Therefore the LORD shall have no joy in their young men, neither shall have mercy on their fatherless and widows: for every one is an hypocrite and an evildoer, and every mouth speaketh folly. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.
So the Lord will find no joy in their young men, and he won't show mercy to their orphans and widows, because everyone is a hypocrite and does evil, and they all speak foolishness. Even after all this, God's anger hasn't gone away—his hand is still stretched out in judgment.
God is expressing deep grief that the corruption in Israel has become so complete that even the most vulnerable people (orphans and widows) have been infected by it, and his judgment must continue.
📚 Historical Context
Isaiah was prophesying during a time of moral and spiritual decay in Israel, likely around 735-700 BC. The society had become so corrupt that even those who should have been most deserving of protection—orphans and widows—had become part of the problem. This was during the period leading up to the Assyrian conquest of the northern kingdom of Israel.
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