God’s people were torn apart by strife and faced His continuing judgment, yet the passage also implies that a way back to Him remains open.
Isaiah declares that “Manasseh devours Ephraim, and Ephraim Manasseh, and together they are against Judah. In spite of all this, His anger does not turn away, and His hand is still stretched out” (v.21). Here, the prophet describes an intense civil strife among the tribes of Israel—Manasseh and Ephraim—who were historically part of the northern kingdom descending from Jacob. Manasseh and Ephraim trace their lineage to two sons of Joseph (Genesis 48), and Judah was the southern kingdom from which King David’s dynasty emerged around 1000 BC. By the time Isaiah ministered (circa 740-700 BC), political turmoil and idolatry had led to growing tensions and disunity among these tribes, even while external threats, such as Assyrian armies, loomed on the horizon.
In this verse, Isaiah vividly portrays how infighting has ravaged the people, stressing that they have turned one against the other. The phrase “together they are against Judah” reveals that the kingdom’s fractured discord extends right to the brink of outright war within God’s chosen nation. The imagery of devouring each other underscores the destructive consequences of abandoning the Lord’s ways (Isaiah 1:2-4). Despite these internecine struggles, the prophet emphasizes “His anger does not turn away, and His hand is still stretched out”—a repeated refrain in this section of Isaiah, showing that God’s righteous judgment remains upon a people who persist in rebellion, but also signaling His continued involvement with them, whether in discipline or grace.
Such conflict and judgment also highlight the need for repentance and unity under God’s covenant. Even in their warring state, there remains an opportunity for the people to return to Him. Within Isaiah’s broader message, the Lord’s redemption is always intertwined with His justice—in the midst of brokenness, He invites His people to restoration, pointing forward to the eventual fulfillment of His promises in Christ (Matthew 4:14-16).
Set to dark mode
Isaiah 9:21 meaning
Isaiah declares that “Manasseh devours Ephraim, and Ephraim Manasseh, and together they are against Judah. In spite of all this, His anger does not turn away, and His hand is still stretched out” (v.21). Here, the prophet describes an intense civil strife among the tribes of Israel—Manasseh and Ephraim—who were historically part of the northern kingdom descending from Jacob. Manasseh and Ephraim trace their lineage to two sons of Joseph (Genesis 48), and Judah was the southern kingdom from which King David’s dynasty emerged around 1000 BC. By the time Isaiah ministered (circa 740-700 BC), political turmoil and idolatry had led to growing tensions and disunity among these tribes, even while external threats, such as Assyrian armies, loomed on the horizon.
In this verse, Isaiah vividly portrays how infighting has ravaged the people, stressing that they have turned one against the other. The phrase “together they are against Judah” reveals that the kingdom’s fractured discord extends right to the brink of outright war within God’s chosen nation. The imagery of devouring each other underscores the destructive consequences of abandoning the Lord’s ways (Isaiah 1:2-4). Despite these internecine struggles, the prophet emphasizes “His anger does not turn away, and His hand is still stretched out”—a repeated refrain in this section of Isaiah, showing that God’s righteous judgment remains upon a people who persist in rebellion, but also signaling His continued involvement with them, whether in discipline or grace.
Such conflict and judgment also highlight the need for repentance and unity under God’s covenant. Even in their warring state, there remains an opportunity for the people to return to Him. Within Isaiah’s broader message, the Lord’s redemption is always intertwined with His justice—in the midst of brokenness, He invites His people to restoration, pointing forward to the eventual fulfillment of His promises in Christ (Matthew 4:14-16).