John Calvin Commentary Isaiah 9:12

"the Syrians before, and the Philistines behind; and they shall devour Israel with open mouth. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still." — Isaiah 9:12 (ASV)

Syria in front. The Prophet shows what the nature of this change will be and what will happen after the death of Rezin (2 Kings 16:9), who had allied himself with Israel against Judah. Namely, the Syrians, after the death of their king, will suddenly turn from allies into enemies and will make war against Israel, which indeed happened (2 Kings 17:3). This is what he means when he says that Syria will be in front.

For I do not agree with those expositors who take Syria to mean “those on the East,” and the Philistines “those on the West.” A more natural meaning is that the enemies will invade them on every side, because on all sides those who had been regarded as faithful friends will rise up to destroy them. The phrases in front and behind accord with ordinary ways of speaking, so we should not seek an interpretation that is new and unrelated to the purpose.

From this example we should learn what it means to rely on human power and the alliances of kings, especially when, as a result of being entangled by unlawful covenants, we become careless and fall asleep. For as soon as the Lord pleases, those who were formerly on our side will, in a very short time, be turned against us to our ruin. Remedies which we thought would be useful to us will prove to be our destruction and will work against us both before and behind.

We should also observe that God does not expend all His scourges at once. But when we continue obstinately and provoke Him more and more, He increases and multiplies the chastisements, and still inflicts a new kind of punishment, until at last He subdues our obstinacy and rebellion.

And will devour Israel with the whole mouth. The phrase with the whole mouth is equivalent to a common idiom of our own (à pleine bouche), with full mouth. It is as if he had said, “Israel will be exposed as a prey to her enemies, so that on every side she will be devoured with open mouth, both by the Syrians and by the Philistines.”

His anger is not turned away. This is the severest of all and, beyond everything else, should have terrified the ungodly: that if they had suffered much, they have more to endure; that new punishments continually await them, because by continuing in their obstinacy they further inflame the wrath of God.

Men take this as an incentive to more obstinate and determined wickedness. For, having suffered some punishment, they think that they have nothing more to suffer and become more hardened. They do not even believe that they are any longer exposed to the judgment of God, who has already used up His rods. As if they were altogether out of His power, they give themselves greater indulgence and shake off every yoke.

But his hand is stretched out still. What we have just stated is the reason Isaiah threatens that the hand of the Lord is still stretched out, so that they may not think that they have escaped that hand.

Now, this is said not for the purpose of instructing, but of accusing, though the threats also tend to make doctrine better understood. But as he was dealing with obstinate men, on whom no chastisement produced any good effect, he therefore announces that the chastisements are not yet at an end. And, although God has for a time discontinued those chastisements, still He has not dispensed with them, but has His hand lifted up to inflict a new wound.