Albert Barnes Commentary Isaiah 9:17

"Therefore the Lord will not rejoice over their young men, neither will he have compassion on their fatherless and widows; for every one is profane and an evil-doer, and every mouth speaketh folly. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still." — Isaiah 9:17 (ASV)

Shall have no joy - He will not delight in them so as to preserve them. The parallel part of the verse shows that the phrase is used in the sense of having mercy.

In their young men - The hope and strength of the nation. The word used here commonly denotes those who are chosen, particularly for purposes of war. The sense is that the hope and strength of the nation, on which they chiefly relied, would be cut off.

Neither shall have mercy ... - Judgment would sweep through the nation, even over those who were the usual objects of divine protection—widows and orphans (Compare to Psalm 10:14, Psalms 10:18, Psalms 48:5, Deuteronomy 10:18, Jeremiah 49:11, Hosea 14:3). These passages show that the fatherless and the widow are the special objects of divine favor. Therefore, when it is said that the Lord would not have mercy on them, it reveals the extent and severity of the divine judgments coming upon the nation.

For every one is a hypocrite - A deceiver; a dissembler. The word used here, however, חָנֵף chânêph — means rather a profane or profligate man, a man who is defiled or polluted, than a dissembler. It is often applied to idolaters and licentious persons, but not to hypocrites (see Job 8:13, Job 13:16, Job 15:34, Job 17:8, Daniel 11:32).

Every mouth speaketh folly - The word rendered "folly" may denote foolishness, but it is also used to denote wickedness or crime (1 Samuel 25:23). This is probably the meaning here. That the character given here of the Ephraimites is correct is also abundantly shown by other prophets; see particularly Hosea.

For all this - Notwithstanding all the judgments that would come upon the young men, widows, and orphans, still his anger was not turned away. This is the close of the second strophe or part of this prophecy.