Isaiah 9:20 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…

New International Version (©1984)
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 his own offspring:

New Living Translation (©2007)
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.

English Standard Version (©2001)
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,

New American Standard Bible (©1995)
They slice off what is on the right hand but still are hungry, And they eat what is on the left hand but they are not satisfied; Each of them eats the flesh of his own arm.

GOD’S WORD? Translation (©1995)
On the right, one gobbles up food and is still hungry. On the left, another eats and is never full. Each person eats the flesh from his own arm.

King James Bible
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:

American King James Version
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:

American Standard Version
And one 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:

Bible in Basic English
On the right a man was cutting off bits and was still in need; on the left a man took a meal but had not enough; no man had pity on his brother; every man was making a meal of the flesh of his neighbour.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And he shall turn to the right hand, and shall be hungry: and shall eat on the left hand, and shall not be filled: every one shell eat the flesh of his own arm: Manasses Ephraim, and Ephraim Manasses, and they together shall be against Juda.

Darby Bible Translation
and he snatcheth on the right hand, and is hungry, and eateth on the left hand; and they are not satisfied. They eat every man the flesh of his own arm:

English Revised Version
And one 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:

Webster’s Bible Translation
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:

World English Bible
One will devour on the right hand, and be hungry; and he will eat on the left hand, and they will not be satisfied. Everyone will eat the flesh of his own arm:

Young’s Literal Translation
And cutteth down on the right, and hath been hungry, And he devoureth on the left, And they have not been satisfied, Each the flesh of his own arm they devour.

Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

And he shall snatch – Hebrew, ‘He shall cut off.’ Many have supposed that this refers to a state of famine; but others regard it as descriptive of a state of faction extending throughout the whole community, dissolving the most tender ties, arid producing a dissolution of all the bonds of life. The context Isaiah 9:19, Isaiah 9:21 shows, that the latter is meant; though it is not improbable that it would be attended with famine. When it is said that he ‘would cut off his right hand,’ it denotes a condition of internal anarchy and strife.

And be hungry – And not be satisfied. Such would be his rage, and his desire of blood, that he would be insatiable. The retarder of those on one side of him would not appease his insatiable wrath. His desire of carnage would be so great that it would be like unappeased hunger.

And he shall eat – The idea here is that of contending factions excited by fury, rage, envy, hatred, contending in mingled strife, and spreading death with insatiable desire everywhere around them.

They shall eat – Not literally; but “shall destroy.” To eat the flesh of anyone, denotes to seek one’s life, and is descriptive of blood-thirsty enemies; Psalm 27:2 : ‘When the wicked, even mine enemies and foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell;’ Job 19:22 :

Why do ye persecute me as God,

And are not satisfied with my flesh?

Compare Deuteronomy 7:16; Jeremiah 10:25; Jeremiah 30:15; Jeremiah 50:17; Hosea 7:7; see Ovid’s Metam. 8, 867:

Ipse suos artus lacero divellere morsu

Coepit; et infelix minuendo corpus alebat.

The flesh of his own arm – The Chaldee renders this, ‘Each one shall devour the substance of his neighbor.’ Lowth proposes to read it, ‘The flesh of his neighbor.’ but without sufficient authority. The expression denotes a state of dreadful faction – where the ties of most intimate relationship would be disregarded, represented, here by the appalling figure of a man’s appetite being so rabid that he would seize upon and devour his own flesh. So, in this state of faction and discord, the rage would be so great that people would destroy those who were, as it were, their own flesh, that is, their nearest kindred and friends.

Clarke’s Commentary on the Bible

The flesh of his own arm “The flesh of his neighbor” – – ? ?, the Septuagint Alexand. Duplex versio, quarum altera legit reo, quae vox extat, Jeremiah 6:21. Nam rea, , Genesis 43:33. Recte ni fallor.” – Secker. I add to this excellent remark, that the Chaldee manifestly reads reo, his neighbor, not zeroo, his arm; for he renders it by karibeyh, his neighbor. And Jeremiah has the very same expression: ? veish besar reehu yochelu, “and every one shall eat the flesh of his neighbor,” Jeremiah 19:9. This observation, I think, gives the true reading and sense of this place: and the context strongly confirms it by explaining the general idea by particular instances, in the following verse: “Every man shall devour the flesh of his neighbor;” that is, they shall harass and destroy one another. “Manasseh shall destroy Ephraim, and Ephraim, Manasseh;” which two tribes were most closely connected both in blood and situation as brothers and neighbors; “and both of them in the midst of their own dissensions shall agree in preying upon Judah.” The common reading, “shall devour the flesh of his own arm,” in connection with what follows, seems to make either an inconsistency, or an anticlimax; whereas by this correction the following verse becomes an elegant illustration of the foregoing. – L.

Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

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.

Geneva Study Bible

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 {r} flesh of his own arm:

(r) Their greediness will be insatiable, so that one brother will eat up another, as though he should eat his own flesh.

King James Translators’ Notes

snatch: Heb cut

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

20. hungry-not literally. Image from unappeasable hunger, to picture internal factions, reckless of the most tender ties (Isa 9:19), and insatiably spreading misery and death on every side (Jer 19:9).

eat-not literally, but destroy (Ps 27:2; Job 19:22).

flesh of . arm-those nearest akin: their former support (helper) (Isa 32:2) [Maurer].

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

9:8-21 Those are ripening apace for ruin, whose hearts are unhumbled under humbling providences. For that which God designs, in smiting us, is, to turn us to himself; and if this point be not gained by lesser judgments, greater may be expected. The leaders of the people misled them. We have reason to be afraid of those that speak well of us, when we do ill. Wickedness was universal, all were infected with it. They shall be in trouble, and see no way out; and when men’s ways displease the Lord, he makes even their friends to be at war with them. God would take away those they thought to have help from. Their rulers were the head. Their false prophets were the tail and the rush, the most despicable. In these civil contests, men preyed on near relations who were as their own flesh. The people turn not to Him who smites them, therefore he continues to smite: for when God judges, he will overcome; and the proudest, stoutest sinner shall either bend or break.

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