What Does Isaiah 8:21 Mean?

“And they shall pass”

to cross over; used very widely of any transition (literal or figurative; transitive, intransitive, intensive, causative); specifically, to cover (in

“through it hardly bestead”

properly, to be dense, i.e., tough or severe (in various applications)

“and hungry”

hungry (more or less intensely)

to exist, i.e., be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)

(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed

“and it shall come to pass that when they shall be hungry”

to hunger

“they shall fret”

to crack off, i.e., (figuratively) burst out in rage

“themselves and curse”

to be (causatively, make) light, literally (swift, small, sharp, etc.) or figuratively (easy, trifling, vile, etc.)

“their king”

a king

“and their God”

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

“and look”

to turn; by implication, to face, i.e., appear, look, etc

“upward”

properly,the upper part, used only adverbially with prefix upward, above, overhead, from the top, etc