I will wait for the LORD, who is hiding his face from the house of Jacob, and I will hope in him.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse emphasizes a profound act of faith: waiting and hoping despite God hiding His face. This isn't passive resignation, but an active choice to trust in an unseen God who has temporarily withdrawn His favor, highlighting the deep reliance on His promises even when His presence feels absent.
I will wait for the LORD, who is hiding his face from the house of Jacob, and I will hope in him.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The prophet Isaiah has just been commanded to inscribe a prophecy with a man's pen on a large scroll, naming his future son "Quick to the Plunder, Hastening the Spoil." This ominous name and the prophecy surrounding it represent God's impending judgment on Israel and Syria, which will devastate the land. Even though God is actively hiding His face from Jacob due to their sin, Isaiah declares his personal commitment to wait and hope in the Lord, contrasting his faith with the nation's rebellion.
The verse speaks of God 'hiding his face.' What does this imagery reveal about His relationship with His people during difficult times?
When Scripture mentions God 'hiding His face,' it's a powerful metaphor for His withdrawal of favor and protection. This isn't a casual act but a consequence of sin and rebellion. It signifies a period where His presence feels distant, His guidance less clear, and His blessing seemingly absent.
A Stern but Loving Discipline
This withdrawal is a form of divine discipline, meant to bring about repentance and a turning back to Him. It’s a sobering reminder that God’s relationship with His people is contingent on their faithfulness. However, even in this hiddenness, the underlying purpose is redemptive, not purely punitive.
In the face of divine judgment and apparent abandonment, Isaiah declares his intention to wait and hope. What fuels this unwavering trust?
Isaiah’s response to God hiding His face isn't despair, but a determined act of waiting and hoping. This demonstrates a profound faith that transcends immediate circumstances.
Rooted in God's Promises
This steadfastness is not born of wishful thinking but is anchored in the deeper promises of God, particularly the future coming of the Messiah. Even when the visible signs point to judgment, the prophet's hope is fixed on God's ultimate faithfulness and His redemptive plan. He trusts that God’s hiddenness is temporary and that His face will eventually turn back towards His people with favor. This perspective allows him to patiently 'look for Him,' expecting His intervention and the fulfillment of His word.
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Understand the original words
YHWH · Hebrew Noun
The covenant God of Israel, the I AM, who reveals His character, presence, and redemptive purposes throughout salvation history.
satar / panim · Hebrew Verb / Noun
A metaphorical expression describing God’s withholding of favor, blessing, or immediate presence, often as a consequence of His people's rebellion or sin.
qavah · Hebrew Verb
A confident, patient expectation based on the character and promises of God, grounded in the certainty of His faithfulness.
Isaiah's declaration of waiting on the Lord, even when God seems to hide His face, is a profound statement of faith amidst the looming threat of the Assyrian Empire and the impending fall of the northern kingdom. This verse speaks to trusting God's ultimate plan even when His favor seems withdrawn and the future is uncertain.
c. 734 BC
Syro-Ephraimite War begins
The northern kingdom of Israel (Ephraim) and Syria (Rezin) attack Judah, but fail to capture Jerusalem. They pressure Judah to join them against Assyria.
c. 733 BC
Assyria invades
In response to Judah's plea for help, Tiglath-Pileser III of Assyria invades the region, conquering Israelite and Syrian territories.
c. 732 BC
Fall of Damascus
Tiglath-Pileser III captures the Syrian capital of Damascus, ending the threat from Rezin and consolidating Assyrian power in the region.
c. 730-722 BC— this verse
Prophetic warnings and judgment
Isaiah delivers prophecies of impending judgment against both Israel and Judah for their unfaithfulness, warning against foreign alliances and idolatry.
722 BC
Fall of Samaria
The northern kingdom of Israel is conquered and its people exiled by the Neo-Assyrian Empire under Shalmaneser V and Sargon II.
This psalm expresses a similar lament of God hiding His face and the people's sense of abandonment in times of distress, echoing Isaiah's sentiment of waiting despite God's apparent absence.
Isaiah 50:10This passage offers a direct call to 'listen to the voice of his servant' and to 'walk in darkness and have no light,' implying a similar posture of trust and waiting in periods of spiritual obscurity.
Habakkuk 2:3This verse speaks of a vision that 'tarries' and encourages believers to 'wait for it,' drawing a parallel to Isaiah's stance of patient hope and expectation in the Lord.
Luke 2:25Simeon is described as 'waiting for the consolation of Israel,' which directly reflects the prophet's attitude of patient hope for God's intervention, even when His face seems hidden.
Romans 8:25This New Testament passage talks about waiting with patience for what we hope for, mirroring Isaiah's resolve to wait and hope in the Lord despite present difficulties and hiddenness.
pulpitIsaiah 8:17: "And I will wait upon the LORD, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him."
Verses 17, 18. - ISAIAH DEFINES HIS OWN ATTITUDE AND THAT OF HIS CHILDREN. It is questioned whether something has not fallen out between vers. 16 and 17. The transition is exceedingly abrupt, undoubtedly; but perhaps not more abrupt than elsewhere in Isaiah and the prophets contemporary with him. The Divine "instruction" comes to an end in ver. 16; and Isaiah might have been expe…
barnesIsaiah 8:17: "And I will wait upon the LORD, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him."
And I will wait upon the Lord - This is the commencement of a new subject. The prophet had closed his former message; but had seen that in regard to the great mass of the nation, his exhortation had been in vain. He now says, that having delivered his message, he would patiently look to God alone. His hope was in him, though the nation looked elsewhere; and though calamities were…
The verse emphasizes a profound act of faith: waiting and hoping despite God hiding His face. This isn't passive resignation, but an active choice to trust in an unseen God who has temporarily withdrawn His favor, highlighting the deep reliance on His promises even when His presence feels absent.
The prophet Isaiah has just been commanded to inscribe a prophecy with a man's pen on a large scroll, naming his future son "Quick to the Plunder, Hastening the Spoil." This ominous name and the prophecy surrounding it represent God's impending judgment on Israel and Syria, which will devastate the land. Even though God is actively hiding His face from Jacob due to their sin, Isaiah declares his personal commitment to wait and hope in the Lord, contrasting his faith with the nation's rebellion.
The prophet Isaiah has just been commanded to inscribe a prophecy with a man's pen on a large scroll, naming his future son "Quick to the Plunder, Hastening the Spoil." This ominous name and the prophecy surrounding it represent God's impending judgment on Israel and Syria, which will devastate the land. Even though God is actively hiding His face from Jacob due to their sin, Isaiah declares his personal commitment to wait and hope in the Lord, contrasting his faith with the nation's rebellion.
"I will wait for the LORD, who is hiding his face from the house of Jacob, and I will hope in him." — The verse emphasizes a profound act of faith: waiting and hoping despite God hiding His face. This isn't passive resignation, but an active choice to trust in an unseen God who has temporarily with…
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Last reviewed October 2026