Isaiah 8:21 Meaning and Explanation
“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.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →In the devastation of war and siege, hungry and desperate people will turn against their leaders and, in desperation, look upward toward God.
The Context of Isaiah 8:21
The judgment produces hardship that drives the people from earthly hopes toward the God they had rejected.
What Does Isaiah 8:21 Mean?
The 'it' refers to the land of Judah, being overrun and ravaged by Assyria. The people 'hardly bestead' (oppressed, in dire straits) will pass through a land laid waste by war. The famine that accompanies siege will drive them to hunger, creating a crucible of desperation. In their desperation, they will 'fret themselves'—expressing anger and bitterness—and will curse both their king (the human leader they trusted in political alliances) and their God.
Yet even in this darkest moment, they will 'look upward'—their eyes will turn toward heaven. This upward gaze suggests an involuntary return of attention to the divine realm. Having exhausted all earthly solutions (political alliances, human kingship), the starving, desperate people will finally orient themselves toward God. The judgment brings them, through hardship, back to the only source of salvation.
Isaiah 8:21 in the Original Language
hardly bestead (צָרוּר, tzarur), 'oppressed, hemmed in'—to be squeezed by hostile forces with no escape, captured in a siege.
Frequently Asked Questions About Isaiah 8:21
What does Isaiah 8:21 mean?
In the devastation of war and siege, hungry and desperate people will turn against their leaders and, in desperation, look upward toward God.
What is the context of Isaiah 8:21?
The judgment produces hardship that drives the people from earthly hopes toward the God they had rejected.