The highways are deserted; travel has ceased. The treaty has been broken, the witnesses are despised, and human life is disregarded.
Parallel translations
- WEB The highways are desolate. The traveling man ceases. The covenant is broken. He has despised the cities. He doesn’t respect man.
- KJV The highways lie waste, the wayfaring man ceaseth: he hath broken the covenant, he hath despised the cities, he regardeth no man.
- NKJV The highways lie waste, The traveling man ceases. He has broken the covenant, He has despised the cities, He regards no man.
- NASB The highways are desolate, the traveler has ceased, He has broken the covenant, he has despised the cities, He has no regard for mankind.
- NLT Your roads are deserted; no one travels them anymore. The Assyrians have broken their peace treaty and care nothing for the promises they made before witnesses. They have no respect for anyone.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Society has collapsed: roads are empty, treaties are broken, and human life is held in contempt by the invader.
Overview
Isaiah describes the breakdown of ordinary life under Assyrian aggression, with deserted highways and shattered covenants. Sennacherib has broken his agreement (2 Kings 18:14-17) and shows no regard for people or cities. The verse exposes the faithlessness of the proud oppressor and contrasts it with the covenant-keeping God who will act on behalf of his people.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 13
- Judg 5:6In the days of Shamgar son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were deserted and the travelers took the byways.
- Isa 35:8And there will be a highway called the Way of Holiness. The unclean will not travel it—only those who walk in the Way—and fools will not stray onto it.
- Isa 10:9–11“Is not Calno like Carchemish? Is not Hamath like Arpad? Is not Samaria like Damascus?
- Isa 10:29–31They have crossed at the ford: “We will spend the night at Geba.” Ramah trembles; Gibeah of Saul flees.
- 1 Sam 17:26David asked the men who were standing with him, “What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel? Just who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?”
- 1 Sam 17:10Then the Philistine said, “I defy the ranks of Israel this day! Give me a man to fight!”
- 2 Kgs 18:20–21You claim to have a strategy and strength for war, but these are empty words. In whom are you now trusting, that you have rebelled against me?
- Lam 1:4The roads to Zion mourn, because no one comes to her appointed feasts. All her gates are deserted; her priests groan, her maidens grieve, and she herself is bitter with anguish.
- 2 Kgs 18:13–17In the fourteenth year of Hezekiah’s reign, Sennacherib king of Assyria attacked and captured all the fortified cities of Judah.
- Ps 10:5He is secure in his ways at all times; Your lofty judgments are far from him; he sneers at all his foes.
- Isa 10:13–14For he says: ‘By the strength of my hand I have done this, and by my wisdom, for I am clever. I have removed the boundaries of nations and plundered their treasures; like a mighty one I subdued their rulers.
- Luke 18:2–4“In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected men.
- Isa 36:1In the fourteenth year of Hezekiah’s reign, Sennacherib king of Assyria attacked and captured all the fortified cities of Judah.
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Christ at the center
Isaiah sees him most clearly: the virgin's son Immanuel, the child on David's throne, the shoot from Jesse, the light to the nations, and above all the Suffering Servant pierced for our transgressions (ch. 53).
How Isaiah 33:8 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.