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Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Isaiah 9:8-21

Here are terrible threatenings, which are directed primarily against Israel, the kingdom of the ten tribes, Ephraim and Samaria, the ruin of which is here foretold, with all the woeful confusions that were the prefaces to that ruin, all which came to pass within a few years after; but they look further, to all the enemies of the throne and kingdom of Christ the Son of David, and read the doom of all the nations that forget God, and will not have Christ to reign over them. Observe, I. The... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 9:12

The Syrians before, and the Philistines behind ,.... Rezin, king of Syria, the confederate of the Israelites, being slain, his people joined the Assyrians against Israel; and they, with others mentioned, beset them on all sides, before and behind, east and west; and so the Targum, Septuagint, and other versions, render it, the Syrians on the east, or from the rising of the sun; and the Philistines on the west, or from the setting of the sun; for, as Kimchi observes, Syria lay east of the... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Isaiah 9:12

With open mouth "On every side" - פה בכל bechol peh , in every corner, in every part of their country, pursuing them to the remotest extremities, and the most retired parts. So the Chaldee אתר בכל bechol athar , in every place. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 9:8-12

The evil spirit of defiance. The spirit which is here rebuked is that of a guilty defiance of God. Jehovah had visited Israel with the signs of his displeasure—had humbled and impoverished her. What attitude should she now assume? That of humility and amendment? Nothing was further from her mind. She would contend in her own strength against her fate, against the Lord who had abased her; she would show to him the futility of his correction. The bricks might be fallen down; it was of no... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 9:8-21

THE PROPHET RETURNS TO THREATS AND WARNINGS , ADDRESSED CHIEFLY TO THE KINGDOM OF ISRAEL . The remainder of this chapter, together with the first four verses of the next, seems to have formed originally a distinct and separate prophecy. The passage is a poem in four stanzas, with the same refrain at the end of each: "For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still." A somewhat early date has been assigned to the prophecy, as; for... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 9:8-21

Persistent impenitence brings repeated chastisements. One would naturally expect that so weak a creature as man, when chastised by the Divine anger, would readily and at once " humble himself under the almighty hand of God," accept the chastisement as deserved, and entreat for mercy and forgiveness. But, weak as he is, man is unwilling to acknowledge his weakness, and, faulty as he is, dislikes nothing so much as acknowledging his faults. God's judgments he will net allow to be judgments,... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 9:12

The Syrians before, and the Philistines behind ; or, the Syrians from the east , and the Philistines from the west . The Semitic races regarded the world as looking to the rising sun, and used for the east the preposition signifying "in front," for the west that signifying "behind." Syria seems to have been hostile to Samaria until the league was formed between Rezin and Pekah, and may have become hostile again after Pekah's death ( 2 Chronicles 28:23 ). We read of a Philistine... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 9:12

The Divine anger. "For all this his anger is not turned away." The reference of the previous verses is to the calamities which are surely overtaking Rezin of Syria, and Pekah of Israel, as judgments on them, signs of Divine indignation, for their schemes against Judah. Rezin was threatened by Assyria; Pekah was threatened both by his former ally, Israel, and on the other side by the Philistines. As yet, however, these judgments had not proved effectual in humbling Rezin and Pekah, or in... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Isaiah 9:12

The Syrians - Isaiah 7:1. The Syrians had been the allies of the Israelites. But after the death of Rezin, it is probable that they joined the Assyrians, and united with them in the invasion of Samaria. - Aben Ezra; Grotius. “Before.” Hebrew ‘From the east.’ Syria was situated to the east of Samaria, and the meaning is here, that they would pour in upon Samaria from that side.And the Philistines - The Philistines occupied the country southwest of Samaria, lying along on the shores of the... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Isaiah 9:8-12

Isaiah 9:8-12. The Lord sent a word, &c. A prophetical and threatening message by me: for now the prophet, having inserted some consolatory passages for the support of God’s faithful people, returns to his former work of commination against the rebellious Israelites; and it lighted Hebrew, נפל , it fell, that is, it shall fall in the prophetical style. It shall certainly be accomplished; upon Israel The same with Jacob in the former clause. We have here the third section of the... read more

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