Chapter Overview
Summary
Isaiah 17 is the DAMASCUS / EPHRAIM ORACLE — the joint-judgment of Aram-Damascus and Northern-Israel (the Syro-Ephraimite-coalition that-threatened-Ahaz at-chapter-7). The chapter shifts at-vv. 12–14 to a brief-oracle-against-the-roaring-nations.
Notable Variants
17:7 'in that day man will look to his Maker' theological-pivot; 17:10 'you have forgotten the God of your salvation' charge; 17:13 'nations roar like the roaring of many waters' → Rev 17:15.
Structural Notes
MT Isaiah 17 = LXX Isaiah 17. 14 verses. DAMASCUS / EPHRAIM oracle.
An oracle concerning Damascus: Behold, Damascus is about to be removed from among cities and will become a fallen ruin heap.
'An oracle concerning Damascus. Behold, Damascus will cease to be a city and will become a heap of ruins' tracks MT. DAMASCUS-CEASES — fulfilled-732-BCE Tiglath-Pileser-III's-conquest.
The cities of Aroer are forsaken; they will belong to flocks that lie down with no one to frighten them.
'The cities of Aroer are deserted; they will be for flocks, which will lie down, and none will make them afraid' tracks MT.
The fortress will vanish from Ephraim, and the kingdom from Damascus, and the remnant of Aram — they will be like the glory of the sons of Israel, declares the LORD of Hosts.
'The fortress will disappear from Ephraim, and the kingdom from Damascus; and the remnant of Syria will be like the glory of the children of Israel, declares the LORD of hosts' tracks MT.
On that day the glory of Jacob will be brought low, and the fatness of his flesh will waste away.
'And in that day the glory of Jacob will be brought low, and the fat of his flesh will grow lean' tracks MT.
It will be like a reaper gathering standing grain, his arm harvesting the heads of wheat — like one who gleans ears of grain in the Valley of Rephaim.
'And it shall be as when the reaper gathers standing grain and his arm harvests the ears, and as when one gleans the ears of grain in the Valley of Rephaim' tracks MT.
Yet gleanings will remain in it, like the beating of an olive tree — two or three berries on the topmost branch, four or five on the fruitful boughs, declares the LORD, the God of Israel.
'Gleanings will be left in it, as when an olive tree is beaten — two or three berries in the top of the highest bough, four or five on the branches of a fruit tree' tracks MT. GLEANINGS-REMAIN — remnant-theology.
On that day mankind will look to their Maker, and their eyes will gaze upon the Holy One of Israel.
'In that day man will look to his Maker, and his eyes will look on the Holy One of Israel' tracks MT. LOOK-TO-HIS-MAKER. Theological-pivot. Genesis 1:26's-imago-Dei language echoed.
He will not look to the altars, the work of his own hands; what his fingers have made he will not regard — neither the Asherah poles nor the incense altars.
'He will not look to the altars, the work of his hands, and he will not look on what his own fingers have made, either the Asherim or the altars of incense' tracks MT. ASHERIM — Canaanite-fertility-goddess-poles condemned.
On that day his fortified cities will be like the abandoned places of the forest and the hilltop that they abandoned before the sons of Israel — and there will be desolation.
'In that day their strong cities will be like the deserted places of the wooded heights and the hilltops, which they deserted because of the children of Israel, and there will be desolation' tracks MT.
Because you have forgotten the God of your salvation and have not remembered the Rock of your refuge, therefore you plant pleasant gardens and sow them with foreign vine cuttings.
'For you have forgotten the God of your salvation and have not remembered the Rock of your refuge; therefore, though you plant pleasant plants and sow the vine-branch of a stranger' tracks MT. ROCK-OF-REFUGE divine-title. 1 Cor 10:4 ('that rock was Christ') Christologically-extends.
On the day you plant, you make them grow; in the morning you make your seed blossom — but the harvest will be a heap of grief on a day of sickness and incurable pain.
'Though on the day that you plant it you make it grow, and on the morning that you sow it you bring it to bud, yet the harvest will flee away in a day of grief and incurable pain' tracks MT.
Woe, the uproar of many peoples — they roar like the roaring of the seas! Woe, the tumult of nations — they surge like the surging of mighty waters!
'Ah, the thunder of many peoples; they thunder like the thundering of the sea! Ah, the roar of nations; they roar like the roaring of mighty waters!' tracks MT. NATIONS-ROAR-LIKE-WATERS. Revelation 17:15 ('the waters that you saw, where the prostitute is seated, are peoples and multitudes and nations and languages') Christologically-extends. Pss 65:7, 93:3-4 share the imagery.
Nations surge like the surging of many waters, but He rebukes them and they flee far away, chased like chaff on the mountains before the wind, like whirling dust before a storm.
'The nations roar like the roaring of many waters, but he will rebuke them, and they will flee far away, chased like chaff on the mountains before the wind and whirling dust before the storm' tracks MT. CHAFF-BEFORE-WIND. Ps 1:4 echo.
At evening — behold, terror! Before morning — they are gone. This is the portion of those who plunder us, the lot of those who despoil us.
'At evening time, behold, terror! Before morning, they are no more! This is the portion of those who loot us, and the lot of those who plunder us' tracks MT. AT-EVENING-TERROR / BEFORE-MORNING-NO-MORE — Sennacherib-overnight pattern (// 2 Kgs 19:35).