Albert Barnes Commentary Isaiah 17

The burden of Damascus - The oracle indicating calamity or destruction to Damascus (see the note at Isaiah 13:1). “Damascus is taken away.” That is, it shall be destroyed. It was represented to the prophet in vision as destroyed (see the note at Isaiah 1:1).

And it shall be a ruinous heap - See Isaiah 35:2. This took place under the kings of Assyria, and particularly under Tiglath-pileser. This was in the fourth year of Ahaz (2 Kings 16:9).

The cities of Aroer - By “Aroer” here seems to be meant a tract or region of country belonging to Damascus, in which several cities were situated. Grotius supposes that it was a tract of country in Syria which Ptolemy calls “Aueira” — Αὔειρα Aueira. Vitringa supposes that this refers to one part of Damascus, as Damascus was divided by the river in the same manner that Babylon was.

There were several cities named “Aroer.” One was on the Arnon River in the land of Moab (Deuteronomy 2:36; Deuteronomy 3:12; Joshua 12:3). Burckhardt found this city under the name of Aroer.

Another city of this name was further north, opposite Rabbath-Ammon (Joshua 13:25). A third city with this name was in the tribe of Judah (1 Samuel 30:28). Of the city of Araayr that Burckhardt visited, nothing is now remarkable except its entire desolation.

Gesenius supposes (Commentary in loc.) that the phrase ‘the cities of Aroer’ means the cities around Aroer that were connected with it, similar to the phrase ‘daughters of a city.’ He supposes this city was near the Arnon River, within the limits of Moab, and that the prediction here was fulfilled by Tiglath-pileser when he carried away the inhabitants of Galilee, Gilead, and other places mentioned in 2 Kings 15:29. There can be no doubt that it was under the jurisdiction of Damascus.

Are forsaken - They are desolate, and the inhabitants have fled.

They shall be for flocks... - (See the note at Isaiah 5:17).

The fortress – The strong place of defense; the fortified place.

Shall cease – Shall come to an end; shall cease to be, for so the word שׁבת (shâbath) is often used (Genesis 8:22; Isaiah 24:8; Lamentations 5:15).

From Ephraim – The name given to the kingdom of Israel, or the ten tribes, because Ephraim was the largest of the ten, and was a leading tribe in their councils (see the note at Isaiah 7:2). Ephraim, or the kingdom of Samaria, is mentioned here in connection with Damascus or Syria, because they were confederated together and would be involved in the same overthrow.

And the remnant of Syria – That which is left of the kingdom of Syria after the capital, Damascus, shall be destroyed.

They shall be as the glory of the children of Israel – That is, as the defenses, or the strongly fortified towns and strongholds of the kingdom of Israel shall pass away or be destroyed, so shall it be with the kingdom of Damascus. As they are allied with each other, they shall fare alike. The Chaldee reads this: ‘And the dominion shall cease from Ephraim, and the kingdom from Damascus.’

The glory of Jacob - “Jacob” is used here to denote the kingdom of Israel, or Samaria. The word ‘glory’ here denotes dignity, power; that on which they relied, and of which they boasted.

Shall be made thin - Shall be diminished, as a body wastes away by disease, and becomes feeble. The prophet sets forth the calamities of Ephraim by two figures; the first is that of a “body” that becomes emaciated by sickness, the other that of the harvest when all the fruits are gathered except a few in the upper branches (Isaiah 17:5–6).

And the fatness his flesh shall wax lean - He shall become feeble, as a man does by wasting sickness. Chaldee, ‘The riches of his glory shall be removed.’

And it shall be ... - This is the other figure by which the prophet describes the calamities that were coming upon Ephraim - an image designed to denote that the inhabitants and wealth of the land would be collected and removed, as the farmer gathers his harvest, and leaves only that which is inaccessible in the upper branches of the tree, or the gleanings in the field.

As when the harvester gathers the corn - The wheat, the barley, etc.; for so the word “corn” - now applied by us almost exclusively to maize - means in the Scriptures. The sense in this passage is plain. As the farmer cuts down and collects his grain and removes it from the harvest field, so the enemies of Ephraim would come and remove the people and their wealth to a distant land. This received a complete fulfillment when the ten tribes were removed by the Assyrians to a distant land. This was done by Tiglath-pileser (2 Kings 15:29), and by Shalmaneser (2 Kings 17:6).

And reaps the ears with his arm - As he collects the standing grain with one arm so that he can cut it with the sickle in the other hand. The word rendered ‘reaps’ (קצר qâtsar) means here “to collect together” as a reaper does the standing grain in his arm. The word rendered ‘ears’ (שׁבלים shı̂bălı̂ym) means here rather the spires or stalks of standing grain.

In the valley of Rephaim - The valley of Rephaim is mentioned in 2 Samuel 5:18, 2 Samuel 5:22; 2 Samuel 23:13; 1 Chronicles 11:15; and 1 Chronicles 14:9. The name means ‘the Giants,’ but why it was given to it is now unknown. In passing from Bethlehem to Jerusalem, it lies on the left, and descends gradually to the southwest, until it contracts in that direction into a deeper and narrower valley, called Wady el-Werd, which unites further on with Wady Ahmed, and finds its way to the Mediterranean. The plain extends nearly to Jerusalem, and is terminated by a slight rocky ridge forming the brow of the Valley of Hinnom (see Josephus, “Ant.” vii. 4. 1; viii. 12. 4; also Robinson’s “Bib. Researches,” vol. i. pp. 323, 324).

It seems to have been distinguished for its fertility, and is used here to denote a fertile region in general.