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Selected Verse: Isaiah 8:21 - Strong Concordance
| Verse |
Translation |
Text |
| Isa 8:21 |
Strong Concordance |
And they shall pass [05674] through it, hardly bestead [07185] and hungry [07457]: and it shall come to pass, that when they shall be hungry [07456], they shall fret [07107] themselves, and curse [07043] their king [04428] and their God [0430], and look [06437] upward [04605]. |
| |
King James |
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. |
Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse
| A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882] |
More detailed description of the despair, which they shall fall into, who sought necromancy instead of God; Isa 8:20 implies that too late they shall see how much better it would have been for them to have sought "to the law," &c. (Deu 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 (Rev 16:11; compare Jer 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 (Isa 7:15, Isa 7:22; Lev 26:3-5, Lev 26:14-16, Lev 26:20).
their king . . . God--Jehovah, King of the Jews (Psa 5:2; Psa 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 (Pro 1:27).
driven to darkness--rather, "thick darkness" (Jer 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. |
| Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834] |
And they shall pass - The people who have been consulting necromancers. This represents the condition of these who have sought for counsel and direction, and who have not found it. They shall be conscious of disappointment, and shall wander perplexed and alarmed through the land.
Through it - Through the land. They shall wander in it from one place to another, seeking direction and relief.
Hardly bestead - Oppressed, borne down, agitated. The meaning is, that the people would wander about, oppressed by the calamities that were coming upon the nation, and unalleviated by all that soothsayers and necromancers could do.
And hungry - Famished; as one effect of the great calamities that would afflict the nation.
They shall fret themselves - They shall be irritated at their own folly and weakness, and shall aggravate their sufferings by self-reproaches for having trusted to false gods.
Their king and their God - The Hebrew interpreters understand this of the false gods which they bad consulted, and in which they had trusted. But their looking upward, and the connection, seem to imply that they would rather curse the true God - the 'king and the God' of the Jewish people. They would be subjected to the proofs of his displeasure, and would vent their malice by reproaches and curses.
And look upward - For relief. This denotes the condition of those in deep distress, instinctively casting their eyes to heaven for aid. Yet it is implied that they would do it with no right feeling, and that they would see there only the tokens of their Creator's displeasure. |
| Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78] |
| The night of despair to which the unbelieving nation would be brought, is described in Isa 8:21, Isa 8:22 : "And it goes about therein hard pressed and hungry: and it comes to pass, when hunger befals it, it frets itself, and curses by its king and by its God, and turns its face upward, and looks to the earth, and beyond distress and darkness, benighting with anguish, and thrust out into darkness." The singulars attach themselves to the לו in Isa 8:19, which embraces all the unbelievers in one mass; "therein" (bâh) refers to the self-evident land ('eretz). The people would be brought to such a plight in the approaching Assyrian oppressions, that they would wander about in the land pressed down by their hard fate (niksheh) and hungry (râ'eb), because all provisions would be gone and the fields and vineyards would be laid waste. As often as it experienced hunger afresh, it would work itself into a rage (v'hithkazzaqph with Vav apod. and pathach, according to Ges. 54, Anm.), and curse by its king and God, i.e., by its idol. This is the way in which we must explain the passage, in accordance with Sa1 14:43, where killel bēholim is equivalent to killel b'shēm elohim, and with Zep 1:5, where a distinction is made between an oath layehovâh, and an oath b'malcâm; if we would adhere to the usage of the language, in which we never find a בּ קלל corresponding to the Latin execrari in aliquem (Ges.), but on the contrary the object cursed is always expressed in the accusative. We must therefore give up Psa 5:3 and Psa 68:25 as parallels to b'malco and b'lohâi: they curse by the idol, which passes with them for both king and God, curse their wretched fate with this as they suppose the most effectual curse of all, without discerning in it the just punishment of their own apostasy, and humbling themselves penitentially under the almighty hand of Jehovah. Consequently all this reaction of their wrath would avail them nothing: whether they turned upwards, to see if the black sky were not clearing, or looked down to the earth, everywhere there would meet them nothing but distress and darkness, nothing but a night of anguish all around (me‛ūph zūkâh is a kind of summary; mâ‛ūph a complete veiling, or eclipse, written with ū instead of the more usual ō of this substantive form: Ewald, 160, a). The judgment of God does not convert them, but only heightens their wickedness; just as in Rev 16:11, Rev 16:21, after the pouring out of the fifth and seventh vials of wrath, men only utter blasphemies, and do not desist from their works. After stating what the people see, whether they turn their eyes upwards or downwards, the closing participial clause of Isa 8:22 describes how they see themselves "thrust out into darkness' (in caliginem propulsum). There is no necessity to supply הוּא; but out of the previous hinnēh it is easy to repeat hinno or hinnennu (en ipsum). "Into darkness:" ăphēlâh (acc. loci) is placed emphatically at the head, as in Jer 23:12. |
| Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65] |
| 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. |
| Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826 |
Hardly bestead "Distressed" - Instead of נקשה niksheh, distressed, the Vulgate, Chaldee, and Symmachus manifestly read נכשל nichshal, stumbling, tottering through weakness, ready to fall; a sense which suits very well with the place.
And look upward "And he shall cast his eyes upward" - The learned professor Michaelis, treating of this place (Not. in de Sacr. Poes. Hebr. Prael. ix.) refers to a passage in the Koran which is similar to it. As it is a very celebrated passage, and on many accounts remarkable, I shall give it here at large, with the same author's farther remarks upon it in another place of his writings. It must be noted here that the learned professor renders נבט nibbat, הביט hibbit, in this and the parallel place, Isa 5:30, which I translate he looketh by it thundereth, from Schultens, Orig. Ling. Hebr. Lib. 1 cap. 2, of the justness of which rendering I much doubt.
This brings the image of Isaiah more near in one circumstance to that of Mohammed than it appears to be in my translation: -
"Labid, contemporary with Mohammed, the last of the seven Arabian poets who had the honor of having their poems, one of each, hung up in the entrance of the temple of Mecca, struck with the sublimity of a passage in the Koran, became a convert to Mohammedism; for he concluded that no man could write in such a manner unless he were Divinely inspired.
"One must have a curiosity to examine a passage which had so great an effect upon Labid. It is, I must own, the finest that I know in the whole Koran: but I do not think it will have a second time the like effect, so as to tempt any one of my readers to submit to circumcision. It is in the second chapter, where he is speaking of certain apostates from the faith. 'They are like,' saith he, 'to a man who kindles a light. As soon as it begins to shine, God takes from them the light, and leaves them in darkness that they see nothing. They are deaf, dumb, and blind; and return not into the right way. Or they fare as when a cloud, full of darkness, thunder, and lightning, covers the heaven. When it bursteth, they stop their ears with their fingers, with deadly fear; and God hath the unbelievers in his power. The lightning almost robbeth them of their eyes: as often as it flasheth they go on by its light; and when it vanisheth in darkness, they stand still. If God pleased, they would retain neither hearing nor sight.' That the thought is beautiful, no one will deny; and Labid, who had probably a mind to flatter Mohammed, was lucky in finding a passage in the Koran so little abounding in poetical beauties, to which his conversion might with any propriety be ascribed. It was well that he went no farther; otherwise his taste for poetry might have made him again an infidel." Michaelis, Erpenii Arabische Grammatik abgekurzt, Vorrede, s. 32. |
12 Wherefore their way [01870] shall be unto them as slippery [02519] ways in the darkness [0653]: they shall be driven on [01760], and fall [05307] therein: for I will bring [0935] evil [07451] upon them, even the year [08141] of their visitation [06486], saith [05002] the LORD [03068].
27 When your fear [06343] cometh [0935] as desolation [07722] [07584], and your destruction [0343] cometh [0857] as a whirlwind [05492]; when distress [06869] and anguish [06695] cometh [0935] upon you.
24 They have seen [07200] thy goings [01979], O God [0430]; even the goings [01979] of my God [0410], my King [04428], in the sanctuary [06944].
2 Hearken [07181] unto the voice [06963] of my cry [07773], my King [04428], and my God [0430]: for unto thee will I pray [06419].
20 And your strength [03581] shall be spent [08552] in vain [07385]: for your land [0776] shall not yield [05414] her increase [02981], neither shall the trees [06086] of the land [0776] yield [05414] their fruits [06529].
14 But if ye will not hearken [08085] unto me, and will not do [06213] all these commandments [04687];
15 And if ye shall despise [03988] my statutes [02708], or if your soul [05315] abhor [01602] my judgments [04941], so that ye will not do [06213] all my commandments [04687], but that ye break [06565] my covenant [01285]:
16 I also will do [06213] this unto you; I will even appoint [06485] over you terror [0928], consumption [07829], and the burning ague [06920], that shall consume [03615] the eyes [05869], and cause sorrow [01727] of heart [05315]: and ye shall sow [02232] your seed [02233] in vain [07385], for your enemies [0341] shall eat [0398] it.
3 If ye walk [03212] in my statutes [02708], and keep [08104] my commandments [04687], and do [06213] them;
4 Then I will give [05414] you rain [01653] in due season [06256], and the land [0776] shall yield [05414] her increase [02981], and the trees [06086] of the field [07704] shall yield [05414] their fruit [06529].
5 And your threshing [01786] shall reach [05381] unto the vintage [01210], and the vintage [01210] shall reach [05381] unto the sowing time [02233]: and ye shall eat [0398] your bread [03899] to the full [07648], and dwell [03427] in your land [0776] safely [0983].
22 And it shall come to pass, for the abundance [07230] of milk [02461] that they shall give [06213] he shall eat [0398] butter [02529]: for butter [02529] and honey [01706] shall every one eat [0398] that is left [03498] in [07130] the land [0776].
15 Butter [02529] and honey [01706] shall he eat [0398], that he may know [03045] to refuse [03988] the evil [07451], and choose [0977] the good [02896].
12 And they said [0559], There is no hope [02976]: but we will walk [03212] after [0310] our own devices [04284], and we will every one [0376] do [06213] the imagination [08307] of his evil [07451] heart [03820].
11 And [2532] blasphemed [987] the God [2316] of heaven [3772] because of [1537] their [846] pains [4192] and [2532] [1537] their [846] sores [1668], and [2532] repented [3340] not [3756] of [1537] their [846] deeds [2041].
31 For their rock [06697] is not as our Rock [06697], even our enemies [0341] themselves being judges [06414].
20 To the law [08451] and to the testimony [08584]: if they speak [0559] not according to this word [01697], it is because there is no light [07837] in them.
12 Wherefore their way [01870] shall be unto them as slippery [02519] ways in the darkness [0653]: they shall be driven on [01760], and fall [05307] therein: for I will bring [0935] evil [07451] upon them, even the year [08141] of their visitation [06486], saith [05002] the LORD [03068].
22 And they shall look [05027] unto the earth [0776]; and behold trouble [06869] and darkness [02825], dimness [04588] of anguish [06695]; and they shall be driven [05080] to darkness [0653].
21 And [2532] there fell [2597] upon [1909] men [444] a great [3173] hail [5464] out of [1537] heaven [3772], every stone about [5613] the weight of a talent [5006]: and [2532] men [444] blasphemed [987] God [2316] because of [1537] the plague [4127] of the hail [5464]; for [3754] the plague [4127] thereof [846] was [2076] exceeding [4970] great [3173].
11 And [2532] blasphemed [987] the God [2316] of heaven [3772] because of [1537] their [846] pains [4192] and [2532] [1537] their [846] sores [1668], and [2532] repented [3340] not [3756] of [1537] their [846] deeds [2041].
25 The singers [07891] went before [06923], the players on instruments [05059] followed after [0310]; among [08432] them were the damsels [05959] playing with timbrels [08608].
3 My voice [06963] shalt thou hear [08085] in the morning [01242], O LORD [03068]; in the morning [01242] will I direct [06186] my prayer unto thee, and will look up [06822].
5 And them that worship [07812] the host [06635] of heaven [08064] upon the housetops [01406]; and them that worship [07812] and that swear [07650] by the LORD [03068], and that swear [07650] by Malcham [04428];
43 Then Saul [07586] said [0559] to Jonathan [03129], Tell [05046] me what thou hast done [06213]. And Jonathan [03129] told [05046] him, and said [0559], I did but [02938] taste [02938] a little [04592] honey [01706] with the end [07097] of the rod [04294] that was in mine hand [03027], and, lo [02009], I must die [04191].
19 And when they shall say [0559] unto you, Seek [01875] unto them that have familiar spirits [0178], and unto wizards [03049] that peep [06850], and that mutter [01897]: should not a people [05971] seek [01875] unto their God [0430]? for the living [02416] to the dead [04191]?
22 And they shall look [05027] unto the earth [0776]; and behold trouble [06869] and darkness [02825], dimness [04588] of anguish [06695]; and they shall be driven [05080] to darkness [0653].
21 And they shall pass [05674] through it, hardly bestead [07185] and hungry [07457]: and it shall come to pass, that when they shall be hungry [07456], they shall fret [07107] themselves, and curse [07043] their king [04428] and their God [0430], and look [06437] upward [04605].
30 And in that day [03117] they shall roar [05098] against them like the roaring [05100] of the sea [03220]: and if one look [05027] unto the land [0776], behold darkness [02822] and sorrow [06862], and the light [0216] is darkened [02821] in the heavens [06183] thereof.