King James Version

Isaiah 9:20

And he 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:

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Hebrew

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In the Hebrew text this line is Isaiah 9:19.

וַיִּגְזֹ֤רvayigzorand cut downגָּזַרconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and cut down”, the next action in the storyH1504to cut down or off; (figuratively) to destroy, divide, exclude, or decidecut down (off), decree, divide, snatch.עַלalaboveעַלpreposition — “above”H5921above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applicationsabove, according to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, [idiom] as, at, because of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, [idiom] both and, by (reason of), [idiom] had the charge of, concerning for, in (that), (forth, out) of,…יָמִין֙yaminrightיָמִיןnoun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “right”, the ordinary formH3225the right hand or side (leg, eye) of a person or other object (as the stronger and more dexterous); locally, the south[phrase] left-handed, right (hand, side), south.וְרָעֵ֔בveraevand hungerרָעֵבconjunction, verb, qal, sequential perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and hunger”, a completed action in a sequenceH7456to hunger(suffer to) famish, (be, have, suffer, suffer to) hunger(-ry).וַיֹּ֥אכַלvayokhaland eatאָכַלconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and eat”, the next action in the storyH398to eat (literally or figuratively)[idiom] at all, burn up, consume, devour(-er, up), dine, eat(-er, up), feed (with), food, [idiom] freely, [idiom] in...wise(-deed, plenty), (lay) meat, [idiom] quite.עַלalaboveעַלpreposition — “above”H5921above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applicationsabove, according to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, [idiom] as, at, because of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, [idiom] both and, by (reason of), [idiom] had the charge of, concerning for, in (that), (forth, out) of,…שְׂמֹ֖אולsemovlleftשְׂמֹאולnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “left”, the ordinary formH8040properly, dark (as enveloped), i.e. the north; hence (by orientation), the left handleft (hand, side).וְלֹ֣אveloand no , -r,לֹאconjunction, particle, negative — “and no , -r,”H3808not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles[idiom] before, [phrase] or else, ere, [phrase] except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), ([idiom] as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, [phrase] surely, [phrase] as trul…שָׂבֵ֑עוּsavevfillשָׂבַעverb, qal, perfect, 3rd person, common, plural — “fill”, a completed actionH7646to sate, i.e. fill to satisfaction (literally or figuratively)have enough, fill (full, self, with), be (to the) full (of), have plenty of, be satiate, satisfy (with), suffice, be weary of.אִ֥ישׁisha certainאִישׁnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “a certain”, the ordinary formH376a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation)also, another, any (man), a certain, [phrase] champion, consent, each, every (one), fellow, (foot-, husband-) man, (good-, great, mighty) man, he, high (degree), him (that is), husband, man(-kind), [phrase] none, one, people, person, [phra…בְּשַׂרbesarbodyבָּשָׂרnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “body”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH1320flesh (from its freshness); by extension, body, person; also (by euphemistically) the pudenda of amanbody, (fat, lean) flesh(-ed), kin, (man-) kind, [phrase] nakedness, self, skin.זְרֹע֖וֹzerovoarmזְרוֹעַnoun, common, both genders, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “arm”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH2220the arm (as stretched out), or (of animals) the foreleg; figuratively, forcearm, [phrase] help, mighty, power, shoulder, strength.יֹאכֵֽלוּyokhelveatאָכַלverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “eat”, an unfinished actionH398to eat (literally or figuratively)[idiom] at all, burn up, consume, devour(-er, up), dine, eat(-er, up), feed (with), food, [idiom] freely, [idiom] in...wise(-deed, plenty), (lay) meat, [idiom] quite.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

(9-19) And one snatcheth on the right hand, and is hungry; and he eateth on the left hand, and is not satisfied; they eat every man the flesh of his own arm:

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

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:

Young’s Literal Translation

And cutteth down on the right, and hath been hungry, And he devoureth on the left, And they have not been satisfied, Each the flesh of his own arm they devour.

World English Bible

One will devour on the right hand, and be hungry; and he will eat on the left hand, and they will not be satisfied. Everyone will eat the flesh of his own arm:

Darby Translation

and he snatcheth on the right hand, and is hungry, and eateth on the left hand; and they are not satisfied. They eat every man the flesh of his own arm:

Douay-Rheims

And he shall turn to the right hand, and shall be hungry: and shall eat on the left hand, and shall not be filled: every one shell eat the flesh of his own arm: Manasses Ephraim, and Ephraim Manasses, and they together shall be against Juda.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

(9-19) And one snatcheth on the right hand, and is hungry; and he eateth on the left hand, and is not satisfied; they eat every man the flesh of his own arm:

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

But one shall turn aside to the right hand, for he shall be hungry; and shall eat on the left, and a man shall by no means be satisfied with eating the flesh of his own arm.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Ἀλλὰ ἐκκλινεῖ εἰς τὰ δεξιά, ὅτι πεινάσει, καὶ φάγεται ἐκ τῶν ἀριστερῶν, καὶ οὐ μὴ ἐμπλησθῇ ἄνθρωπος ἔσθων τὰς σάρκας τοῦ βραχίονος αὐτοῦ.