Isaiah 9:20

“And he shall snatch on the right hand, and be hungry, &c.] 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…”

“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 (Psa 27:2; Job 19:22). flesh of . . . arm--those nearest akin: their former support (helper) (Isa 32:2) [MAURER].”

“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…”

“And he: Isa 49:26; Lev 26:26-29; Jer 19:9; Lam 4:10 snatch: Heb. cut Isaiah 9:21”