The Meaning of Isaiah 56:9 Explained

Isaiah 56:9

KJV: All ye beasts of the field, come to devour, yea, all ye beasts in the forest.

YLT: Every beast of the field, Come to devour, every beast in the forest.

Darby: All ye beasts of the field, come to devour, all ye beasts in the forest.

ASV: All ye beasts of the field, come to devour, yea , all ye beasts in the forest.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

All ye beasts  of the field,  come  to devour,  [yea], all ye beasts  in the forest. 

What does Isaiah 56:9 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Isaiah summoned the beastly enemies of Israel to come and feed on the flock of God"s people (cf. Jeremiah 12:9; Ezekiel 34:5; Ezekiel 34:8).
The leaders of Israel were responsible for the people"s failure to appreciate the difference between a real relationship with God and membership in the covenant community of Israel.
"The critique of leadership offered here is wholly one of character not of policy. The opinion that from the point of view of the public it matters only what the government"s policy Isaiah , but the private lives of leaders is their own affair, finds no support. The juxtaposition of Isaiah 56:9-12 with Isaiah 57:1-21 insists that private wrong and public right do not co-exist." [1]

Context Summary

Isaiah 56:1-12 - The Blessedness Of Sabbath-Keeping
The bright array of Messianic promises, which occupied the preceding chapters, is now followed by a portion of less interest, seeing that our attention is not now fastened on Christ, but on Israel. Birk calls this sermon "The Middle Ages of Delay," and says: "This new section of advice and warning belongs to this whole period from Isaiah to Christ. The like message applies now to the Church of Christ and its prospect of the Second Advent."
Special emphasis is laid on Sabbath-keeping because it was the special sign of God's connection with Israel. See Exodus 31:13-17; Ezekiel 20:12. It was also a type and pledge of the redemption rest, soon to be brought in and perfected by Christ's finished work, Hebrews 4:9-10.
What an ideal is presented here for character and conduct! To keep God's rest in our heart-the rest of faith; to cease from ourselves; to be joined to the Lord by one Spirit; to minister to Him; to love His name; to be His servants! What more could we imagine as characteristic of the Christian soul! Let us ask God to bring us to His "holy mountain" and to make us "joyful" in His "house of prayer." [source]

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 56

1  The prophet exhorts to sanctification
3  He promises it shall be general, without respect of persons
9  He protests against blind watchmen

What do the individual words in Isaiah 56:9 mean?

All you beasts of the field come to devour all in the forest -
כֹּ֖ל חַיְת֣וֹ שָׂדָ֑י אֵתָ֕יוּ לֶאֱכֹ֥ל כָּל־ בַּיָּֽעַר ס

חַיְת֣וֹ  you  beasts 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: חַי 
Sense: living, alive.
שָׂדָ֑י  of  the  field 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׂדֶה 
Sense: field, land.
אֵתָ֕יוּ  come 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: אָתָה  
Sense: to come, arrive.
לֶאֱכֹ֥ל  to  devour 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אָכַל  
Sense: to eat, devour, burn up, feed.
בַּיָּֽעַר  in  the  forest 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יַעַר 
Sense: forest, wood, thicket, wooded height.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation