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Isaiah 17

1

The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap.

2

The cities of Aroer are forsaken: they shall be for flocks, which shall lie down, and none shall make them afraid.

3

The fortress also shall cease from Ephraim, and the kingdom from Damascus, and the remnant of Syria: they shall be as the glory of the children of Israel, saith the Lord of hosts.

1
4

And in that day it shall come to pass, that the glory of Jacob shall be made thin, and the fatness of his flesh shall wax lean.

5

And it shall be as when the harvestman gathereth the corn, and reapeth the ears with his arm; and it shall be as he that gathereth ears in the valley of Rephaim.

6

Yet gleaning grapes shall be left in it, as the shaking of an olive tree, two or three berries in the top of the uppermost bough, four or five in the outmost fruitful branches thereof, saith the Lord God of Israel.

7

At that day shall a man look to his Maker, and his eyes shall have respect to the Holy One of Israel.

8

And he shall not look to the altars, the work of his hands, neither shall respect that which his fingers have made, either the groves, or the images.

9

In that day shall his strong cities be as a forsaken bough, and an uppermost branch, which they left because of the children of Israel: and there shall be desolation.

10

Because thou hast forgotten the God of thy salvation, and hast not been mindful of the rock of thy strength, therefore shalt thou plant pleasant plants, and shalt set it with strange slips:

11

In the day shalt thou make thy plant to grow, and in the morning shalt thou make thy seed to flourish: but the harvest shall be a heap in the day of grief and of desperate sorrow.

12

Woe to the multitude of many people, which make a noise like the noise of the seas; and to the rushing of nations, that make a rushing like the rushing of mighty waters!

13

The nations shall rush like the rushing of many waters: but God shall rebuke them, and they shall flee far off, and shall be chased as the chaff of the mountains before the wind, and like a rolling thing before the whirlwind.

1
14

And behold at eveningtide trouble; and before the morning he is not. This is the portion of them that spoil us, and the lot of them that rob us.

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Isaiah 17

This oracle against Damascus (Aram) announces the destruction of the kingdom that oppressed Israel and promises that Judah will find ultimate security not in military alliance with Aram but in God alone. The prophecy depicts the cities of Aram becoming like heaps of ruins, emphasizing that human fortifications cannot withstand divine judgment. The vision includes the promise that Israel's fortified cities will also become like the cities of the Amorites, suggesting that Judah too has become vulnerable to judgment through spiritual blindness and unfaithfulness. Yet within this judgment, the chapter promises a remnant that will turn and seek the Lord, establishing that the judgment is not ultimate but purifying, designed to strip away false confidence and restore authentic faith. The prophecy warns against idolatry and the worship of Asherah poles, establishing that covenant unfaithfulness in the form of idolatrous practices invites judgment. The oracle employs the metaphor of forgetting the God of salvation, indicating that the fundamental sin is not merely political but theological—the people have turned from trust in the Lord to reliance on human alliances and false gods. The chapter demonstrates Isaiah's conviction that judgment aims at restoration, that the removal of false security enables the emergence of genuine faith. The promise that a faithful remnant will turn to the Lord in that day indicates that judgment is purposive, designed to purify and restore rather than merely to punish. Isaiah 17 establishes that authentic security comes not from military might or alliances but from covenantal faith in the Lord.

Isaiah 17:2

The cities of Aroer are forsaken; they shall be for flocks, which shall lie down, and none shall make them afraid—the devastation of the territory around Damascus, with former cities becoming pasture land. The lack of inhabitants transforms the human settlement into animal habitat. This verse emphasizes the depopulation and return to wilderness.

Isaiah 17:3

The fortress also shall cease from Ephraim, and the kingdom from Damascus, and the remnant of Syria; they shall be as the glory of the children of Israel, saith the LORD of hosts—the judgment extending to both Aramea and Israel (Ephraim), with the diminishment of political power. The comparison to Israel's diminished glory suggests parallel judgment on both. This verse establishes that the judgment affects multiple nations.

Isaiah 17:4

And in that day it shall come to pass, that the glory of Jacob shall be made thin, and the fatness of his flesh shall wax lean—the judgment on Israel (Jacob) through the diminishment of its power and prosperity. The wasting of the flesh suggests both spiritual and material diminishment. This verse indicates that judgment falls on Israel as well as its enemies.

Isaiah 17:1

The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap—the opening of the oracle against Damascus, announcing the destruction of the capital of the Aramean kingdom. The transformation from city to ruin emphasizes the totality of the judgment. This verse begins the oracle against Damascus.

Isaiah 17:5

And it shall be as when the harvestman gathereth the corn, and reapeth the ears with his arm; and it shall be as he that gathereth ears in the valley of Rephaim—the comparison of Israel's judgment to the harvest, with the reaping suggesting both the gathering of the remnant and the removal of the many. The specific valley reference may suggest a historical site of gathering. This verse uses agricultural metaphor to describe the sorting of survivors from the destroyed.

Isaiah 17:6

Yet gleaning grapes shall be left in it, as the shaking of an olive tree, two or three berries in the top of the uppermost bough, four or five in the outgoings of the fruitful branches, saith the LORD God of Israel—the promise that a remnant will survive the judgment, like olives or grapes left on the tree after harvest. The small numbers (two or three, four or five) emphasize the severity of the judgment while promising survival. This verse establishes the preservation of a remnant.

Isaiah 17:7

At that day shall a man look to his Maker, and his eyes shall have respect to the Holy One of Israel—the spiritual consequence of judgment: the surviving remnant will turn to God with renewed faith. The acknowledgment of the Maker suggests renewed understanding of God's sovereignty. This verse indicates that judgment serves the purpose of bringing the people back to God.

Isaiah 17:8

And he shall not look to the altars, the work of his hands, neither shall respect that which his fingers have made, either the groves, or the images—the renunciation of idolatry that will characterize the remnant's response to judgment. The specific rejection of idols made by human hands suggests the vanity of human religious production. This verse describes the spiritual transformation that judgment effects.

Isaiah 17:9

In that day shall his strong cities be as a forsaken bough, and an uppermost branch, which they left because of the children of Israel; and there shall be desolation—the judgment extending to the fortified cities, left like abandoned branches. The reference to the children of Israel suggests that Israel will have caused the desolation or will have become refugees. This verse depicts the destruction of fortifications and cities.

Isaiah 17:10

Because thou hast forgotten the God of thy salvation, and hast not been mindful of the rock of thy strength, therefore shalt thou plant pleasant plants, and set it with strange slips—the explanation for judgment: forgetfulness of God results in devotion to idols and foreign religious practices. The planting of strange plants suggests the adoption of foreign religious customs. This verse diagnoses the spiritual disease underlying judgment.

Isaiah 17:11

In the day shalt thou make thy plant to grow, and in the morning shalt thou make thy seed to flourish; but the harvest shall be a heap in the day of grief and of desperate sorrow—the irony that even when the people make efforts to restore prosperity (planting and sowing), the harvest becomes a heap of ruin due to judgment. The day of grief suggests sudden, comprehensive loss. This verse emphasizes the futility of efforts to restore what God has judged.

Isaiah 17:12

Woe to the multitude of many people, which make a noise like the noise of the seas; and to the rushing of nations, that make a rushing like the rushing of mighty waters—the oracle against the nations, with their noise and rushing compared to the sea's turbulence. The comparison to waters suggests both power and chaos. This verse addresses the nations threatening Israel.

Isaiah 17:13

The nations shall rush like the rushing of many waters; but God shall rebuke them, and they shall flee far off, and shall be chased as the chaff of the mountains before the wind, and like a rolling thing before the whirlwind—the promise that despite the mighty rushing of nations, God will rebuke them and scatter them like chaff. The comparison to chaff emphasizes the weightlessness and insignificance of even mighty nations before God. This verse establishes that all human might is powerless against God.

Isaiah 17:14

And behold at eveningtide trouble; and before the morning he is not. This is the portion of them that spoil us, and the lot of them that rob us—the promise that the enemies will be destroyed during a single night, with the judgment coming swiftly and completely. The contrast between eveningtide and morning emphasizes the speed of the judgment. This verse concludes the oracle with the promise of sudden relief.