Isaiah 17:1

Oracle of Judgment on Damascus

1 An oracle of Damascus: "Look! Damascus [will] cease being a city and will become a heap of ruins.

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 An oracle of Damascus: "Look! Damascus [will] cease being a city and will become a heap of ruins.

2 The cities of Aroer will be deserted; they will be for the flocks, and they will lie down and {no one will frighten} [them].

3 And [the] fortified city will disappear from Ephraim, and [the] kingdom from Damascus; and the remnant of Aram will be like the glory of the children of Israel," {declares} Yahweh of hosts.

4 "And this shall happen: On that day, the glory of Jacob will be brought low, and the fat of his flesh will become lean.

5 And it shall be as {when a reaper gathers} standing grain and he reaps grain [with] his arm, and it shall be like one who gathers ears of grain in the valley of Rephaim.