Isaiah 54:8

8 In a surge of anger I hid my face from you for a moment, but with everlasting kindness I will have compassion on you,” says the LORD your Redeemer.

Isaiah 54:8 in Other Translations

King James Version (KJV)
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.
English Standard Version (ESV)
8 In overflowing anger for a moment I hid my face from you, but with everlasting love I will have compassion on you," says the LORD, your Redeemer.
New Living Translation (NLT)
8 In a burst of anger I turned my face away for a little while. But with everlasting love I will have compassion on you,” says the LORD, your Redeemer.
The Message Bible (MSG)
8 In an outburst of anger I turned my back on you - but only for a moment. It's with lasting love that I'm tenderly caring for you.
American Standard Version (ASV)
8 In overflowing wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting lovingkindness will I have mercy on thee, saith Jehovah thy Redeemer.
GOD'S WORD Translation (GW)
8 I hid my face from you for a moment in a burst of anger, but I will have compassion on you with everlasting kindness," says the LORD your defender.
Holman Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
8 In a surge of anger I hid My face from you for a moment, but I will have compassion on you with everlasting love," says the Lord your Redeemer.
New International Reader's Version (NIRV)
8 For a moment I turned my face away from you. I was very angry with you. But I will show you my loving concern. My faithful love will continue forever," says the Lord. He is the one who set you free.

Isaiah 54:8 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 54:8

In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment
This signifies much the same as before, when God hides his face from his people, withdraws his gracious presence, and does not grant the discoveries of his love; or they are under the frowns of his providence, and have not the smiles of his face and the light of his countenance as formerly, then they think they are forsaken by him; though all this is but for a moment, a small period of time; and though it seems to be in "wrath", it is but "little wrath"; and this wrath is no other than the displeasure of a loving and tender hearted father. The Syriac version renders it, "great wrath"; and so Schultens F15 thinks the word signifies "overflowing wrath" F16, and the vehemency of it; to which agrees R. Menachem F17, who interprets it, "the heat of wrath"; so the Lord's suffering such a scene of bloody persecutions to attend his church in the first ages of Christianity might seem to be: but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord
thy Redeemer;
all the dealings of God with his people, however dark and dismal they be, whatever appearances there are in them of wrath and displeasure, they are all agreeable to, and do not contradict, his everlasting love; and sooner or later he will make it manifest, he has mercy in store for his people, which he does and will exercise towards them; this mercy flows from his love and kindness to them, which kindness is everlasting, and continues in and through all states and conditions into which they come; the consideration of which is very comfortable and encouraging, and of which they may be assured from the relation the Lord stands in to them as their Redeemer; for, having redeemed them at the expense of his blood, he will effectually gather them by grace in calling, and will never lose them, or suffer them to perish here or hereafter.


FOOTNOTES:

F15 Animadv. in Job, p. 145, 146.
F16 (Puq Puvb) "pauxillo irae exundantis, [vel] exiguo irae ebullientis", Vitringa.
F17 Apud Jarchi, Kimchi, & Ben Melech, in loc.

Isaiah 54:8 In-Context

6 The LORD will call you back as if you were a wife deserted and distressed in spirit— a wife who married young, only to be rejected,” says your God.
7 “For a brief moment I abandoned you, but with deep compassion I will bring you back.
8 In a surge of anger I hid my face from you for a moment, but with everlasting kindness I will have compassion on you,” says the LORD your Redeemer.
9 “To me this is like the days of Noah, when I swore that the waters of Noah would never again cover the earth. So now I have sworn not to be angry with you, never to rebuke you again.
10 Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the LORD, who has compassion on you.

Cross References 5

  • 1. Isaiah 9:12; Isaiah 26:20; Isaiah 60:10
  • 2. S Isaiah 1:15
  • 3. ver 10; S Psalms 25:6; Psalms 92:2; Isaiah 55:3; Isaiah 63:7
  • 4. S Psalms 102:13; S Isaiah 14:1; Hosea 2:19
  • 5. S Isaiah 48:17
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