Isaiah 9:20 - Printer Friendly

ESV: They slice meat on the right, but are still hungry, and they devour on the left, but are not satisfied; each devours the flesh of his own arm,

NIV: On the right they will devour, but still be hungry; on the left they will eat, but not be satisfied. Each will feed on the flesh of their own offspring:

NASB: They devour what is on the right hand but are still hungry, And they eat what is on the left hand, but they are not satisfied; Each of them eats the flesh of his own arm.

CSB: They carve meat on the right, but they are still hungry; they have eaten on the left, but they are still not satisfied. Each one eats the flesh of his arm.

NLT: They will attack their neighbor on the right but will still be hungry. They will devour their neighbor on the left but will not be satisfied. In the end they will even eat their own children.

KJV: And he shall snatch on the right hand, and be hungry; and he shall eat on the left hand, and they shall not be satisfied: they shall eat every man the flesh of his own arm:

NKJV: And he shall snatch on the right hand And be hungry; He shall devour on the left hand And not be satisfied; Every man shall eat the flesh of his own arm.

The destructive power of sin is a terrible force. Isaiah has used fire as a metaphor to show how godlessness and immorality spread and grow in power. That trend eventually burns everything in its path and leads to more burning in the form of God's wrath (Isaiah 9:18–19). Now Isaiah, subtly changes metaphors to describes sin as a way of devouring other people. A few commentators suggest this is a reference to actual cannibalism in Israel. In this interpretation, this could have been the result of enemy sieges cutting off food supplies. More likely, though, Isaiah is describing the appetite for sin.

Sin is never satisfied. Even when it destroys others. The more the appetite is fed, the more it grows, like a fire burning out of control (James 3:5; Psalm 83:14). We destroy ourselves and everyone within reach to feed our want for wickedness. This endless, unchecked feast of evil is why God's destruction was coming on Israel.

Isaiah 9:8–21 returns to describing the judgment coming upon Israel in Isaiah's time. Despite the arrogance of the people, the enemies of their allies will devour them. When the people do not repent, the Lord will wipe out their leaders. He will have no compassion for the sinful people in every level of society. Wickedness burns through the people like a wildfire, turning human lives into fuel. Sinfulness causes people to devour each other and even themselves in trying to satisfy sin's appetite. The Lord will judge Israel for all of it.

Isaiah 9 begins prophecy about a future when darkness will be lifted from Israel. The nation will be free, prosperous, and at permanent peace. This will happen because God will send a child who will become a king on David's throne. More than a man, this king will be called Mighty God and Prince of Peace and will rule forever. In Isaiah's day, though, God's judgment will soon fall on Israel. He will wipe out their leaders. Wickedness burns through the nation like fire.

Isaiah 9 begins with what may be the conclusion of the previous chapter. Isaiah 8 ended with the description of the darkness experienced by those in Israel who reject the Lord. The prophet describes a day in Israel's far future when the gloom will lift and glory will return. A child will become king of Israel, but He will also be the Everlasting Father who will rule forever. However, In Isaiah's time, the Lord will judge Israel with destruction from other nations. The following chapter pronounces disaster for the people who persist in sin.

Isaiah is among the most important prophetic books in the entire Bible. The first segment details God's impending judgment against ancient peoples for sin and idolatry (Isaiah 1—35). The second part of Isaiah briefly explains a failed assault on Jerusalem during the rule of Hezekiah (Isaiah 36—39). The final chapters predict Israel's rescue from Babylonian captivity (Isaiah 40—48), the promised Messiah (Isaiah 49—57), and the final glory of Jerusalem and God's people (Isaiah 58—66).