Isaiah 9:21 (GNV)

Passage

Manasseh, Ephraim: and Ephraim Manasseh, and they both shall be against Iudah yet for all this his wrath is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.

Nearby Context

Isaiah 9:19 By the wrath of the Lord of hostes shall the land be darkened, and the people shall be as the meate of ye fire: no man shall spare his brother.

Isaiah 9:20 And he shall snatch at the right hand, and be hungrie: and he shall eate on the left hand, and shall not be satisfied: euery one shall eate ye flesh of his owne arme.

Isaiah 9:21 Manasseh, Ephraim: and Ephraim Manasseh, and they both shall be against Iudah yet for all this his wrath is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "manasseh", "ephraim", "both", "shall", "against", and "iudah". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "manasseh" and "ephraim", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The prior verse says "And he shall snatch at the right...", giving immediate footing for "manasseh" and "ephraim". In Isaiah context, the local focus is the Holy One of Israel, judgment and restoration, the servant of the LORD, and Zion's hope.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "manasseh" and "ephraim" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.