Isaiah 8:22 kjv
And they shall look unto the earth; and behold trouble and darkness, dimness of anguish; and they shall be driven to darkness.
Isaiah 8:22 nkjv
Then they will look to the earth, and see trouble and darkness, gloom of anguish; and they will be driven into darkness.
Isaiah 8:22 niv
Then they will look toward the earth and see only distress and darkness and fearful gloom, and they will be thrust into utter darkness.
Isaiah 8:22 esv
And they will look to the earth, but behold, distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish. And they will be thrust into thick darkness.
Isaiah 8:22 nlt
and down at the earth, but wherever they look, there will be trouble and anguish and dark despair. They will be thrown out into the darkness.
Isaiah 8 22 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isa 8:21 | and they will pass through it, hard-pressed and hungry; and because they are hungry, they will be enraged and will curse their king and their God; and they will turn their faces upward, | Isa 5:30 (consequence of disobedience) |
| Isa 8:22 | and they will look to the earth, but behold, distress and darkness, the gloom of affliction; and they will be driven into darkness. | Psa 88:18 (friends removed) |
| Jer 4:23 | I looked at the earth, and behold, it was formless and void; and to the heavens, and they had no light. | Jer 13:16 (gloom and darkness) |
| Jer 15:2 | When they say to you, 'Where shall we go?' you shall say to them, 'Thus says the LORD: Those destined for death, to death; and those for the sword, to the sword; those for famine, to famine; and those for captivity, to captivity.' | Jer 43:11 (exile and death) |
| Eze 30:18 | Moreover, the day will be dark when I break there the yokes of Egypt. | Lam 1:13 (affliction and gloom) |
| Amo 5:18 | Woe to you who desire the day of the LORD! What is the day of the LORD? It is darkness, and not light. | Joel 2:2 (darkness and gloom) |
| Zep 1:15 | A day of wrath is that day, a day of distress and anguish, a day of ruin and desolation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness, | Mic 7:8 (adversary rejoices in gloom) |
| Mic 7:9 | I will bear the indignation of the LORD because I have sinned against him, until he pleads my cause and executes judgment for me. He will bring me out to the light; I shall look at his deliverance. | John 1:5 (light in darkness) |
| Matt 4:16 | the people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, light has dawned. | Acts 26:18 (turn from darkness to light) |
| Luke 1:79 | to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace. | Eph 5:8 (walked in darkness) |
| John 3:19 | And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. | 1 Thess 5:4 (not children of darkness) |
| 1 John 2:11 | But the one who hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes. | Jude 1:6 (angels who left domain in darkness) |
| Rev 6:12 | When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood, | Rev 20:3 (thrown into the abyss of darkness) |
| Psa 35:11 | False witnesses rise up; they ask me of things that I do not know. | Psa 43:3 (send out your light and truth) |
| Psa 112:4 | Light dawns in the darkness for the upright; he is gracious, merciful, and righteous. | Psa 139:11 (darkness does not hide) |
| Isa 5:30 | They roar like the sea on that day. One looks toward the heavens, but finds only distress and darkness; the gloom is as thick as a storm. | |
| Isa 9:2 | The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of shadow of death, upon them a light has shined. |
Isaiah 8 verses
Isaiah 8 22 Meaning
Isaiah 8:22 depicts a scene of profound despair and gloom affecting the land. Those who are troubled or oppressed will look around in distress, but their vision will be obscured by darkness. They will be driven further into exile and a state of distress.
Isaiah 8 22 Context
Isaiah chapter 8 continues a prophetic message concerning the impending Assyrian threat to Judah. In the preceding verses, God instructed Isaiah to take a large scroll and write upon it in a common hand, "To the plunder, to the prey, to the spoil." This imagery signifies the swift and overwhelming defeat that would come upon Israel's enemies, specifically Damascus and Samaria.
However, verse 22 shifts focus to the severe consequences for Judah itself, particularly if they continue to reject God's word and seek the help of the supernatural rather than relying on God. This verse speaks of a time of intense affliction and blindness, where all efforts to find relief or clarity will be met with deeper despair and confinement. It foreshadows the spiritual and physical darkness that would engulf the nation due to their unfaithfulness.
Isaiah 8 22 Word Analysis
- וּבְהַבִּטָּם (u-vh Abit'tam): "and when they look." This "and" links this verse causally or sequentially to the preceding hardship. "When they look" implies an act of seeking or searching.
- אֶל־הָאָרֶץ (el-ha'aretz): "to the earth." They are looking down, seeking something on the ground or in the terrestrial realm. This is in contrast to looking upward for help.
- וְהִנֵּה (v’hinneh): "but behold," or "and indeed." This particle signals a sudden, often surprising, discovery.
- צָרָה (tsarah): "distress," "trouble," "anguish." This is a common Hebrew word for hardship and oppression.
- וְאֲפֵלָה (v’aphelah): "and darkness," "gloom." This term signifies not just physical darkness but also spiritual confusion and despair. It can imply blindness to truth or God's way.
- צַלְמָוֶת (tsalmaweth): "gloom of affliction," "shadow of death." This is a powerful compound word suggesting the deepest and most oppressive darkness, often associated with death and hopelessness.
- וּלְנֶצַח (u’l’netzach): "and into exile," "and to eternity," "and forever." This prepositional phrase indicates the direction or destination of their driving. The most common interpretation in this context is exile or being driven out.
- גֹּרְשׁוּ (goreshu): "they will be driven out," "expelled." This verb implies forceful removal from a place.
Group Analysis:
- "when they look to the earth, but behold, distress and darkness, the gloom of affliction;" This phrase paints a picture of futile searching. Instead of finding hope or provision on the earth, they find only intensified suffering and spiritual blindness. The "darkness" is not merely an absence of light but a pervasive oppressive force.
- "and they will be driven into darkness." This concluding phrase emphasizes the consequence of their fruitless search and continued sin. They are not only enveloped by darkness but actively driven into it, indicating a severe spiritual judgment and further displacement or confinement.
Isaiah 8 22 Bonus Section
The concept of "darkness" in Isaiah often serves as a metaphor for sin, ignorance, oppression, and separation from God. This verse contrasts sharply with the future messianic hope described in Isaiah 9:2, where "the people walking in darkness have seen a great light." This passage, therefore, sets up the bleak reality of sin's consequences against the ultimate promise of redemption and spiritual illumination through the coming Messiah. The driving into darkness also alludes to the Babylonian exile experienced by Judah, a literal and spiritual "driving" away from the promised land and God's direct presence.
Isaiah 8 22 Commentary
This verse powerfully describes a people trapped in a cycle of seeking and despair. Their focus turns inward to the tangible realities of the earth, abandoning a reliance on God. Yet, what they find there is not relief but an intensified state of distress and spiritual blindness. The "gloom of affliction" is profound, and their ultimate fate is to be driven further into this darkness, signifying exile and a deep alienation from God's presence and light. This emphasizes the severe spiritual consequences of turning away from God's covenant and guidance. It highlights how rejection of God's provision leads to further desperation and a loss of spiritual perception.