Isaiah 8 21

Isaiah 8:21 kjv

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.

Isaiah 8:21 nkjv

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.

Isaiah 8:21 niv

Distressed and hungry, they will roam through the land; when they are famished, they will become enraged and, looking upward, will curse their king and their God.

Isaiah 8:21 esv

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.

Isaiah 8:21 nlt

They will go from one place to another, weary and hungry. And because they are hungry, they will rage and curse their king and their God. They will look up to heaven

Isaiah 8 verses

Isaiah 8 21 meaning

Isaiah 8:21 portrays a bleak future for those who reject God's word and guidance, choosing instead to rely on divination and false security. It describes a people experiencing intense physical hardship, marked by hunger and destitution, forced to wander through a devastated land without solace or provision. This dire state of affairs will culminate in profound bitterness and rage, causing them to turn their anger and despair not only against their earthly rulers but also blasphemously against God Himself, whom they hold responsible for their plight, despite their own culpability. It illustrates the spiritual and physical consequences of national apostasy and rejection of divine truth.

Isaiah 8 21 Context

Isaiah 8:21 is set in a period of intense national crisis and spiritual apostasy for the Kingdom of Judah. Following King Ahaz's refusal to trust God's promise of protection from the Syro-Ephraimitic alliance (Isaiah 7), the prophet Isaiah warns of severe divine judgment. The people, instead of seeking God, are turning to pagan practices, particularly necromancy and divination (Is 8:19-20). Isaiah chapter 8 outlines a series of warnings: the coming invasion of Assyria as God's instrument of judgment, the swift plundering of "Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz," and the rejection of the "gently flowing waters of Shiloah" (representing God's gentle, steady rule and word) in favor of human or occult wisdom (Is 8:5-8).

This specific verse serves as a culmination of the consequences for their unfaithfulness. Having rejected God's true light and word, they are left in "distress and darkness" (Is 8:22), experiencing both literal famine (due to invasion and desolation) and spiritual starvation. The inability to find true guidance or relief for their suffering leads to utter desperation and, tragically, to blasphemy against the very authorities they once served or rejected. It immediately precedes the prophetic shift to hope, foretelling the coming "great light" in Galilee (Is 9:1-2) which later points to Christ, highlighting the stark contrast between their present darkness and future redemption.

Isaiah 8 21 Word analysis

• וְעָבַר (vəʿāvar) – "And they will pass through": From the root עָבַר (ʿāvar), meaning "to pass over, to cross, to go through." In this context, it denotes constant, desperate movement or wandering through the land, rather than settled living. It implies a forced, unceasing displacement.
• בָהּ (bāh) – "through her / it": Refers to "the land" (הָאָרֶץ hāʾāreṣ) previously mentioned or implied, emphasizing the territory of Judah itself. The place they sought security will become a place of their torment.
• קָשֶׁה (qāšeʰ) – "hard-pressed, harsh": This word signifies difficulty, severity, or being oppressed. It describes the state in which they pass through the land—under great duress, distress, and hardship. This is more than mere inconvenience; it suggests profound affliction.
• וְרָעֵב (wərāʿēḇ) – "and hungry, famished": From the root רָעֵב (rāʿēḇ), meaning "to be hungry." This signifies a deep physical need for food, a direct result of famine, but it can also implicitly hint at a spiritual hunger—an emptiness where spiritual nourishment from God should be.
• וְהָיָה (vəhāyāh) – "And it will be, when": A common prophetic formula introducing a subsequent event or consequence.
• כִּי־יִרְעַב (kî-yirʿaḇ) – "when they hunger/famish": Reinforces the persistent state of hunger, showing it's not a passing moment but a deep, recurring condition that drives their actions.
• וְהִתְקַצַּף (vəhitqaṣṣap) – "and they will become enraged / furious": From the root קָצַף (qāṣap), meaning "to be angry, to fret, to be enraged." The Hithpael form indicates that the anger will well up within them, becoming an intense, almost reflexive reaction born of desperation. This is a consuming anger, a deep, bitter resentment.
• וְקִלֵּל (vəqilēl) – "and curse": (This verb qilēl (קִלֵּל) is used in some readings or interpretive traditions for this part. However, the standard Masoretic Text here uses a form of qāšāh). Many English translations indeed translate the prior 'וְהִקְשָׁה' as 'curse'. Let me be precise on the original text. The Hebrew of Isaiah 8:21 is: "וְעָבַר־בָּהּ קָשֶׁה וְרָעֵב וְהָיָה כִּי־יִרְעַב וְהִתְקַצַּף וְקִלֵּל מַלְכּוֹ וֵאלֹהָיו". In this case, "וְקִלֵּל" (vəqillel) is clearly "and he will curse". So it is indeed present. My earlier internal check was on an alternative reading or other texts/translations' rendering for 'looking upward'. Apologies. The verb קָלַל (qālal) in the Piel stem here, qilēl, means "to curse, revile." This signifies outright blasphemy and verbal abuse directed at authorities.
• מַלְכּוֹ (malˈkō) – "their king": Refers to the earthly monarch (like Ahaz in their time, or any subsequent king) who is held responsible for their plight, embodying their anger at human leadership failures.
• וֵאלֹהָיו (wēloˈhāw) – "and their God": The ultimate target of their cursing. This signifies the profound depth of their spiritual rebellion and despair, directly blaming the God they had forsaken, unable to acknowledge their own sin.

Words-group Analysis:

• "Distressed and hungry, they will roam through the land": This phrase paints a vivid picture of desolation and ceaseless suffering. The two descriptors "distressed" (קָשֶׁה) and "hungry" (רָעֵב) are interwoven with the action of "roaming" (עָבַר), illustrating a people unable to find rest, security, or sustenance in their own land. It represents the consequences of a broken covenant where prosperity is replaced by poverty and homelessness.
• "when they are famished, they will become enraged": This highlights the escalation of suffering. Simple hunger progresses to gnawing famine, which in turn fuels intense rage. It's a natural human reaction to prolonged suffering and perceived injustice, but in this context, it leads to spiritual downfall rather than repentance.
• "and will curse their king and their God": This climax reveals the complete breakdown of order and faith. The targets of their cursing are both human and divine authority, indicating a total loss of respect, trust, and even reverence. This is the ultimate act of apostasy, attributing their self-inflicted misery to the very powers meant to protect and provide for them. It shows a heart completely hardened and lost in rebellion.

Isaiah 8 21 Bonus section

• The irony is profound: seeking advice from the dead (Is 8:19) only leads to their own metaphorical (and literal) death through famine and the curse. Instead of receiving light and guidance, they are plunged into deep darkness.
• This verse can be seen as a picture of utter futility – an enslaved existence where they roam but never find peace, hungry but never satisfied. This directly contrasts with God's provision and rest promised to those who trust Him (Psa 23, Matt 11:28).
• The progression from distress to hunger, then rage, and finally to cursing God, demonstrates a destructive spiritual spiral. It serves as a timeless warning of how human suffering, when met with a lack of faith and spiritual guidance, can lead to open rebellion against the Divine.
• This immediate prelude to the promise of the "Great Light" in Isaiah 9:1-2 accentuates the intensity of the darkness from which salvation will arise. The messianic hope shines brightest against the backdrop of such profound human despair and spiritual brokenness described in this verse.

Isaiah 8 21 Commentary

Isaiah 8:21 provides a grim prophetic glimpse into the profound misery awaiting those who, in their hour of need, turn away from the living God. It serves as a dire warning against idolatry, seeking forbidden spiritual guides (like mediums and spiritists mentioned in Is 8:19), and refusing God's clear word delivered by His prophets. The verse describes a society consumed by physical hardship—famine, distress, and aimless wandering—not merely as natural consequences, but as divine judgment. This suffering spirals into bitterness, prompting the people to express their rage by cursing their king, whom they blame for political failures, and, even more damningly, their God. This act of blasphemy reveals a heart utterly hardened, unwilling to acknowledge its own culpability for its predicament, preferring to blame others, even the Almighty. This spiritual blindness and rebellious defiance are precisely why the land falls into "thick darkness" (Is 8:22) before the dawning of any true light. It is a potent reminder that rejecting the source of life leads only to death, desolation, and damning rebellion against the Creator.