Verse Lens · Concise explanation
Isaiah 9:21 Explained in Context
Use this verse as a doorway into the larger passage—not as an isolated saying.
Verse 21. 21Manasseh, Ephraim; and Ephraim, Manasseh: and they together shall be against Judah. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.
King James Version — public domain in the United States · Bible text and permissions
Quick Meaning
The prophetic poem or speech in Isaiah states or reports “Manasseh, Ephraim; and Ephraim, Manasseh: and they together shall be against Judah. For all this his anger is…” at Isaiah 9:21 as a specific part of “Wickedness Burns through Land and Kinship.”
Read It With
- Isaiah 9:18–21
Read Isaiah 9:21 with 9:18–21. By itself, “Manasseh, Ephraim; and Ephraim, Manasseh: and they together shall be against Judah. For all this his anger is…” can be detached from the speaker, addressee, historical horizon, poetic movement, or outcome that gives it force. The complete unit establishes: Social evil is pictured as a fire that consumes thickets, darkens the land, devours people, and drives Manasseh and Ephraim against each other and Judah.
Why This Verse Appears Here
Within the same chapter, this unit advances from “Unrepentant Leadership Leaves the People without Guidance” into “Wickedness Burns through Land and Kinship.” Its non-interchangeable movement is: Social evil is pictured as a fire that consumes thickets, darkens the land, devours people, and drives Manasseh and Ephraim against each other and Judah. This verse's placement is specific: The prophetic poem or speech in Isaiah states or reports “Manasseh, Ephraim; and Ephraim, Manasseh: and they together shall be against Judah. For all this his anger is…” at Isaiah 9:21 as a specific part of “Wickedness Burns through Land and Kinship.”
What Remains True
Power, violence, false worship, and sustained injustice have consequences, but judgment is not a human license for cruelty. In Isaiah 9:21, that bounded truth is carried through this verse's role: The prophetic poem or speech in Isaiah states or reports “Manasseh, Ephraim; and Ephraim, Manasseh: and they together shall be against Judah. For all this his anger is…” at Isaiah 9:21 as a specific part of “Wickedness Burns through Land and Kinship.”
How It Can Shape Life
- Identify the ancient referent and named wrongdoing, protect people in danger, and reject revenge, scapegoating, and simplistic explanations of suffering. This response follows Isaiah 9:18–21's specific concern, “Wickedness Burns through Land and Kinship.” This verse directs that response through its exact role: The prophetic poem or speech in Isaiah states or reports “Manasseh, Ephraim; and Ephraim, Manasseh: and they together shall be against Judah. For all this his anger is…” at Isaiah 9:21 as a specific part of “Wickedness Burns through Land and Kinship.”
Continue in Context
The full thought-unit study remains the final contextual authority for this Verse Lens.
Read Isaiah 9:18–21 — Wickedness Burns through Land and KinshipSources used for this Verse Lens
How certain is this explanation? probable
These are the sources used directly for this lens. Language, grammar, disagreements, and the complete source shelf remain attached to the full thought-unit research record.
Biblical text
King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006
eBible.org and CrossWire Bible Society
USFM archive eng-kjv2006_usfm.zip; source files dated 2026-08-19; downloaded 2026-08-24; archive SHA-256 aec1b3b26c622fd3d963d2bbac963016b9513246ffbfa20da00bb100372ea007; normalized corpus SHA-256 09aef51d90488aa7b9722b3fd9a93f4b25f6bf2064c5fd798fb39673c300ddf2.
Supports: Exact displayed KJV wording, verse order, paragraph metadata, supplied-word markup, and complete thought-unit coverage.
Exact location: Isaiah 9:18–21, pinned eng-kjv2006 USFM-derived repository corpus
Open source ↗hebrew text and morphology
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible: Isaiah
Open Scriptures
Open Scriptures, release 2.2
Supports: Masoretic Hebrew wording and morphology at the exact unit, without treating morphology as apparatus, lexicon, composition history, or interpretation.
Exact location: Open Scriptures MorphHB v2.2, commit 6a5db284c715c18b239422e57bb89684e6a19f00, wlc/Isa.xml, OSIS 9:18–21 with Hebrew/KJV versification difference checked
Open the fixed Hebrew Isaiah file ↗translation and translator notes
NET Bible Notes: Isaiah
Biblical Studies Press
Biblical Studies Press, 2016; current official PDF
Supports: Verse-level controls for Hebrew, syntax, poetry, older KJV language, chronology, names, textual issues, and material translation alternatives.
Exact location: Official NET Isaiah PDF, translator, study, and textual notes attached to Isaiah 9:18–21 in the complete 205-page book PDF
Open the official NET Isaiah PDF ↗