Isaiah 17:1

1 The word about Damascus. See, they have made Damascus a town no longer; it has become a waste place.

Isaiah 17:1 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 17:1

The burden of Damascus,
&c.] A heavy and grievous prophecy, concerning the destruction of it; the Arabic version is,

``the prophecy of Isaiah concerning Damascus;''

and the Targum is,

``the burden of the cup of cursing to give Damascus to drink.''

Behold, Damascus is taken away from [being] a city;
a kingdom, as the Targum; it was the head of one, but now its walls were demolished, its houses pulled down, and its inhabitants carried captive; this was done by Tilgathpilneser king of Assyria, ( 2 Kings 16:9 ) it had been a very ancient city, see ( Genesis 15:2 ) and the head of the kingdom of Syria, ( Isaiah 7:8 ) , and though it underwent this calamity, it was rebuilt again, and was a city of great fame, when destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar, ( Jeremiah 49:24 Jeremiah 49:25 ) after which it was raised up again, and was in being in the apostle's time, and still is, ( Acts 9:22 ) ( 2 Corinthians 11:32 ) and it shall be a ruinous heap;
or a heap of stones, as the Targum and Kimchi interpret it. A "behold" is prefixed to the whole, as being very wonderful and remarkable, unthought of, and unexpected.

Isaiah 17:1 In-Context

1 The word about Damascus. See, they have made Damascus a town no longer; it has become a waste place.

2 Her towns are unpeopled for ever; there the flocks take their rest in peace, without fear.

3 The strong tower has gone from Ephraim, and the kingdom from Damascus: the rest of Aram will come to destruction, and be made like the glory of the children of Israel, says the Lord of armies.

4 And it will be in that day that the glory of Jacob will be made small, and the strength of his body will become feeble.

5 And it will be like a man cutting the growth of his grain, pulling together the heads of the grain with his arm; even as when they get in the grain in the valley of Rephaim.