Isaiah 17
Read Isaiah 17 (WEB)+
1The burden of Damascus. “Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it will be a ruinous heap. 2The cities of Aroer are forsaken. They will be for flocks, which shall lie down, and no one shall make them afraid. 3The fortress shall cease from Ephraim, and the kingdom from Damascus, and the remnant of Syria. They will be as the glory of the children of Israel,” says Yahweh of Armies. 4“It will happen in that day that the glory of Jacob will be made thin, and the fatness of his flesh will become lean. 5It will be like when the harvester gathers the wheat, and his arm reaps the grain. Yes, it will be like when one gleans grain in the valley of Rephaim. 6Yet gleanings will be left there, like the shaking of an olive tree, two or three olives in the top of the uppermost bough, four or five in the outermost branches of a fruitful tree,” says Yahweh, the God of Israel. 7In that day, people will look to their Maker, and their eyes will have respect for the Holy One of Israel. 8They will not look to the altars, the work of their hands; neither shall they respect that which their fingers have made, either the Asherah poles, or the incense altars. 9In that day, their strong cities will be like the forsaken places in the woods and on the mountain top, which were forsaken from before the children of Israel; and it will be a desolation. 10For you have forgotten the God of your salvation, and have not remembered the rock of your strength. Therefore you plant pleasant plants, and set out foreign seedlings. 11In the day of your planting, you hedge it in. In the morning, you make your seed blossom, but the harvest flees away in the day of grief and of desperate sorrow. 12Ah, the uproar of many peoples, who roar like the roaring of the seas; and the rushing of nations, that rush like the rushing of mighty waters! 13The nations will rush like the rushing of many waters: but he will rebuke them, and they will flee far off, and will be chased like the chaff of the mountains before the wind, and like the whirling dust before the storm. 14At evening, behold, terror! Before the morning, they are no more. This is the portion of those who plunder us, and the lot of those who rob us.
World English Bible (public domain)
“"In that day man will look to his Maker, and his eyes will look on the Holy One of Israel."”
Isaiah 17:7
Summary
Isaiah 17 presents a prophecy against Damascus and describes the impending judgment on the city and the Northern Kingdom of Israel. The chapter begins with a stark oracle announcing that Damascus will no longer be a city but will become a heap of ruins. This depicts God's judgment not only on Damascus but also extends to the northern region of Israel (Ephraim), indicating that their strength and fortifications will disappear. As the chapter unfolds, it touches on the theme of the fleeting nature of human pride and achievement, highlighting that cities and nations that rely on their own power rather than God will ultimately falter. The prophecy emphasizes the consequences of forgetting God, as the people have failed to look to the Holy One of Israel and have ignored their Creator. This forgetfulness brings about devastation, described vividly through agricultural metaphors like arid vineyards and neglected harvests. However, the chapter concludes with a glimmer of hope, indicating that during this time of judgment, there will be a remnant of people who will eventually turn back to God, seeking refuge in Him. Theologically, Isaiah 17 articulates the futility of trusting in anything other than the divine. It underscores a recurring biblical theme that true security and peace can only be found in God. The chapter challenges contemporary readers to evaluate where they place their trust, urging them to remember their relationship with God and to rely not on transient sources of power.
Key Themes
Go deeper
Ask the AI about Isaiah 17
Bring your question about the chapter, the key verse, or how this passage fits the rest of Scripture.
Daily Scripture study
Get a short devotional by email
One passage, one reflection, and one practical question for the day.