The highways lie waste, the wayfaring man ceaseth: he hath broken the covenant, he hath despised the cities, he regardeth no man.
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.
- BSB The highways are deserted; travel has ceased. The treaty has been broken, the witnesses are despised, and human life is disregarded.
- 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 the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were unoccupied, and the travellers walked through byways.
- Isa 35:8And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein.
- Isa 10:9–11Is not Calno as Carchemish? is not Hamath as Arpad? is not Samaria as Damascus?
- Isa 10:29–31They are gone over the passage: they have taken up their lodging at Geba; Ramah is afraid; Gibeah of Saul is fled.
- 1 Sam 17:26And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?
- 1 Sam 17:10And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together.
- 2 Kgs 18:20–21Thou sayest, (but they are but vain words,) I have counsel and strength for the war. Now on whom dost thou trust, that thou rebellest against me?
- Lam 1:4The ways of Zion do mourn, because none come to the solemn feasts: all her gates are desolate: her priests sigh, her virgins are afflicted, and she is in bitterness.
- 2 Kgs 18:13–17Now in the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah did Sennacherib king of Assyria come up against all the fenced cities of Judah, and took them.
- Ps 10:5His ways are always grievous; thy judgments are far above out of his sight: as for all his enemies, he puffeth at them.
- Isa 10:13–14For he saith, By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom; for I am prudent: and I have removed the bounds of the people, and have robbed their treasures, and I have put down the inhabitants like a valiant man:
- Luke 18:2–4Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man:
- Isa 36:1Now it came to pass in the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah, that Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the defenced cities of Judah, and took them.
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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.