
Mood - Perfect (See H8816)
Count - 12562
through it, hardly bestead 7185
{7185} Prime
קָשָׁה
qashah
{kaw-shaw'}
A primitive root; properly to be dense, that is, tough or severe (in various applications).
z8737
<8737> Grammar
Stem - Niphal (See H8833)
Mood - Participle (See H8813)
Count - 793
and hungry: y7457
[7457] Standard
רָעֵב
ra`eb
{raw-abe'}
From H7456; hungry (more or less intensely).
x745
(0745) Complement
אַרְיֵה
'Aryeh
{ar-yay'}
The same as H0738; lion; Arjeh, an Israelite.
and it shall come to pass, x1961
(1961) Complement
הָיָה
hayah
{haw-yaw'}
A primitive root (compare H1933); to exist, that is, be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary).
that when x3588
(3588) Complement
כִּי
kiy
{kee}
A primitive particle (the full form of the prepositional prefix) indicating causal relations of all kinds, antecedent or consequent; (by implication) very widely used as a relative conjugation or adverb; often largely modified by other particles annexed.
they shall be hungry, 7456
{7456} Prime
רָעֵב
ra`eb
{raw-abe'}
A primitive root; to hunger.
z8799
<8799> Grammar
Stem - Qal (See H8851)
Mood - Imperfect (See H8811)
Count - 19885
they shall fret y7107
[7107] Standard
קָצַף
qatsaph
{kaw-tsaf'}
A primitive root; to crack off, that is, (figuratively) burst out in rage.
z8694
<8694> Grammar
Stem - Hithpael (See H8819)
Mood - Perfect (See H8816)
Count - 157
themselves, x7107
(7107) Complement
קָצַף
qatsaph
{kaw-tsaf'}
A primitive root; to crack off, that is, (figuratively) burst out in rage.
and curse 7043
{7043} Prime
קָלַל
qalal
{kaw-lal'}
A primitive root; to be (causatively make) light, literally (swift, small, sharp, etc.) or figuratively (easy, trifling, vile, etc.).
z8765
<8765> Grammar
Stem - Piel (See H8840)
Mood - Perfect (See H8816)
Count - 2121
their king 4428
{4428} Prime
מֶּלֶךְ
melek
{meh'-lek}
From H4427; a king.
and their ´Élöhîm אֱלֹהִים, 430
{0430} Prime
אֱלֹהִים
'elohiym
{el-o-heem'}
Plural of H0433; gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative.
and look 6437
{6437} Prime
פָּנָה
panah
{paw-naw'}
A primitive root; to turn; by implication to face, that is, appear, look, etc.
z8804
<8804> Grammar
Stem - Qal (See H8851)
Mood - Perfect (See H8816)
Count - 12562
upward. 4605
{4605} Prime
מַעַל
ma`al
{mah'-al}
From H5927; properly the upper part, used only adverbially with prefix upward, above, overhead, from the top, etc.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary

Isaiah 8:21-22

_ _ More detailed description of the despair, which they shall fall into, who sought necromancy instead of God; Isaiah 8:20 implies that too late they shall see how much better it would have been for them to have sought “to the law,” etc. (Deuteronomy 32:31). But now they are given over to despair. Therefore, while seeing the truth of God, they only “curse their King and God”; foreshadowing the future, like conduct of those belonging to the “kingdom of the beast,” when they shall be visited with divine plagues (Revelation 16:11; compare Jeremiah 18:12).

_ _ through it — namely, the land.

_ _ hardly bestead — oppressed with anxiety.

_ _ hungry — a more grievous famine than the temporary one in Ahaz’ time, owing to Assyria; then there was some food, but none now (Isaiah 7:15, Isaiah 7:22; Leviticus 26:3-5, Leviticus 26:14-16, Leviticus 26:20).

_ _ their king ... God — Jehovah, King of the Jews (Psalms 5:2; Psalms 68:24).

_ _ look upward ... unto the earth — Whether they look up to heaven, or down towards the land of Judea, nothing but despair shall present itself.

_ _ dimness of anguish — darkness of distress (Proverbs 1:27).

_ _ driven to darkness — rather, “thick darkness” (Jeremiah 23:12). Driven onward, as by a sweeping storm. The Jewish rejection of “their King and God,” Messiah, was followed by all these awful calamities.

Matthew Henry's Commentary

See commentary on Isaiah 8:16-22.

John Wesley's Explanatory Notes

Isaiah 8:21

It — Their own land. Hungry — Sorely distressed, and destitute of food, and all necessaries. Their king — Either because he doth not relieve them; or because by his foolish counsels, he brought them into these miseries. God — Their idol, to whom they trusted, and whom they now find unable to help them. Look — To heaven for help.

Geneva Bible Translation Notes

Isaiah 8:21

And they shall pass through it, distressed and hungry: and it shall come to (a) pass, that when they shall be hungry, they shall fret themselves, (b) and curse their king and their God, and look upward.

(a) That is, in Judah, where they would have had rest, if they had not thus grievously offended God.

(b) In whom before they put their trust.

Cross-Reference Topical ResearchStrong's Concordance
through:

Isaiah 8:7-8 Now therefore, behold, the Lord bringeth up upon them the waters of the river, strong and many, [even] the king of Assyria, and all his glory: and he shall come up over all his channels, and go over all his banks: ... And he shall pass through Judah; he shall overflow and go over, he shall reach [even] to the neck; and the stretching out of his wings shall fill the breadth of thy land, O Immanuel.

hardly bestead:

Isaiah 9:20 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:
Deuteronomy 28:33-34 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: ... So that thou shalt be mad for the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see.
Deuteronomy 28:53-57 And thou shalt eat the fruit of thine own body, the flesh of thy sons and of thy daughters, which the LORD thy God hath given thee, in the siege, and in the straitness, wherewith thine enemies shall distress thee: ... And toward her young one that cometh out from between her feet, and toward her children which she shall bear: for she shall eat them for want of all [things] secretly in the siege and straitness, wherewith thine enemy shall distress thee in thy gates.
2 Kings 25:3 And on the ninth [day] of the [fourth] month the famine prevailed in the city, and there was no bread for the people of the land.
Jeremiah 14:18 If I go forth into the field, then behold the slain with the sword! and if I enter into the city, then behold them that are sick with famine! yea, both the prophet and the priest go about into a land that they know not.
Jeremiah 52:6 And in the fourth month, in the ninth [day] of the month, the famine was sore in the city, so that there was no bread for the people of the land.
Lamentations 4:4-5 The tongue of the sucking child cleaveth to the roof of his mouth for thirst: the young children ask bread, [and] no man breaketh [it] unto them. ... They that did feed delicately are desolate in the streets: they that were brought up in scarlet embrace dunghills.
Lamentations 4:9-10 [They that be] slain with the sword are better than [they that be] slain with hunger: for these pine away, stricken through for [want of] the fruits of the field. ... The hands of the pitiful women have sodden their own children: they were their meat in the destruction of the daughter of my people.

they shall fret:

Proverbs 19:3 The foolishness of man perverteth his way: and his heart fretteth against the LORD.

curse:

Exodus 22:28 Thou shalt not revile the gods, nor curse the ruler of thy people.
2 Kings 6:33 And while he yet talked with them, behold, the messenger came down unto him: and he said, Behold, this evil [is] of the LORD; what should I wait for the LORD any longer?
Job 1:11 But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.
Job 2:5 But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face.
Job 2:9 Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die.
Revelation 9:20-21 And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk: ... Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.
Revelation 16:9-11 And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory. ... And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.
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Chain-Reference Bible SearchCross References with Concordance

Ex 22:28. Dt 28:33, 53. 2K 6:33; 25:3. Jb 1:11; 2:5, 9. Pv 19:3. Is 8:7; 9:20. Jr 14:18; 52:6. Lm 4:4, 9. Rv 9:20; 16:9.

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