Isaiah 17:2 · Bible study
Isaiah 17:2 Commentary: Ruined Cities, Fearless Flocks
Hebrew · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why do the flocks lie down unafraid? This study explores the wordplay, geography, and completeness of God's judgment in the prophecy against Damascus
Research Summary
- Meaning: The cities of Aroer will be abandoned and turned into pasture where flocks can graze without fear, signifying total desolation.
- Key words: Aroer (ruins), flocks (עֵדֶר), lie down (רָבַץ), terrifies (חָרַד).
- Main debate: Is Aroer a proper name or an appellative meaning “ruins”? The Septuagint reads “for ever” instead of “Aroer.”
- Theological theme: God’s sovereign judgment brings complete reversal: human habitations become animal pastures, and peace comes through emptiness.
- Best use: A sobering reminder of the cost of sin and the reality of divine judgment, balanced by hope in God’s ultimate restoration (gleanings remain, v. 6).
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
The cities of Aroer are forsaken; they will be left to the flocks, which will lie down with no one to fear.
WEB World English Bible 2000
The cities of Aroer are forsaken. They will be for flocks, which shall lie down, and no one shall make them afraid.
KJV King James Version 1769
The cities of Aroer are forsaken: they shall be for flocks, which shall lie down, and none shall make them afraid.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
The cities of Aroer are forsaken; they shall be for flocks, which shall lie down, and none shall make them afraid.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
Forsaken are the cities of Aroer, For droves they are, and they have lain down, And there is none troubling.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
The cities of Aroer are forsaken: they shall be for flocks; and they shall lie down and there shall be none to make them afraid.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
The cities of Aroer shall be left for flocks, and they shall rest there, and there shall be none to make them afraid.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Las ciudades de Aroer desamparadas, en majadas se tornarán; dormirán allí, y no habrá quien los espante.
As cidades de Aroer serão abandonadas; serão para os rebanhos, e ali se deitarão, sem haver quem os espante.
Les villes d’ Aroër sont abandonnées,
Die Städte Aroer werden verlassen sein, daß Herden daselbst weiden, die niemand scheuche.
De steden van Aroer zullen verlaten worden; voor de kudden zullen zij wezen, die zullen daar nederliggen, en niemand zal ze verschrikken.
Le città d’Aroer sono abbandonate; son lasciate alle mandre che vi si riposano e niuno le spaventa.
Miasta Aroer opuszczone będą; dla trzód będą, które tam odpoczywać będą, a nie będzie, ktoby je straszył.
Города Ароерские будут покинуты, - останутся для стад, которые будут отдыхать там, и некому будет пугать их.
亞羅珥 的城邑 已被撇棄，必成為 牧羊之處；羊在那裡躺臥，無人 驚嚇。
Her towns are unpeopled for ever; there the flocks take their rest in peace, without fear.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Isaiah 17:2
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that Isaiah 17:2 describes total desolation after divine judgment. The cities are abandoned; the land becomes open pasture. Matthew Henry observes that stately houses are converted into sheep-cotes. Gill notes that even timid sheep have no reason to flee, as no man remains to disturb them. The phrase 'none shall make them afraid' echoes Job 11:19 and Zephaniah 3:13, amplifying the picture of a peace born of emptiness. The identity of Aroer, whether a specific city, a region, or a wordplay on 'ruins', is debated, but the prophetic message is clear: human habitation has ceased, and only animals roam freely.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Aroer as proper name: Masoretic Text and most English versions; supported by geography of Transjordanian towns.
- Aroer as appellative 'ruins': Wordplay consistent with the root ערער; Keil & Delitzsch note the ominous significance of the name.
- LXX reading 'for ever': Septuagint, preferred by Adam Clarke for 'plainest sense' and supported by analogous phrases elsewhere.
What is clear: The cities are utterly abandoned, and flocks roam freely without any human disturbance—this core image of complete desolation is not disputed.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Identity of Aroer | Aroer refers to a location or region east of the Jordan, connected to the Transjordanian tribes and Damascus. | Some identify it with the city on the Arnon (Moabite border), others with an Ammonite Aroer near Rabbah, or a broader Syrian region. The name itself means “ruins,” leading some to read it as an appellative (“ruined cities”). |
| Meaning of 'cities of Aroer' | The phrase denotes a group of settlements associated with Aroer, similar to 'daughters of a city.' | Whether it is a genitive of apposition ('the city Aroer') or a genitive of relation ('the cities under Aroer’s jurisdiction') affects how specific the geography is. |
| Textual variant in the Septuagint | The Septuagint reads 'for ever' (εις τον αιωνα) instead of 'Aroer,' indicating an underlying Hebrew text different from the Masoretic. | Some commentators (e.g., Adam Clarke) prefer the LXX reading as 'plainer sense' while others (Keil & Delitzsch) retain the MT's wordplay. |
| Scope of the judgment | The verse announces judgment on the northern alliance (Syria and Israel). | Whether it applies primarily to Israelite territory (transjordanian tribes) or also to Syrian-controlled land. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The prophecy of Isaiah 17 addresses the northern kingdom of Israel and its ally Syria (Damascus) during the Syro-Ephraimite crisis (ca. 734 BC). Both kingdoms faced the expanding Assyrian empire under Tiglath-pileser III. The 'cities of Aroer' are located east of the Jordan, in the territory of the tribes of Reuben and Gad, which the Assyrians ravaged (2 Kings 15:29; 1 Chronicles 5:26). The name Aroer itself means 'ruins', a grim wordplay exploited by the prophet. The Septuagint translators understood the phrase as 'for ever,' reading a different Hebrew text. Geographically, Aroer marks the southern boundary of Transjordanian Israelite settlement (Deut 2:36). By mentioning such a remote outpost, Isaiah signals that judgment reaches the farthest limits of Israel's territory.
Pastoral imagery, flocks lying down without fear, is both a picture of peace and a sign of depopulation. In the ancient Near East, unrestricted grazing indicated that no farmers or shepherds remained to manage the land. The normal world of cities, trade, and warfare has ceased. Only animals roam freely. The calm is terrible: it is the quiet after a storm of judgment.
Textual Notes
The Masoretic Text reads עֲרֹעֵר (Aroer), but the Septuagint reads εις τον αιωνα (“for ever”), pointing to a Hebrew Vorlage of עֲדֵי עַד. This variant is noted by Clarke and the Cambridge Bible. The Syriac Peshitta and Targum also diverge, reflecting uncertainty about the location. Most modern translations follow the MT, understanding Aroer as a proper name, though the wordplay with “ruins” is likely intentional.
Reception History
Jewish interpretation has seen this verse as fulfilled in the Assyrian conquests of the Transjordan tribes. Reformation commentators (Calvin, Matthew Henry) stressed the completeness of divine judgment, while also drawing pastoral lessons on the security that belongs to God’s people. Some medieval Christian exegetes read the fearless flocks as an allegory of the Church’s peace under Christ, though this is less common. In modern preaching, the verse is often cited as a sobering reminder of the consequences of national rebellion against God, and the strange stillness that can follow judgment.
Preaching This Verse
Three-Point Outline
- The Reach of Judgment: From Damascus to the distant cities of Aroer, no place is exempt. God's sentence covers ally and neighbor alike.
- The Silence of Desolation: Cities become pasture; people vanish. The bustling market falls silent, replaced by the lowing of flocks.
- The Peace That Oppresses: The flocks lie down unafraid. This is not the peace of salvation but the stillness of abandonment. It invites reflection on the cost of sin.
Five-Point Outline
- God’s sovereignty over nations: He brings down the mighty.
- The thoroughness of divine judgment: not a single inhabitant left.
- The reversal of normal life: cities intended for people become homes for sheep.
- The eerie stillness: even the timorous creatures have no reason to flee.
- A caution to God’s people: alliances with the world bring shared ruin (the northern kingdom had made common cause with Damascus).
Illustration Hooks
- A boarded-up mining town where grass grows through the pavement; only stray dogs and birds inhabit the empty streets.
- A farmer whose fields have been taken over by deer because no one farms them anymore; the animals are unafraid of humans.
- The quiet after an evacuation: a neighbourhood where all the families have left, and the only sounds are wind and animals.
Questions Your Congregation Is Asking
- Does God still judge nations today, or is that only an Old Testament pattern?
- How can a prophecy like this give us hope rather than fear?
- What does it mean that the flocks lie down unafraid, is that peace or judgment?
Leading a Discussion
This verse shows the completeness of God’s judgment, but also the strange peace that follows. How do we reconcile divine justice with mercy? Read Isaiah 17:1, 6 together, then discuss.
Discussion Questions
- What do we know about Aroer from the Old Testament (Numbers 32:34; Deuteronomy 2:36; Joshua 13:16)? Why might Isaiah mention a place so far from Damascus?
- Why does the prophet describe flocks lying down without fear? What does that image convey about the state of the land?
- How does this verse connect to the rest of Isaiah 17, especially verses 4, 6 about gleanings left behind?
- In what ways is the peace of the flocks a warning rather than a blessing? What does it teach us about the consequences of turning from God?
- How do New Testament writers use similar pastoral imagery of peace (e.g., Luke 2:8, 14, John 10:11, 15)? How does Christ transform the picture?
- What does this prophecy teach us about God’s character, His justice, His power, and His ultimate goal for restoration?
- How should Christians live in a world where nations rise and fall? What security do we have that is not shaken by such judgments?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Numbers 32:34 | The children of Gad built Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer, |
| Deuteronomy 2:36 | From Aroer, which is on the edge of the valley of the Arnon, and the city that is in the valley, even to Gilead, there was not a city too high for us. Yahweh our God delivered up all before us. |
| Deuteronomy 3:12 | This land we took in possession at that time: from Aroer, which is by the valley of the Arnon, and half the hill country of Gilead with its cities, I gave to the Reubenites and to the Gadites; |
| Joshua 13:16 | Their border was from Aroer, that is on the edge of the valley of the Arnon, and the city that is in the middle of the valley, and all the plain by Medeba; |
| Isaiah 5:17 | Then the lambs will graze as in their pasture, and strangers will eat the ruins of the rich. |
| Isaiah 7:21 | It shall happen in that day that a man shall keep alive a young cow, and two sheep. |
| Isaiah 7:23 | It will happen in that day that every place where there were a thousand vines worth a thousand silver shekels, will be for briers and thorns. |
| Isaiah 7:25 | All the hills that were cultivated with the hoe, you shall not come there for fear of briers and thorns; but it shall be for the sending out of oxen, and for sheep to tread on.” |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke argues that the phrase "cities of Aroer" is textually uncertain and may be a scribal error. He prefers the Septuagint reading, which translates it as "forever," since locating an actual city called Aroer makes little sense in the context. The original Hebrew word itself is doubtful.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes identifies the "cities of Aroer" as a region near Damascus, not a single town, interpreting the phrase to mean dependent towns around a central city. He connects this prophecy to Tiglath-pileser's invasion, when the inhabitants of that area were carried away, leaving the land desolate for flocks.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin distinguishes this Aroer from the city named elsewhere, taking it as a region instead. He sees a picture of complete desolation: places once filled with cities become pastureland, left with nothing but shepherds' huts and tents instead of permanent dwellings.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator argues that the reference to "cities of Aroer" cannot be the well-known Moabite or Ammonite towns, as they are too distant from Damascus. He suggests three possibilities: an unknown Syrian Aroer, taking the word as a common noun meaning "ruined cities," or following the Greek version that omits "cities" and reads "deserted forever."
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Notes draw attention to the complete reversal: fortified cities become safe pastures where flocks can lie down undisturbed. The point is the utter peace replacing human habitation — no one left to cause fear.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill identifies Aroer not as a single city but as a region with a tangled history, shifting between Amorites, Moabites, Reubenites, and Syrians. Its utter depopulation will be so complete that flocks can lie down undisturbed, with no one left to frighten them.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch point out a deliberate wordplay: the Hebrew for "heap of ruins" sounds almost like "removed from being a city," so the very name Damascus echoes its coming destruction. They also note that "Aroer" carries its own ominous meaning of being laid bare, making the place-name itself a prophecy.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange sees Isaiah 17–20 as a unified group aimed at two double nations: Syria-Ephraim in the north and Ethiopia-Egypt in the south. He argues that chapters 17–18 warn Judah not to fear these neighbors or Assyria, while chapters 19–20 warn against trusting Egypt, since Assyria will destroy them both before being overthrown itself.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry draws attention to the shared cup of judgment: because the ten tribes are allied with Syria, they must drink the same bitter draught. He pictures Damascus reduced to rubble and its country towns abandoned to flocks, noting that such desolation is what sin brings upon proud cities.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley notes that these cities belonged to the Reubenite and Gadite tribes, who were deported by Tiglath-pileser. They are mentioned because they allied with Syria against Judah. Their fear comes from the land becoming desolate, emptied of its inhabitants.