Isaiah 8:22

²⁰ To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, they have no light of dawn.

²¹ They will roam the land, dejected and hungry. When they are famished, they will become enraged; and looking upward, they will curse their king and their God.

Then they will look to the earth and see only distress and darkness and the gloom of anguish. And they will be driven into utter darkness.

This was said to Israel at a particular time, so it is wise to read it together with the surrounding text. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: Then they will look to the earth and see only distress and darkness and the gloom of anguish. And they will be driven into utter darkness.
KJV: And they shall look unto the earth; and behold trouble and darkness, dimness of anguish; and they shall be driven to darkness.
WEB: then look to the earth and see distress, darkness, and the gloom of anguish. They will be driven into thick darkness.
ASV: and they shall look unto the earth, and behold, distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish; and into thick darkness [they shall be] driven away.
DARBY: and they will look to the earth; and behold, trouble and darkness, gloom of anguish; and they shall be driven into thick darkness.
BLB: and will look to the earth, and behold—distress and darkness, gloom of anguish, and he will be driven away [into] the dark.

ÅB: og de skal se ned mot jorden, men se, det er trengsel og mørke, angstfullt mørke; de er støtt ut i natten.
[^1]: snart bytte, rov i hast; JES 8, 1.
[^2]: Eufrats.
[^3]: Immanuel; JES 7, 7. 14; 8, 8.
[^4]: JES 58, 8.
OTB: Da skal de se til jorden og bare se nød og mørke, angstens skygger; og de skal bli kastet inn i dypeste mørke.
B1930: og de skal se ned mot jorden, men se, det er trengsel og mørke, angstfullt mørke; de er støtt ut i natten.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Isaiah 5:30
In that day they will roar over it, like the roaring of the sea. If one looks over the land, he will see darkness and distress; even the light will be obscured by clouds.
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Matthew 8:12
But the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
Read in context
Matthew 22:13
Then the king told the servants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
Read in context
Jeremiah 13:16
Give glory to the LORD your God before He brings darkness, before your feet stumble on the dusky mountains. You wait for light, but He turns it into deep gloom and thick darkness.
Read in context
Proverbs 14:32
The wicked man is thrown down by his own sin, but the righteous man has a refuge even in death.
Read in context
Jeremiah 30:6–7
Ask now, and see: Can a male give birth? Why then do I see every man with his hands on his stomach like a woman in labor and every face turned pale?
Read in context
Jude 1:13
They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame; wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever.
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Job 18:18
He is driven from light into darkness and is chased from the inhabited world.
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