Isaiah 8:22

Isaiah 8:22 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And they shall look unto the earth; and behold trouble and darkness, dimness of anguish; and they shall be driven to darkness.
• New International Version (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.
• English Standard Version (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.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then they will look to the earth, and see trouble and darkness, gloom of anguish; and they will be driven into darkness.

Context of Isaiah 8:22

20When they say that to you, remember my teaching. Tell them what I have said will happen. People who talk like that are completely in the dark. There is no truth in what they say. 21Then the people will travel through the land, and they will be sad and hungry. Because of their hunger they will become angry. They will curse their king and their God, as they look up to the sky. They will look down at the earth, but they will only see trouble. Everywhere will be dark and people will have no hope. Then they will fall into complete darkness.

Isaiah 8:22 word by word

וְאֶל־אֶ֖רֶץ יַבִּ֑יט וְהִנֵּ֨ה צָרָ֤ה וַחֲשֵׁכָה֙ מְע֣וּף צוּקָ֔ה וַאֲפֵלָ֖ה מְנֻדָּֽח׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And they shall lookנָבַטnâbaţ · to lookH5027
• unto the earthאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
• and behold troubleצָרָהtsârâh · distressH6869
• and darknessחֲשֵׁכָהchăshêkâh chăshêykâh · darknessH2825
• dimnessמָעוּףmâ‛ûph · gloomH4588
• of anguishצוּקָהtsôq tsûqâh · anguishH6695
• drivenנָדַחnâdach · to banishH5080
• to darknessאֲפֵלָה'ăphêlâh · darknessH653

Cross-references for Isaiah 8:22

• Isaiah 5:30On the day that they attack, the enemy will roar over the people that they catch. They will make a noise like a rough sea. If anyone looks across the land, it will be completely dark because of all the trouble. Clouds will make the light of day become dark.
• Isaiah 9:1But the darkness will not continue for ever. Those who had no hope will no longer be afraid. In past times, God let trouble happen to the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali. But in future years, he will cause the people of that region to be great. Those are the places near the sea, and those beyond the Jordan River, and Galilee region where people from other nations live.
• 2 Chronicles 15:5At that time it was not safe to travel very far. There was too much trouble among the people of other countries.
• Jeremiah 13:16Give honour to the Lord your God, before it is too late. Do it before he makes everywhere become dark. Then you will fall down, like someone who walks on the mountains at night. You may hope for light to come, but God will make it completely dark.
• Jeremiah 30:6Think carefully about this. Do men ever give birth to babies? So why are these strong men weak with pain? They seem like a woman who is giving birth. All their faces have become white with fear.
• Amos 5:18You want the special day of the Lord to come. But it will be very bad for you! You think that God will punish your enemies on that day. But that day will not bring light to you, it will bring darkness.
• Zephaniah 1:14The time for the great day of the Lord is coming very soon. It will happen quickly. Strong men will weep when they hear the noise of it.
• Matthew 8:12But other people who think that God's kingdom belongs to them will not be there. God's angels will throw them into the dark places that are far away from God. There those people will weep very much. They will bite their teeth together.’
• Matthew 24:29Then after all these bad things have happened, “The sun will become dark. The moon will not shine any more. Stars will fall out of the sky. And the powerful things in the sky will shake.”
• Luke 21:25‘You will see strange things happen to the sun and to the moon and to the stars. Down on earth, things that happen will make people in many countries very afraid. The sea will move up and down and make a lot of noise. There will be great storms.
• Jude 1:13Those false teachers are like water in the sea that the wind blows during a storm. The dirt that comes to the top of the water is like the disgusting things that those people do. They are like stars that have moved away from their proper places in the sky. God has prepared a completely dark place for them. God will keep them there for ever.
• Job 18:18The wicked person has had to leave this world. He has gone from a place where there is light to a place where it is dark.
• Proverbs 14:32When wicked people are in trouble, they cannot stand. But righteous people still trust God, even when they are in danger of death.
• Jeremiah 23:12Because of that, the paths that they travel on will be dark. They will easily slip and fall to the ground. I will cause terrible trouble to happen to them. I will decide the time when I will punish them.’ That is what the Lord says.
• Matthew 22:13The king said to his servants, “Tie his hands and his feet. Take him and throw him into the dark place outside. There, people will cry and they will bite their teeth together.”

Commentaries on Isaiah 8:22

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 22And they shall look unto the earth - They would look upward and find no relief, and then in despair cast their eyes to the earth to obtain help there. Yet equally in vain. The whole image is one of intense anguish brought on the nation for leaving the counselor the true God. And behold … - see the note at Isaiah 5:30. Trouble - Anguish, oppression, צרה tsârâh from צור tsûr to oppress, to straiten, to afflict. This is a remarkable instance of the…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 17-22Verses 17-22 The prophet foresaw that the Lord would hide his face; but he would look for his return in favour to them again. Though not miraculous signs, the children's names were memorials from God, suited to excite attention. The unbelieving Jews were prone to seek counsel in difficulties, from diviners of different descriptions, whose foolish and sinful ceremonies are alluded to. Would we know how we may seek to our God, and come to the knowledge of…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 19-22Isaiah contrasted his message with the advice of ungodly people around him. His message brought light and truth. The message of spiritists led to darkness and death. Mediums tried to discover the future through divination (seeking hidden knowledge through rituals). Some claimed to speak with the dead (see Isaiah 19:3). However, God had forbidden these practices because they were empty and harmful (Isaiah 47:9; Deuteronomy 18:9–11).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 21-2221-22. More detailed description of the despair, which they shall fall into, who sought necromancy instead of God; Is 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. (De 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,"…Read the comment

Topics related to Isaiah 8:22

• Blasphemy
• Colors
• Darkness
• Israel, Prophecies Concerning

In the dictionaries

• Ahaz
• Bestead
• Darkness
• Dread
• Light
• Sanctify
• Seal
• Anguish
• Ezekiel
• Isaiah

Commentaries on Isaiah 8

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings