Isaiah 8 · Verse 17

Isaiah 8:17

And I will wait upon the Lord, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him.
Isaiah 8:17, King James Version

Isaiah 8:17 in other translations

BSBI will wait for the LORD, who is hiding His face from the house of Jacob. I will put my trust in Him.
WEBI will wait for the LORD, who hides his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him.
ASVAnd I will wait for Jehovah, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him.
YLTAnd I have waited for Jehovah, Who is hiding His face from the house of Jacob, And I have looked for Him.
DARBYAnd I will wait for Jehovah, who hideth his face from the house of Jacob; and I will look for him.
BBEAnd I will be waiting for the Lord, whose face is veiled from the house of Jacob, and I will be looking for him.
WebsterAnd I will wait upon the LORD, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him.

What does Isaiah 8:17 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
17. I--Whatever the rest of the nation may do, I will look to Jehovah alone. that hideth ... face--though He seems now to withdraw His countenance from Judah (the then representative of "the house of Jacob"). Let us wait and trust in, though we cannot see, Him (Is 50:10; 54:8; Ha 2:3; Lu 2:25, 38).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Isaiah 8:17-22
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 his mind? To the law and to the testimony; for there you will see what is good, and what the Lord requires. We must speak of the things of God in the words which the Holy Ghost teaches, and be ruled by them. To those that seek to familiar spirits, and regard not God's law and testimony, there shall be horror and misery. Those that go away from God, go out of the way of all good; for fretfulness is a sin that is its own punishment. They shall despair, and see no way of relief, when they curse God. And their fears will represent every thing as frightful. Those that shut their eyes against the light of God's word, will justly be left to darkness. All the miseries that ever were felt or witnessed on earth, are as nothing, compared with what will overwhelm those who leave the words of Christ, to follow delusions.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Isaiah 8:17 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וְחִכִּ֙יתִי֙ve.chi.Ki.tiand I will waitH2442
לַיהוָ֔הla.Yah.wehfor YahwehH3068
הַמַּסְתִּ֥ירha.mas.Tirwho is hidingH5641
פָּנָ֖יוpa.Navface hisH6440
מִבֵּ֣יתmi.Beitfrom [the] house ofH1004
יַעֲקֹ֑בya.'a.KoJacobH3290
וְקִוֵּ֖יתִֽי\־ve.ki.Vei.ti-and I will wait eagerlyH6960
לֽוֹ\׃lofor him

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Isaiah 8:17

  • Hebrews 10:36-39

    For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.

  • Habakkuk 2:3

    For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.

  • Lamentations 3:25-26

    The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.

  • Isaiah 25:9

    And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the Lord; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.

  • Psalms 33:20

    Our soul waiteth for the Lord: he is our help and our shield.

  • Isaiah 54:8

    In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer.

  • Deuteronomy 31:17-18

    Then my anger shall be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them, and I will hide my face from them, and they shall be devoured, and many evils and troubles shall befall them; so that they will say in that day, Are not these evils come upon us, because our God is not among us? And I will surely hide my face in that day for all the evils which they shall have wrought, in that they are turned unto other gods.

  • Hebrews 9:28

    So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

  • Psalms 27:14

    Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.

  • Isaiah 59:2

    But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.

  • Isaiah 50:10

    Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God.

  • Micah 7:7

    Therefore I will look unto the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
I will.
25:9; 26:8; 33:2; 64:4; Ge 49:18; Ps 27:14; 33:20; 37:34; 39:7; 40:1
Ps 130:5; La 3:25,26; Ho 12:6; Mic 7:7; Hab 2:3; 1Th 1:10; 2Th 3:5
Heb 10:36-39
hideth.
54:8; 59:2; 64:7; De 31:17,18; 32:20; Eze 39:23,24; Mic 3:4
I will look.
50:10; Lu 2:38; Heb 9:28

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Isaiah 8:16

    Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples.

  • Isaiah 8:17

    And I will wait upon the Lord, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him.

  • Isaiah 8:18

    Behold, I and the children whom the Lord hath given me are for signs and for wonders in Israel from the Lord of hosts, which dwelleth in mount Zion.

Read all of Isaiah 8

Isaiah 8:17 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Esperaré pues á Jehová, el cual escondió su rostro de la casa de Jacob, y á él aguardaré.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et je m’attendrai à l’ Éternel qui cache sa face de la maison de Jacob, et je l’attendrai.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und ich will auf Jehova harren, der sein Angesicht verbirgt vor dem Hause Jakob, und will auf ihn hoffen.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Et exspectabo Dominum qui abscondit faciem suam a domo Jacob, et præstolabor eum.