Isaiah 9:12

Aram from the east and Philistia from the west have devoured Israel with open mouths. Despite all this, His anger is not turned away; His hand is still upraised.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — The prophet Isaiah addresses Judah and Israel during the Syro-Ephraimite crisis, recording God’s declaration that He has mobilized neighboring kingdoms to execute judgment.

The words — אֲרָ֣ם ('a.Ram) identifies the northern coalition, and וַ/יֹּאכְל֥וּ (va/i.yo.khe.Lu) literally means they consumed or devoured, describing the total destruction wrought by these forces.

The thread — The image of God’s unrelenting hand and anger appears in Isaiah 5:25, while the specific threats of Aram and Philistia recur in 2 Kings 16:6 and 2 Chronicles 28:18.

Why it lands — It requires the reader to acknowledge that national catastrophe does not terminate divine discipline, and it demands a return to God rather than a presumption that punishment has ended.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

אֲרָ֣ם'a.RamAram מִקֶּ֗דֶםmi./Ke.demfrom/ [the] east וּפְלִשְׁתִּים֙u./fe.lish.Timand/ Philistines מֵֽאָח֔וֹרme./'a.Chorfrom/ [the] west וַיֹּאכְל֥וּva/i.yo.khe.Luand/ they consumed אֶת־'et-<obj.>יִשְׂרָאֵ֖לYis.ra.'ElIsrael בְּכָל־be./kholwith/ all פֶּ֑הPeh[the] mouth בְּכָל־be./kholfor/ all זֹאת֙zoTthis לֹא־lo'-not שָׁ֣בshavit has turned back אַפּ֔וֹ'a.P/oanger/ his וְע֖וֹדve./'odand/ still יָד֥וֹya.D/ohand/ his נְטוּיָֽה׃ne.tu.Yah[is] stretched out

King James Version

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.

Cross-references

2 Chronicles 28:18 The Philistines had also raided the cities of the foothills and the Negev of Judah, capturing and occupying Beth-shemesh, Aijalon, and Gederoth, as well as Soco, Timnah, and Gimzo with their villages.
Isaiah 5:25 Therefore the anger of the LORD burns against His people; His hand is raised against them to strike them down. The mountains quake, and the corpses lie like refuse in the streets. Despite all this, His anger is not turned away; His hand is still upraised.
2 Kings 16:6 At that time Rezin king of Aram recovered Elath for Aram, drove out the men of Judah, and sent the Edomites into Elath, where they live to this day.
Psalms 79:7 for they have devoured Jacob and devastated his homeland.
Isaiah 9:17 Therefore the Lord takes no pleasure in their young men; He has no compassion on their fatherless and widows. For every one of them is godless and wicked, and every mouth speaks folly. Despite all this, His anger is not turned away; His hand is still upraised.
Isaiah 9:21 Manasseh devours Ephraim, and Ephraim Manasseh; together they turn against Judah. Despite all this, His anger is not turned away; His hand is still upraised.
Isaiah 10:4 Nothing will remain but to crouch among the captives or fall among the slain. Despite all this, His anger is not turned away; His hand is still upraised.
Jeremiah 10:25 Pour out Your wrath on the nations that do not acknowledge You, and on the families that do not call on Your name. For they have devoured Jacob; they have consumed him and finished him off; they have devastated his homeland.
Deuteronomy 31:17 On that day My anger will burn against them, and I will abandon them and hide My face from them, so that they will be consumed, and many troubles and afflictions will befall them. On that day they will say, ‘Have not these disasters come upon us because our God is no longer with us?’
Psalms 129:3 The plowmen plowed over my back; they made their furrows long.