What does Isaiah 17:2 mean?
"The cities of Aroer are forsaken: they shall be for flocks, which shall lie down, and none shall make them afraid." - Isaiah 17:2
Isaiah 17:2 in the King James Version of the Bible reads, "The cities of Aroer are forsaken: they shall be for flocks, which shall lie down, and none shall make them afraid." This verse is part of a larger prophecy against Damascus and its surrounding cities, and it carries a powerful message of desolation and abandonment.
The book of Isaiah is a collection of prophecies delivered by the prophet Isaiah to the people of Judah and Jerusalem during a time of great turmoil and political instability. In this particular passage, Isaiah is delivering a message of judgment against the city of Damascus, the capital of Syria. The cities of Aroer mentioned in this verse were likely border cities or neighboring towns to Damascus, and they were all to suffer the same fate of desolation and abandonment.
The mention of the cities being "forsaken" and "for flocks" denotes a complete and utter destruction of these once-thriving communities. The image of flocks lying down without fear indicates a complete lack of human presence and activity. The desolation is so thorough that not even shepherds or other livestock herders will remain in these cities.
The underlying theme of this verse is the judgment of God against the wickedness and rebellion of the people. The cities of Aroer are a symbol of the larger region, and their abandonment reflects the consequences of turning away from God and pursuing wickedness. The prophecy is a warning to the people of Judah and Jerusalem, urging them to turn back to God and repent of their sins, lest they suffer the same fate as Damascus and its surrounding cities.
The context of this verse is crucial to understanding its full significance. At the time of Isaiah's prophecy, the nation of Israel was divided into two kingdoms: the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah. Syria (also referred to as Aram) and Israel were allies, and they posed a threat to Judah and Jerusalem. The mention of the cities of Aroer being forsaken and given over to flocks is a direct result of the judgment that God would bring upon these nations for their pride, arrogance, and rebellion against Him.
The symbolism in this verse is rich and multifaceted. The cities of Aroer represent the consequences of disobedience and the judgment of God. The image of flocks lying down without fear symbolizes the complete absence of human activity and the desolation of the land. This serves as a potent warning to the people of Judah and Jerusalem, reminding them of the consequences of turning away from God and pursuing their own ways.
Overall, Isaiah 17:2 is a powerful and sobering reminder of the judgment and consequences of sin. It serves as a call to repentance and a warning to all who would turn away from God. The imagery of the forsaken cities and the flocks lying down without fear is a stark reminder of the consequences of rebellion and the importance of remaining faithful to God. For believers today, it serves as a reminder of the urgency of repentance and the need to remain steadfast in our faith.
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Isaiah 17:2 - "The cities of Aroer are forsaken: they shall be for flocks, which shall lie down, and none shall make them afraid."
"The cities of Aroer are forsaken: they shall be for flocks, which shall lie down, and none shall make them afraid." - Isaiah 17:2
Isaiah 2:17 - "And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be made low: and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day."
Isaiah 54:17
Isaiah 54:17
Isaiah 38:17
Isaiah 24:17 - "Fear, and the pit, and the snare, are upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth."
Isaiah 32:17 - "And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever."
"And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be made low: and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day." - Isaiah 2:17
Isaiah 22:17 - "Behold, the LORD will carry thee away with a mighty captivity, and will surely cover thee."
Isaiah 14:17 - "That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners?"
Isaiah 40:17 - "All nations before him are as nothing; and they are counted to him less than nothing, and vanity."
Isaiah 1:17 - "Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow."
Isaiah 17:1 - "The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap."
Isaiah 3:17 - "Therefore the Lord will smite with a scab the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, and the LORD will discover their secret parts."
Isaiah 5:17 - "Then shall the lambs feed after their manner, and the waste places of the fat ones shall strangers eat."
Isaiah 33:17 - "Thine eyes shall see the king in his beauty: they shall behold the land that is very far off."
Isaiah 2:1 - "The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem."
Isaiah 65:17 - "¶ For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind."
Isaiah 8:17 - "And I will wait upon the LORD, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him."
Isaiah 29:17 - "Is it not yet a very little while, and Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field, and the fruitful field shall be esteemed as a forest?"
Isaiah 21:17 - "And the residue of the number of archers, the mighty men of the children of Kedar, shall be diminished: for the LORD God of Israel hath spoken it."
Isaiah 45:17 - "But Israel shall be saved in the LORD with an everlasting salvation: ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end."
Isaiah 13:17 - "Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, which shall not regard silver; and as for gold, they shall not delight in it."
Isaiah 49:17 - "Thy children shall make haste; thy destroyers and they that made thee waste shall go forth of thee."
Isaiah 17:7 - "At that day shall a man look to his Maker, and his eyes shall have respect to the Holy One of Israel."
Isaiah 17:14 - "And behold at eveningtide trouble; and before the morning he is not. This is the portion of them that spoil us, and the lot of them that rob us."
Isaiah 17:5 - "And it shall be as when the harvestman gathereth the corn, and reapeth the ears with his arm; and it shall be as he that gathereth ears in the valley of Rephaim."
Isaiah 42:17 - "¶ They shall be turned back, they shall be greatly ashamed, that trust in graven images, that say to the molten images, Ye are our gods."
Isaiah 17:4 - "And in that day it shall come to pass, that the glory of Jacob shall be made thin, and the fatness of his flesh shall wax lean."