Isaiah 8:20

American Standard Version (1901)

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

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

לְתוֹרָ֖ה וְלִתְעוּדָ֑ה אִם־לֹ֤א יֹֽאמְרוּ֙ כַּדָּבָ֣ר הַזֶּ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֵֽין־ל֖וֹ שָֽׁחַר׃

Transliteration

To-tôrāh and-to-təʿûdāh if-not yōʾmərû according-to-dābār ha-zeh ʾăšer ʾên-to-him šāḥar

Grammar Details

• *tôrāh*: noun feminine singular - law/instruction
• *təʿûdāh*: noun feminine singular - testimony/witness
• *yōʾmərû*: qal imperfect 3rd masculine plural - they speak
• *dābār*: noun masculine singular - word/thing/matter
• *ha-zeh*: definite article + demonstrative pronoun - this
• *ʾăšer*: relative pronoun - that/which
• *ʾên*: particle of negation - there is not
• *šāḥar*: noun masculine singular - dawn/light

Word Meanings

• *tôrāh*: law/instruction/teaching
• *təʿûdāh*: testimony/witness/evidence
• *šāḥar*: dawn/light/morning (metaphor for truth/hope)
• *ʾăšer ʾên-lô šāḥar*: for whom there is no dawn/which has no light/that has no future

Referenced Verses

• Mic 3:6 : 6 Therefore it shall be night unto you, that ye shall have no vision; and it shall be dark unto you, that ye shall not divine; and the sun shall go down upon the prophets, and the day shall be black over them.
• Isa 30:8-9 : 8 Now go, write it before them on a tablet, and inscribe it in a book, that it may be for the time to come for ever and ever. 9 For it is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of Jehovah; 10 that say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits, 11 get you out of the way, turn aside out of the path, cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us.
• 2 Pet 1:19 : 19 And we have the word of prophecy [made] more sure; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day-star arise in your hearts:
• Isa 8:16 : 16 Bind thou up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples.
• Jer 8:9 : 9 The wise men are put to shame, they are dismayed and taken: lo, they have rejected the word of Jehovah; and what manner of wisdom is in them?
• Mal 4:2 : 2 But unto you that fear my name shall the sun of righteousness arise with healing in its wings; and ye shall go forth, and gambol as calves of the stall.
• John 5:39 : 39 Ye search the scriptures, because ye think that in them ye have eternal life; and these are they which bear witness of me;
• John 5:46-47 : 46 For if ye believed Moses, ye would believe me; for he wrote of me. 47 But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?
• Acts 17:11 : 11 Now these were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of the mind, examining the Scriptures daily, whether these things were so.
• Rom 1:22 : 22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
• Gal 3:8-9 : 8 And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand unto Abraham, [saying], In thee shall all the nations be blessed. 9 So then they that are of faith are blessed with the faithful Abraham. 10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under a curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one who continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the law, to do them. 11 Now that no man is justified by the law before God, is evident: for, The righteous shall live by faith; 12 and the law is not of faith; but, He that doeth them shall live in them. 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us; for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: 14 that upon the Gentiles might come the blessing of Abraham in Christ Jesus; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. 15 Brethren, I speak after the manner of men: Though it be but a man's covenant, yet when it hath been confirmed, no one maketh it void, or addeth thereto. 16 Now to Abraham were the promises spoken, and to his seed. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. 17 Now this I say: A covenant confirmed beforehand by God, the law, which came four hundred and thirty years after, doth not disannul, so as to make the promise of none effect. 18 For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no more of promise: but God hath granted it to Abraham by promise. 19 What then is the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise hath been made; [and it was] ordained through angels by the hand of a mediator. 20 Now a mediator is not [a mediator] of one; but God is one. 21 Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could make alive, verily righteousness would have been of the law. 22 But the scriptures shut up all things under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. 23 But before faith came, we were kept in ward under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. 24 So that the law is become our tutor [to bring us] unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But now that faith is come, we are no longer under a tutor. 26 For ye are all sons of God, through faith, in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ did put on Christ. 28 There can be neither Jew nor Greek, there can be neither bond nor free, there can be no male and female; for ye all are one [man] in Christ Jesus. 29 And if ye are Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, heirs according to promise.
• Gal 4:21-22 : 21 Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law? 22 For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, one by the handmaid, and one by the freewoman.
• 2 Tim 3:15-17 : 15 And that from a babe thou hast known the sacred writings which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 16 Every scripture inspired of God [is] also profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction which is in righteousness. 17 That the man of God may be complete, furnished completely unto every good work.
• 2 Pet 1:9 : 9 For he that lacketh these things is blind, seeing only what is near, having forgotten the cleansing from his old sins.
• Matt 6:23 : 23 But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is the darkness!
• Matt 22:29 : 29 But Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God.
• Mark 7:7-9 : 7 But in vain do they worship me, Teaching [as their] doctrines the precepts of men. 8 Ye leave the commandment of God, and hold fast the tradition of men. 9 And he said unto them, Full well do ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your tradition.
• Luke 10:26 : 26 And he said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou?
• Luke 16:29-31 : 29 But Abraham saith, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. 30 And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one go to them from the dead, they will repent. 31 And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, if one rise from the dead.
• Ps 19:7-8 : 7 The law of Jehovah is perfect, restoring the soul: The testimony of Jehovah is sure, making wise the simple. 8 The precepts of Jehovah are right, rejoicing the heart: The commandment of Jehovah is pure, enlightening the eyes.
• Ps 119:130 : 130 The opening of thy words giveth light; It giveth understanding unto the simple.
• Prov 4:18 : 18 But the path of the righteous is as the dawning light, That shineth more and more unto the perfect day.
• Isa 1:10 : 10 Hear the word of Jehovah, ye rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah.
• Hos 6:3 : 3 And let us know, let us follow on to know Jehovah: his going forth is sure as the morning; and he will come unto us as the rain, as the latter rain that watereth the earth.