Matthew Henry Commentary Isaiah 9:8-21

"The Lord sent a word into Jacob, and it hath lighted upon Israel. And all the people shall know, [even] Ephraim and the inhabitant of Samaria, that say in pride and in stoutness of heart, The bricks are fallen, but we will build with hewn stone; the sycomores are cut down, but we will put cedars in their place. Therefore Jehovah will set up on high against him the adversaries of Rezin, and will stir up his enemies, 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. Yet the people have not turned unto him that smote them, neither have they sought Jehovah of hosts. Therefore Jehovah will cut off from Israel head and tail, palm-branch and rush, in one day. The elder and the honorable man, he is the head; and the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail. For they that lead this people cause them to err; and they that are led of them are destroyed. 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. For wickedness burneth as the fire; it devoureth the briers and thorns; yea, it kindleth in the thickets of the forest, and they roll upward in a column of smoke. Through the wrath of Jehovah of hosts is the land burnt up; and the people are as the fuel of fire: no man spareth his brother. 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: Manasseh, 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." — Isaiah 9:8-21 (ASV)

Those are ripening quickly for ruin whose hearts remain unhumbled under humbling providences. For what God intends when He afflicts us is to turn us to Himself; and if this goal is not achieved by lesser judgments, greater ones may be expected. The leaders of the people misled them.

We have reason to be afraid of those who speak well of us when we do wrong. Wickedness was universal; all were infected with it. They will be in trouble and see no way out. And when people's ways displease the Lord, He makes even their friends be at war with them.

God would remove those from whom they expected help. Their rulers were the head. Their false prophets were the tail and the rush—the most despicable. In these civil conflicts, people preyed on near relatives who were like their own flesh.

The people do not turn to Him who afflicts them; therefore, He continues to afflict them. For when God judges, He will overcome; and the proudest, most defiant sinner will either bend or break.