Isaiah 30:20 (KJV)

What does Isaiah 30:20 mean?

Isaiah 30:20 tells the people of Judah that hardship will not be the end of their story. Though the Lord gives them a difficult experience, he will also let them see their teachers instead of having those teachers hidden away.

“Bread” and “water” picture adversity and affliction as things the people must live on. The contrast turns on visibility: teachers who had been kept out of sight will be plainly seen.

The Hebrew behind Isaiah 30:20

• “adversity” — צַר (tsar): The word can mean distress or a tight, restricted situation. Paired with bread, the word gives a sense of hardship pressing in on the people.
• “teachers” — מוֹרֶה (moreh): The word means one who teaches or gives instruction. The Hebrew form can also be read as singular, although the KJV renders it “teachers.”
• “be removed into a corner” — כָּנַף (kanaph): The word can carry the sense of being hidden or kept out of sight. The KJV’s image of a corner expresses the contrast with eyes that will see the teachers.

Why Isaiah 30:20 matters

• The verse places hardship and instruction side by side. The opening “though” and the following “yet” connect the bread and water of trouble with the presence of teachers.
• Seeing the teachers leads into a picture of guidance. In verse 21, the people also hear a voice directing them along the way.
• The Lord is named as the one who gives the difficult bread and water. Isaiah 30:20 presents the people’s hardship as part of the Lord’s dealings with them, rather than as an event outside his notice.