Isaiah 9 21

Isaiah 9:21 kjv

Manasseh, Ephraim; and Ephraim, Manasseh: and they together shall be against Judah. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.

Isaiah 9:21 nkjv

Manasseh shall devour Ephraim, and Ephraim Manasseh; Together they shall be against Judah. For all this His anger is not turned away, But His hand is stretched out still.

Isaiah 9:21 niv

Manasseh will feed on Ephraim, and Ephraim on Manasseh; together they will turn against Judah. Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away, his hand is still upraised.

Isaiah 9:21 esv

Manasseh devours Ephraim, and Ephraim devours Manasseh; together they are against Judah. For all this his anger has not turned away, and his hand is stretched out still.

Isaiah 9:21 nlt

Manasseh will feed on Ephraim,
Ephraim will feed on Manasseh,
and both will devour Judah.
But even then the LORD's anger will not be satisfied.
His fist is still poised to strike.

Isaiah 9 verses

Isaiah 9 21 meaning

Isaiah 9:21 vividly describes the tragic internal strife within the Northern Kingdom of Israel and its persistent animosity towards the Southern Kingdom of Judah. It prophesies a state where the powerful tribes of Manasseh and Ephraim, though historically kin, would "devour" each other in self-destructive conflict. Yet, despite this deep-seated mutual antagonism, they would set aside their internal feud to unite their forces in aggression "against Judah." This verse powerfully portrays the profound disunity and spiritual decay of God's people, where internecine warfare weakens them from within, only to converge in hostility against their brethren of the Davidic line.

Isaiah 9 21 Context

Isaiah 9:21 is the concluding verse of a prophetic oracle (Isaiah 9:8-21) detailing God's persistent judgment against the Northern Kingdom of Israel (often called "Ephraim") for its unrepentant pride, rebellion, and moral corruption. The preceding verses (9:8-19) chronicle how despite successive divine judgments, Israel refused to turn back to God, leading to escalating chaos and internal self-destruction. The verse’s immediate context in 9:20 portrays a people so desperate and spiritually hollow that "each devours the flesh of his own arm," a stark metaphor for cannibalistic internal strife. Historically, this prophecy arises during the period of the divided monarchy, specifically the 8th century BC, an era marked by the decline of the Northern Kingdom amidst constant political instability, rapid succession of kings, and increasing threat from the Assyrian Empire. The relationship between the Northern Kingdom and Judah was consistently fraught with tension and intermittent warfare, exacerbated during the Syro-Ephraimite War (c. 734-732 BC), when Israel (Ephraim) allied with Aram to attack Judah, confirming the prophet’s words.

Isaiah 9 21 Word analysis

• Manasseh: (Hebrew: מְנַשֶּׁה, Mĕnaššeh) – One of the two prominent tribes of the Northern Kingdom, descended from Joseph's older son. Symbolizes one faction of the Northern Kingdom, often in rivalry with Ephraim. Its name means "causing to forget."
• will devour Ephraim: The verb "devour" is carried over conceptually from the preceding verse (Isa 9:20), which explicitly uses a word for eating. It metaphorically describes severe, self-destructive internal conflict, political instability, civil war, and economic exploitation between these two closely related tribes. This highlights a self-inflicted wound, where the nation consumes itself.
• and Ephraim Manasseh: (Hebrew: וְאֶפְרַיִם אֶת־מְנַשֶּׁה, wĕ’ep̄rayim ’eṯ-Mĕnaššeh) – Reverses the relationship, showing reciprocal and mutual destruction. Ephraim (Hebrew: אֶפְרַיִם, ’Ep̄rayim) was Joseph’s younger son but became the dominant and most populous tribe of the Northern Kingdom, often serving as a synecdoche for Israel itself. The phrase signifies an ongoing, bitter internal conflict and cyclical violence between the key powers within Israel, ensuring national weakening.
• together: (Hebrew: יַחְדָּו, yaḥdāw) – This adverb indicates a unified action. It highlights a paradox: despite their internal, consuming strife, there's a specific context in which they can forge a temporary alliance.
• they will be: The pronoun hēmmâ (הֵמָּה, "they") refers to both Manasseh and Ephraim, underscoring their combined action. The verb "will be" is implied in the Hebrew, emphasizing their collective stance.
• against Judah: (Hebrew: עַל־יְהוּדָה, ʿal-yĕhūdāh) – The Southern Kingdom, encompassing the tribe of Judah and the city of Jerusalem, home of the Davidic dynasty and the Temple. The preposition ʿal (עַל) means "against" or "upon," denoting hostile intent. This reveals the deep and persistent schism between the two parts of God's covenant people. Despite their shared heritage and self-inflicted wounds, their common external focus became their kin in the south, rather than seeking reconciliation or turning to God.

Word Group Analysis:

• "Manasseh will devour Ephraim, and Ephraim Manasseh": This phrase paints a grim picture of civil unrest and internal collapse. It suggests that their internal strife was so severe it was metaphorically cannibalistic—each part of the nation consuming the other. This echoes covenant curses and underscores the tragic consequence of abandoning divine guidance, leading to a breakdown of social and political order from within.
• "together they will be against Judah": This grouping emphasizes that despite intense internal conflict, the northern tribes could find unity when it came to antagonizing their southern brethren. This perpetual enmity against the Davidic covenant line signifies their complete rejection of God's chosen path and demonstrates the depth of the spiritual and political divide that weakened all of Israel in the face of external threats.

Isaiah 9 21 Bonus section

• The vivid "devouring" imagery recalls severe covenant curses from the Law (Lev 26:33-39, Deut 28:53-57), where internal strife, siege conditions leading to cannibalism, and self-destruction are prophesied for disobedience. This indicates that Israel's actions are bringing upon themselves these divine judgments, showing the spiritual depth of the metaphor.
• The emphasis on Ephraim and Manasseh highlights the Joseph tribes, historically dominant in the north. Their fratricidal conflict within the context of attacking Judah represents a tragic reversal of the united blessings originally given to Joseph's house (Gen 49:22-26), now perverted into a curse of disunity.
• The persistence of animosity towards Judah, despite shared ancestry and the threat of Assyrian invasion, serves as a poignant backdrop for later prophecies, like Isaiah 11:13, which envision a Messianic era where "Ephraim will not be jealous of Judah, nor Judah hostile toward Ephraim," foreshadowing a divinely established reconciliation and true unity under the Messiah. This verse thus stands in stark contrast to God's ultimate plan for a reunited Israel.

Isaiah 9 21 Commentary

Isaiah 9:21 provides a devastating summary of the Northern Kingdom's spiritual and political condition before its fall to Assyria. The image of Manasseh and Ephraim "devouring" each other vividly portrays the self-inflicted wounds of civil war, corruption, and social anarchy that characterized Israel. This internal collapse, described metaphorically as "eating the flesh of his own arm" in the preceding verse, points to a profound failure to maintain national cohesion and brotherly love—a direct consequence of their widespread idolatry and rebellion against the Lord. Paradoxically, even amidst this destructive internal chaos, these mutually hostile factions found a common cause: opposition to Judah. This animosity against their kin, the inheritors of the Davidic covenant and the seat of God’s Temple, highlights the deeply fractured state of God's chosen people. Their hostility towards Judah, even when facing external threats, revealed a spiritual blindness and a rejection of divine unity. The verse stands as a dire warning of the consequences of unrepented sin, showing how a people can become so consumed by internal strife and misplaced enmity that they hasten their own destruction, leaving themselves vulnerable to their true enemies and God's impending judgment.