Isaiah 17:2
in Isaiah 17The cities of Aroer are forsaken; they will be left to the flocks, which will lie down with no one to fear.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
The cities of Aroer are forsaken; they shall be for flocks, which shall lie down, and none shall make them afraid.
KJV
The cities of Aroer are forsaken: they shall be for flocks, which shall lie down, and none shall make them afraid.
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This verse in Isaiah 17
Commentary
9 notes on this verseThe cities of Aroer are forsaken “The cities are deserted for ever” - What has Aroer on the river Arnon to do with Damascus? and if there be another Aroer on the northern border of the tribe of Gad, as Reland seems to think there might be, this is not much more to the purpose. Besides, the cities of Aroer, if Aroer itself is a city, makes no good sense. The Septuagint, for ערער aroer, read עדי עד adey ad, εις τον αιωνα, for ever, or for a long duration.
This site's exposition
The burden of Damascus
on Isaiah 17:1-3
The burden of Damascus opens the ninth oracle and folds a second nation into it before the first verse is finished: Damascus taken away from being a city and made a ruinous heap, its dependent towns of Aroer left to grazing flocks. By verse 3 the oracle has moved from Syria to Ephraim, the fortress ceasing from Ephraim and the kingdom from Damascus together, because the northern kingdom had bound itself to Syria's throne in the alliance against Judah that 2 Kings 16:5 records. Matthew Henry and Albert Barnes both read the pairing as judgment on that alliance rather than on two unrelated nations.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
(Verse 2) The deserted cities will be for flocks, and they will rest there, and there will be no one to frighten them away. The deserted cities, Aroer, that is, Myrhae, will be for the Ecclesiastical flocks, so that we may inhabit those which the Jews deserted: whether the destroyed idolatry will be rebuilt as the Gospel. And we see that this has been fulfilled in our times: the Serapeum in Alexandria and the temple of Marnas in Gaza have arisen as churches of the Lord, and the cities of Aroer have been prepared for the Evangelical flocks.
The Medieval Church1 voice
Second, as to the neighboring region: of Aroer, that is, of that region of Syria, in which there are many cities; or Aroer, which is Hebrew for "tamarisk," as if to say: as places where tamarisks abound are barren and abandoned to pasturage for sheep, …
The Reformation1 voice
The cities of Aroer are forsaken. It is not probable that Aroer here denotes the city which is mentioned elsewhere, (Numbers 32:34; Deuteronomy 2:36, 3:12, 4:48;) but it is rather the name of a country.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
The cities of Aroer are forsaken,.... The inhabitants of them being slain, or carried captive, or obliged to flee.
But, how unrighteous soever they are, God is righteous in causing those cities to spue out their inhabitants, who by their wickedness had made themselves vile; it is better that flocks should lie down there than that they should harbour such as are in open rebellion against God and virtue.
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
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).
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
The cities of Aroer - By “Aroer” here seems to be meant a tract or region of country pertaining to Damascus, in which were situated several cities. Grotius supposes that it was a tract of country in Syria which is called by Ptolemy “Aueira” - Αὔειρα Aueira. Vitringa supposes that one part of Damascus is meant by this, as Damascus was divided by the river in the same manner that Babylon was. There were several cities of the name of “Aroer.” One was on the river Arnon in the land of Moab Deu 2:36; Deu 3:12; Jos 12:3. Burckhardt found this city under the name of Aroer. There was another city of this name further north, over against Rabbath-Ammon Jos 13:25. There was a third city of this name in the tribe of Judah 1Sa 30:28. Of the city of Araayr which Burckhardt visited, nothing is now remarkable but its entire desolation. Gesenius supposes (“Commentary in loc.”) that the phrase ‘the cities of Aroer’ means the cities round about Aroer, and that were connected with it, similar to the phrase ‘daughters of a city.’ This city he supposes was near the river Arnon, within the limits of Moab, and that the prediction here was fufilled by Tiglath-pileser, when he carried away the inhabitants of Galilee, Gilead, and other places mentioned in 2Ki 15:29. There can be no doubt that it was under the jurisdiction of Damascus. Are forsaken - Are desolate, and the inhabitants have fled. They shall be for flocks ... - (See the note at Isa 5:17.)
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
I shall be removed from being a city [The Hebrew denotes] an expression of removing.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
The Burden Of The Cup Of Cursing To Give Damascus To Drink. Behold, Damascus is removed, so as to be no more a kingdom: and it shall be as a city laid waste.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 2 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
8 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| עֲזֻב֖וֹת | azuvot | [will be] abandoned | H5800 → | 215 times |
| עָרֵ֣י | ʾarei | [the] cities of | H5892 → | 1090 times |
| עֲרֹעֵ֑ר | ʾaroer | Aroer | H6177 → | |
| לַעֲדָרִ֣ים | laadarim | for flocks | H5739 → | 38 times |
| תִּֽהְיֶ֔ינָה | tihyeinah | they will be | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| וְרָבְצ֖וּ | veravetzu | and they will lie down | H7257 → | 30 times |
| וְאֵ֥ין | veein | and there not | H369 → | 789 times |
| מַחֲרִֽיד׃ | macharid | [will be one who] terrifies | H2729 → | 39 times |
עֲזֻב֖וֹת[will be] abandoned
azuvotH5800 →215 times
עָרֵ֣י[the] cities of
ʾareiH5892 →1090 times
עֲרֹעֵ֑רAroer
ʾaroerH6177 →
לַעֲדָרִ֣יםfor flocks
laadarimH5739 →38 times
תִּֽהְיֶ֔ינָהthey will be
tihyeinahH1961 →3559 times
וְרָבְצ֖וּand they will lie down
veravetzuH7257 →30 times
וְאֵ֥יןand there not
veeinH369 →789 times
מַחֲרִֽיד׃[will be one who] terrifies
macharidH2729 →39 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Micah 4:4And each man will sit under his own vine and under his own fig tree, with no one to frighten him. For the mouth of the LORD of Hosts has spoken.
it leads to
- Zechariah 3:10
On that day, declares the LORD of Hosts, you will each invite your neighbor to sit under your own vine and fig tree.’”
- 1 Kings 4:25
Throughout the days of Solomon, Judah and Israel dwelt securely from Dan to Beersheba, each man under his own vine and his own fig tree.
- Ezekiel 39:26
They will forget their disgrace and all the treachery they committed against Me, when they dwell securely in their land, with no one to frighten them.
- Isaiah 1:20
But if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword.” For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.
- Isaiah 58:14
then you will delight yourself in the LORD, and I will make you ride on the heights of the land and feed you with the heritage of your father Jacob.” For the mouth of…
- Zechariah 3:10
Through
Deuteronomy 2:36From Aroer on the rim of the Arnon Valley, along with the city in the valley, even as far as Gilead, not one city had walls too high for us. The LORD our God…
it leads to
- Joshua 13:9
The area from Aroer on the rim of the Arnon Valley, along with the city in the middle of the valley, the whole plateau of Medeba as far as Dibon,
- Deuteronomy 4:48
extending from Aroer on the rim of the Arnon Valley as far as Mount Siyon (that is, Hermon),
- Joshua 13:9
Through
Jeremiah 7:33The corpses of this people will become food for the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and there will be no one to scare them away.
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 28:26
Your corpses will be food for all the birds of the air and beasts of the earth, with no one to scare them away.
- Deuteronomy 28:26
About Isaiah
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Book of Isaiah; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Isaiah; John Calvin, Commentaries; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Isaiah.