Isaiah 9:20

20 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^[a] :

Isaiah 9:20 in Other Translations

20 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:

20 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,

20 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.

20 Appetites insatiable, stuffing and gorging themselves left and right with people and things. But still they starved. Not even their children were safe from their rapacious hunger.

20 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 own arm.

Isaiah 9:20 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 9:20

And he shall snatch on the right hand, and be hungry
Either with his hand, and rob and plunder all within his reach; or, with his teeth, as cannibals, or beasts of prey, catch at, tear, and rend in pieces, whatever comes in their way; and yet hungry after more, and unsatisfied, as follows: and he shall eat on the left hand, and they shall not be satisfied;
ravage and spoil on every side, and yet not content. The Targum is,

``he shall spoil on the south, and be hungry; and he shall destroy on the north, and not be satisfied:''

they shall eat every man the flesh of his own arm;
destroy their near relations, who are their own flesh and blood, or take away their substance from them; so the Targum,

``they shall spoil every man the substance of his neighbour:''

which will give some light to ( Revelation 17:16 ) .

Isaiah 9:20 In-Context

18 Surely wickedness burns like a fire; it consumes briers and thorns, it sets the forest thickets ablaze, so that it rolls upward in a column of smoke.

19 By the wrath of the LORD Almighty the land will be scorched and the people will be fuel for the fire; they will not spare one another.

20 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 :

21 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.

Cross References

• 1. S Leviticus 26:26; S Job 18:12
• 2. Isaiah 49:26; Zechariah 11:9

Footnotes

• [a]. Or "arm"