Why will the Lord have no joy in their young men and no mercy on their fatherless and widows according to Isaiah 9:17?

The reason the Lord will have no joy in their young men and no mercy on their fatherless and widows, as stated in Isaiah 9:17, primarily centers on the character of the people at that time. The passage indicates that everyone in that society is characterized as hypocritical and as evildoers. This notion of widespread hypocrisy reflects a deeper issue where the people are engaging in wrongful practices while outwardly maintaining a facade of righteousness.

This aligns with the broader themes found in the book of Isaiah, where God frequently expresses disappointment with His people due to their insincerity and moral failures. The presence of evildoers, especially among the youth who are typically viewed as the future of a nation, signifies a troubling moral decline that leads to divine disfavor. Thus, God's lack of joy in the young men and lack of mercy towards vulnerable groups like the fatherless and widows stems from this pervasive lack of integrity and wrongdoing within the community.

In contrast, the other options, while they might touch upon related themes present throughout the book, do not encapsulate the specific movement in this verse that highlights the hypocrisy and pervasive evil among the individuals being addressed. Each of those themes—turning away from God, committing sins without remorse, and