Isaiah 8:20 Consult God's instruction and the testimony of warning. If anyone does not speak according to this word, they have no light of dawn.

◄ Isaiah 8:20 ►

Parallel Verses

New International Version
Consult God's instruction and the testimony of warning. If anyone does not speak according to this word, they have no light of dawn.

English Standard Version
To the teaching and to the testimony! If they will not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn.

New American Standard Bible
To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn.

King James Bible
To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, there will be no dawn for them.

International Standard Version
for instruction and for testimony? Surely they are speaking like this because the truth hasn't dawned on them.

American Standard Version
To the law and to the testimony! if they speak not according to this word, surely there is no morning for them.

Douay-Rheims Bible
To the law rather, and to the testimony. And if they speak not according to this word, they shall not have the morning light.

Darby Bible Translation
To the law and the testimony! If they speak not according to this word, for them there is no daybreak.

Young's Literal Translation
To the law and to the testimony! If not, let them say after this manner, 'That there is no dawn to it.'

Cross References

Luke 16:29
Abraham said to him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.

Psalm 78:5
For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children:

Isaiah 1:10
Hear the word of the LORD, you rulers of Sodom; give ear to the law of our God, you people of Gomorrah.

Isaiah 8:16
Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples.

Isaiah 8:22
And they shall look to the earth; and behold trouble and darkness, dimness of anguish; and they shall be driven to darkness.

Jeremiah 6:16
Thus said the LORD, Stand you in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and you shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.

Micah 3:6
Therefore night shall be to you, that you shall not have a vision; and it shall be dark to you, that you shall not divine; and the sun shall go down over the prophets, and the day shall be dark over them.

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Commentaries

Matthew Henry's Commentary

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.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

20. To the law, &c.—the revelation of God by His prophet (Isa 8:16), to which he directs them to refer those who would advise necromancy.

if they speak not … it is because—English Version understands "they" as the necromancers. But the Hebrew rendered "because" is not this but "who"; and "if not," ought rather to be "shall they not"; or, truly they shall speak according to this word, who have no morning light (so the Hebrew, that is, prosperity after the night of sorrows) dawning on them [Maurer and G. V. Smith]. They who are in the dark night of trial, without a dawn of hope, shall surely say so, Do not seek, as we did, to necromancy, but to the law," &c. The law perhaps includes here the law of Moses, which was the "Magna Charta" on which prophetism commented [Kitto].