The Meaning of Isaiah 9:12 Explained

Isaiah 9:12

KJV: 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.

YLT: Aram from before, and Philistia from behind, And they devour Israel with the whole mouth. With all this not turned back hath His anger, And still His hand is stretched out.

Darby: the Syrians on the east, and the Philistines on the west; and they shall devour Israel with open mouth. For all this his anger is not turned away, and his hand is stretched out still.

ASV: 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.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Isaiah 9:12 Mean?

Study Notes

For all this his anger
See Isaiah 9:17 ; Isaiah 9:21 ; Isaiah 5:25 ; Isaiah 10:4
The context explains. Jehovah's hand is outstretched still because His chastisement is followed by no amendment on the part of Israel.

Context Summary

Isaiah 9:8-17 - False Leadership Brings Ruin
The grievous sins of the Chosen People are again enumerated. They defied God, Isaiah 8:9-10. They refused to repent; they were blind and deaf and profane, Isaiah 8:13. Their religious and political leaders led them astray, Isaiah 8:16. What could they expect but the letting loose of the judgments of the Almighty!
Isaiah's protests were disregarded, and 2 Kings 15:1-38 tells the sequel. It seems very terrible. But what would the forest-glades become if there were not a perfect machinery for the instant removal of all traces of disease, decay, and death! What is true in the physical is true also in the moral sphere. When a nation has ceased to help, and has commenced to impede the progress of humanity, it must be put out of the way. [source]

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 9

1  What joy shall be in the midst of afflictions, by the birth and kingdom of Christ
8  The judgments upon Israel for their pride
13  For their hypocrisy
18  And for their unrepentance

What do the individual words in Isaiah 9:12 mean?

Syria before and the Philistines behind and they shall devour - Israel with open an mouth For all this not is turned away His anger but still His hand [is] stretched out
אֲרָ֣ם מִקֶּ֗דֶם וּפְלִשְׁתִּים֙ מֵֽאָח֔וֹר וַיֹּאכְל֥וּ אֶת־ יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל בְּכָל־ פֶּ֑ה בְּכָל־ זֹאת֙ לֹא־ שָׁ֣ב אַפּ֔וֹ וְע֖וֹד יָד֥וֹ נְטוּיָֽה

אֲרָ֣ם  Syria 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֲרָם 
Sense: Aram or Syria the nation.
מִקֶּ֗דֶם  before 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular
Root: קֶדֶם 
Sense: east, antiquity, front, that which is before, aforetime.
וּפְלִשְׁתִּים֙  and  the  Philistines 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine plural
Root: פְּלִשְׁתִּי  
Sense: an inhabitant of Philistia; descendants of Mizraim who immigrated from Caphtor (Crete?) to the western seacoast of Canaan.
מֵֽאָח֔וֹר  behind 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָחֹור  
Sense: the back side, the rear.
וַיֹּאכְל֥וּ  and  they  shall  devour 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: אָכַל  
Sense: to eat, devour, burn up, feed.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
בְּכָל־  with  open 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
פֶּ֑ה  an  mouth 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: פֶּה  
Sense: mouth.
בְּכָל־  For  all 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
זֹאת֙  this 
Parse: Pronoun, feminine singular
Root: זׄאת  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, such.
שָׁ֣ב  is  turned  away 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
אַפּ֔וֹ  His  anger 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אַף 
Sense: nostril, nose, face.
וְע֖וֹד  but  still 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb
Root: עֹוד  
Sense: a going round, continuance adv.
יָד֥וֹ  His  hand 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
נְטוּיָֽה  [is]  stretched  out 
Parse: Verb, Qal, QalPassParticiple, feminine singular
Root: נָטָה 
Sense: to stretch out, extend, spread out, pitch, turn, pervert, incline, bend, bow.