Isaiah 9:12 (YLT)

Passage

Aram from before, and Philistia from behind, And they devour Israel with the whole mouth. With all this not turned back hath His anger, And still His hand is stretched out.

Nearby Context

Isaiah 9:10 `Bricks have fallen, and hewn work we build, Sycamores have been cut down, and cedars we renew.'

Isaiah 9:11 And Jehovah setteth the adversaries of Rezin on high above him, And his enemies he joineth together,

Isaiah 9:12 Aram from before, and Philistia from behind, And they devour Israel with the whole mouth. With all this not turned back hath His anger, And still His hand is stretched out.

Isaiah 9:13 And the people hath not turned back unto Him who is smiting it, And Jehovah of Hosts they have not sought.

Isaiah 9:14 And Jehovah cutteth off from Israel head and tail, Branch and reed--the same day,

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "aram", "before", "philistia", "behind", "devour", "israel", "whole", and "mouth". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "aram" and "before", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 11's "And Jehovah setteth the adversaries of Rezin..." into verse 13's "And the people hath not turned back...", so "aram" and "before" belong inside that flow. 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 "aram" and "before" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.