Isaiah 9:12

12 the Syrians before and the Philistines behind; and they shall devour Israel with open mouth. For all this His anger is not turned away, but His hand is stretched out still.

Isaiah 9:12 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 9:12

The Syrians before, and the Philistines behind
Rezin, king of Syria, the confederate of the Israelites, being slain, his people joined the Assyrians against Israel; and they, with others mentioned, beset them on all sides, before and behind, east and west; and so the Targum, Septuagint, and other versions, render it, the Syrians on the east, or from the rising of the sun; and the Philistines on the west, or from the setting of the sun; for, as Kimchi observes, Syria lay east of the land of Israel, and Palestine on the West ^F2: and they shall devour Israel with open mouth:
greedily and presently; make, as it were, but one morsel of him: for all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand [is]
stretched out still;
that is, the anger of God, that was not turned away; he had not yet stirred up all his wrath, he had not done with them, he had still other judgments to bring upon them; and his hand continued to be stretched out to inflict them, seeing they were not brought to repentance by what was already done unto them; so the Targum,

``for all this they do not return from their sins, that he may turn away his anger from them, but still retain their sins; and yet his stroke will be to take vengeance on them.''

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FOOTNOTES:

F2 So Noldius renders it, Ebr. Concord. Part. p. 10. No. 69.

Isaiah 9:12 In-Context

10 "The bricks are fallen down, but we will build with hewn stones; the sycamores are cut down, but we will change them into cedars."

11 Therefore the LORD shall set up the adversaries of Rezin against him and join his enemies together,

12 the Syrians before and the Philistines behind; and they shall devour Israel with open mouth. For all this His anger is not turned away, but His hand is stretched out still.

13 For the people turneth not unto Him that smiteth them, neither do they seek the LORD of hosts.

14 Therefore the LORD will cut off from Israel head and tail, branch and rush, in one day.