1 The burden H4853 of Damascus. H1834 Behold, Damascus H1834 is taken away H5493 from being a city, H5892 and it shall be a ruinous H4654 heap. H4596
The burden H4853 of the word H1697 of the LORD H3068 in the land H776 of Hadrach, H2317 and Damascus H1834 shall be the rest H4496 thereof: when the eyes H5869 of man, H120 as of all the tribes H7626 of Israel, H3478 shall be toward the LORD. H3068
Thus saith H559 the LORD; H3068 For three H7969 transgressions H6588 of Damascus, H1834 and for four, H702 I will not turn away H7725 the punishment thereof; because they have threshed H1758 Gilead H1568 with threshing instruments H2742 of iron: H1270 But I will send H7971 a fire H784 into the house H1004 of Hazael, H2371 which shall devour H398 the palaces H759 of Benhadad. H1130 I will break H7665 also the bar H1280 of Damascus, H1834 and cut off H3772 the inhabitant H3427 from the plain H1237 of Aven, H206 and him that holdeth H8551 the sceptre H7626 from the house H1004 of Eden: H5731 H1040 and the people H5971 of Syria H758 shall go into captivity H1540 unto Kir, H7024 saith H559 the LORD. H3068
And desired G154 of G3844 him G846 letters G1992 to G1519 Damascus G1154 to G4314 the synagogues, G4864 that G3704 if G1437 he found G2147 any G5100 of this way, G3598 whether G5037 they were G5607 men G435 or G2532 women, G1135 he might bring them G71 bound G1210 unto G1519 Jerusalem. G2419
Therefore I will make H7760 Samaria H8111 as an heap H5856 of the field, H7704 and as plantings H4302 of a vineyard: H3754 and I will pour down H5064 the stones H68 thereof into the valley, H1516 and I will discover H1540 the foundations H3247 thereof.
Concerning Damascus. H1834 Hamath H2574 is confounded, H954 and Arpad: H774 for they have heard H8085 evil H7451 tidings: H8052 they are fainthearted; H4127 there is sorrow H1674 on the sea; H3220 it cannot H3201 be quiet. H8252 Damascus H1834 is waxed feeble, H7503 and turneth H6437 herself to flee, H5127 and fear H7374 hath seized H2388 on her: anguish H6869 and sorrows H2256 have taken H270 her, as a woman in travail. H3205 How is the city H5892 of praise H8416 not left, H5800 the city H7151 of my joy! H4885 Therefore her young men H970 shall fall H5307 in her streets, H7339 and all the men H582 of war H4421 shall be cut off H1826 in that day, H3117 saith H5002 the LORD H3068 of hosts. H6635 And I will kindle H3341 a fire H784 in the wall H2346 of Damascus, H1834 and it shall consume H398 the palaces H759 of Benhadad. H1130
Therefore, behold, the days H3117 come, H935 saith H559 the LORD, H3068 that I will cause an alarm H8643 of war H4421 to be heard H8085 in Rabbah H7237 of the Ammonites; H1121 H5983 and it shall be a desolate H8077 heap, H8510 and her daughters H1323 shall be burned H3341 with fire: H784 then shall Israel H3478 be heir H3423 unto them that were his heirs, H3423 saith H5002 the LORD. H3068
Hast thou not heard H8085 long ago, H7350 how I have done H6213 it; and of ancient H6924 times, H3117 that I have formed H3335 it? now have I brought H935 it to pass, that thou shouldest be to lay waste H7582 defenced H1219 cities H5892 into ruinous H5327 heaps. H1530
Therefore shall Zion H6726 for your sake H1558 be plowed H2790 as a field, H7704 and Jerusalem H3389 shall become heaps, H5856 and the mountain H2022 of the house H1004 as the high places H1116 of the forest. H3293
The burden H4853 of Egypt. H4714 Behold, the LORD H3068 rideth H7392 upon a swift H7031 cloud, H5645 and shall come H935 into Egypt: H4714 and the idols H457 of Egypt H4714 shall be moved H5128 at his presence, H6440 and the heart H3824 of Egypt H4714 shall melt H4549 in the midst H7130 of it.
The burden H4853 of Moab. H4124 Because in the night H3915 Ar H6144 of Moab H4124 is laid waste, H7703 and brought to silence; H1820 because in the night H3915 Kir H7024 of Moab H4124 is laid waste, H7703 and brought to silence; H1820
For before the child H5288 shall have knowledge H3045 to cry, H7121 My father, H1 and my mother, H517 the riches H2428 of Damascus H1834 and the spoil H7998 of Samaria H8111 shall be taken away H5375 before H6440 the king H4428 of Assyria. H804
For he sacrificed H2076 unto the gods H430 of Damascus, H1834 which smote H5221 him: and he said, H559 Because the gods H430 of the kings H4428 of Syria H758 help H5826 them, therefore will I sacrifice H2076 to them, that they may help H5826 me. But they were the ruin H3782 of him, and of all Israel. H3478
Wherefore the LORD H3068 his God H430 delivered H5414 him into the hand H3027 of the king H4428 of Syria; H758 and they smote H5221 him, and carried away H7617 a great multitude H1419 of them captives, H7633 and brought H935 them to Damascus. H1834 And he was also delivered H5414 into the hand H3027 of the king H4428 of Israel, H3478 who smote H5221 him with a great H1419 slaughter. H4347
And the king H4428 of Assyria H804 hearkened H8085 unto him: for the king H4428 of Assyria H804 went up H5927 against Damascus, H1834 and took H8610 it, and carried the people of it captive H1540 to Kir, H7024 and slew H4191 Rezin. H7526
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Isaiah 17
Commentary on Isaiah 17 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 17
Isa 17:1-11. Prophecy Concerning Damascus and Its Ally Samaria, that is, Syria and Israel, which had leagued together (seventh and eighth chapters).
Already, Tiglath-pileser had carried away the people of Damascus to Kir, in the fourth year of Ahaz (2Ki 16:9); but now in Hezekiah's reign a further overthrow is foretold (Jer 49:23; Zec 9:1). Also, Shalmaneser carried away Israel from Samaria to Assyria (2Ki 17:6; 18:10, 11) in the sixth year of Hezekiah of Judah (the ninth year of Hoshea of Israel). This prophecy was, doubtless, given previously in the first years of Hezekiah when the foreign nations came into nearer collision with Judah, owing to the threatening aspect of Assyria.
1. Damascus—put before Israel (Ephraim, Isa 17:3), which is chiefly referred to in what follows, because it was the prevailing power in the league; with it Ephraim either stood or fell (Isa 7:1-25).
2. cities of Aroer—that is, the cities round Aroer, and under its jurisdiction [Gesenius]. So "cities with their villages" (Jos 15:44); "Heshbon and all her cities" (Jos 13:17). Aroer was near Rabbahammon, at the river of Gad, an arm of the Jabbok (2Sa 24:5), founded by the Gadites (Nu 32:34).
for flocks—(Isa 5:17).
3. fortress … cease—The strongholds shall be pulled down (Samaria especially: Ho 10:14; Mic 1:6; Hab 1:10).
remnant of Syria—all that was left after the overthrow by Tiglath-pileser (2Ki 16:9).
as the glory of … Israel—They shall meet with the same fate as Israel, their ally.
4. glory of Jacob—the kingdom of Ephraim and all that they rely on (Ho 12:2; Mic 1:5).
fatness … lean—(See on Isa 10:16).
5. harvestman, &c.—The inhabitants and wealth of Israel shall be swept away, and but few left behind just as the husbandman gathers the corn and the fruit, and leaves only a few gleaning ears and grapes (2Ki 18:9-11).
with his arm—He collects the standing grain with one arm, so that he can cut it with the sickle in the other hand.
Rephaim—a fertile plain at the southwest of Jerusalem toward Beth-lehem and the country of the Philistines (2Sa 5:18-22).
6. in it—that is, in the land of Israel.
two or three … in the top—A few poor inhabitants shall be left in Israel, like the two or three olive berries left on the topmost boughs, which it is not worth while taking the trouble to try to reach.
7. look to his Maker—instead of trusting in their fortresses—(Isa 17:3; Mic 7:7).
8. groves—A symbolical tree is often found in Assyrian inscriptions, representing the hosts of heaven ("Saba"), answering to Ashteroth or Astarte, the queen of heaven, as Baal or Bel is the king. Hence the expression, "image of the grove," is explained (2Ki 21:7).
images—literally, "images to the sun," that is, to Baal, who answers to the sun, as Astarte to the hosts of heaven (2Ki 23:5; Job 31:26).
9. forsaken bough—rather "the leavings of woods," what the axeman leaves when he cuts down the grove (compare Isa 17:6).
which they left because of—rather, "which (the enemies) shall leave for the children of Israel"; literally, "shall leave (in departing) from before the face of the children of Israel" [Maurer]. But a few cities out of many shall be left to Israel, by the purpose of God, executed by the Assyrian.
10. forgotten … God of … salvation … rock—(De 32:15, 18).
plants—rather, "nursery grounds," "pleasure-grounds" [Maurer].
set in—rather, "set them," the pleasure-grounds.
strange slips—cuttings of plants from far, and therefore valuable.
11. In the day … thy plant—rather, "In the day of thy planting" [Horsley].
shalt … make … grow—Maurer translates, "Thou didst fence it," namely, the pleasure-ground. The parallel clause, "Make … flourish," favors English Version. As soon as thou plantest, it grows.
in the morning—that is, immediately after; so in Ps 90:14, the Hebrew, "in the morning," is translated "early."
but … shall be a heap—rather, "but (promising as was the prospect) the harvest is gone" [Horsley].
in … day of grief—rather, "in the day of (expected) possession" [Maurer]. "In the day of inundation" [Horsley].
of desperate sorrow—rather, "And the sorrow shall be desperate or irremediable." In English Version "heap" and "sorrow" may be taken together by hendiadys. "The heap of the harvest shall be desperate sorrow" [Rosenmuller].
Isa 17:12-18:7. Sudden Destruction of a Great Army in Judea (namely that of the Assyrian Sennacherib), AND Announcement of the Event to the Ethiopian Ambassadors.
The connection of this fragment with what precedes is: notwithstanding the calamities coming on Israel, the people of God shall not be utterly destroyed (Isa 6:12, 13); the Assyrian spoilers shall perish (Isa 17:13, 14).
12. Woe … multitude—rather, "Ho (Hark)! a noise of," &c. The prophet in vision perceives the vast and mixed Assyrian hosts (Hebrew, "many peoples," see on Isa 5:26): on the hills of Judah (so "mountains," Isa 17:13): but at the "rebuke" of God, they shall "flee as chaff."
to the rushing … that make—rather, "the roaring … roareth" (compare Isa 8:7; Jer 6:23).
13. shall … shall—rather, "God rebuketh (Ps 9:5) them, and they flee—are chased"; the event is set before the eyes as actually present, not future.
chaff of … mountains—Threshing floors in the East are in the open air on elevated places, so as to catch the wind which separates the chaff from the wheat (Ps 88:13; Ho 13:3).
rolling thing—anything that rolls: stubble.
14. eventide … before morning—fulfilled to the letter in the destruction "before morning" of the vast host that "at eveningtide" was such a terror ("trouble") to Judah; on the phrase see Ps 90:6; 30:5.
he is not—namely, the enemy.
us—the Jews. A general declaration of the doom that awaits the foes of God's people (Isa 54:17).