Isaiah 17:9

Isaiah 17:9 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)In that day shall his strong cities be as a forsaken bough, and an uppermost branch, which they left because of the children of Israel: and there shall be desolation.
• New International Version (NIV)In that day their strong cities, which they left because of the Israelites, will be like places abandoned to thickets and undergrowth. And all will be desolation.
• English Standard Version (ESV)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.
• New King James Version (NKJV)In that day his strong cities will be as a forsaken bough And an uppermost branch, Which they left because of the children of Israel; And there will be desolation.

Context of Isaiah 17:9

7At that time, people will turn back to their Maker. They will trust the Holy God of Israel to help them. 8They will no longer trust their idols to help them. They made altars for themselves, where they worshipped their gods. They worshipped Asherah at special poles. They made altars where they burned incense. But they will not do those things any more. At that time, Israel's strong cities will be empty. People will run away from those cities, as the Amorites ran away from the hills when the Israelites attacked them. Israel's strong cities will become heaps of stones. 10That will happen because you have forgotten the God who rescues you. He is the Rock where you can safely hide, but you have turned away from him. Instead, you plant the best plants and vines in your gardens. You buy them from foreign countries for a lot of money. 11You take care of them so that they grow quickly. They may even make flowers on the same morning that you plant them! But you will never have any fruit from them. You will only get trouble and pain that will never go away.

Isaiah 17:9 word by word

בַּיּ֨וֹם הַה֜וּא יִהְי֣וּ׀ עָרֵ֣י מָעֻזּ֗וֹ כַּעֲזוּבַ֤ת הַחֹ֙רֶשׁ֙ וְהָ֣אָמִ֔יר אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָזְב֔וּ מִפְּנֵ֖י בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וְהָיְתָ֖ה שְׁמָמָֽה׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• In that dayיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
• shall his strongמָעוֹזmâ‛ôz mâ‛ûz mâ‛ôz mâ‛ûz · securityH4581
• citiesעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
• be as a forsakenעָזַב‛âzab · to leave: forsakeH5800
• boughחֹ֫רֶשׁchôresh · woodH2793
• and an uppermost branchאָמִיר'âmîyr · topH534
• becauseפָּנֶהpânîym · face: becauseH6440
• of the childrenבֵּןbên · son: descendant/peopleH1121
• of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• and there shall be desolationשְׁמָמָהshemâmâh shimâmâh · devastationH8077

Cross-references for Isaiah 17:9

• Isaiah 17:4‘At that time, Israel will no longer be great. It will be like a rich, fat person who becomes weak and hungry.
• Isaiah 6:11Then I asked the Lord, ‘For how long will this be, Lord God?’ He replied, ‘It must continue until enemies destroy their cities. Their houses will become a heap of stones and nobody will live in them. Their land will become useless and nothing will remain there.
• Isaiah 7:16Even before that, the two kings that you are now afraid of will have no power. Their land will be empty.
• Isaiah 9:9All the people who live in Ephraim and in the city of Samaria know about it. But they are proud and they boast,
• Isaiah 24:1Understand this! The Lord is ready to destroy the earth. It will become a desert. He will spoil the ground. He will chase away all the people who live on it.
• Isaiah 27:10The strong city will become empty. Nobody will live there any more. It will be like an empty desert. Young cows will eat the grass there, and they will lie down there. They will eat all the leaves on the branches of the tree.
• Isaiah 28:1It will be very bad for Ephraim's beautiful city, Samaria! The people who live there drink too much wine and they become drunk. They are proud of their great city. It is on a hill above a valley where many good things grow. It is like a beautiful flower, but it will be beautiful no more and it will die.
• Hosea 10:14So you will soon hear the noise of war. Enemies will destroy all your strong buildings. It will be like the time that King Shalman's army destroyed Beth Arbel. In that battle, cruel soldiers killed mothers together with their children.
• Hosea 13:15Among the other nations, Israel has been successful. It has been like a plant that grows well. But now the Lord will send trouble. It will be like a strong east wind that comes from the desert. Israel's wells and springs of water will become dry. All the valuable things that Israel has stored will disappear.
• Amos 3:11So the Lord God says, ‘Enemies will come to attack your land. They will destroy your strong buildings. They will take all your good things from you.’
• Amos 7:9I will send enemies to destroy the holy places of Isaac's descendants. All Israel's holy places will fall down. Enemies will use swords to kill King Jeroboam and his family.’
• Micah 5:11I will destroy the cities in your country. I will knock down all your strong buildings.
• Micah 6:16You have obeyed the rules of King Omri. You have done what King Ahab and all his people did. You have copied their wicked ideas. So I must destroy you and all your things completely. Then people from other countries will not be kind or polite to you. Instead, they will make you ashamed.’
• Micah 7:13The other parts of the earth will become sad places where nobody lives. God will destroy them because of the people who live there. Those people have done what is bad.

Commentaries on Isaiah 17:9

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 9As a forsaken bough, and an uppermost branch "the Hivites and the Amorites" - והאמיר החרש hachoresh vehaamir . No one has ever yet been able to make any tolerable sense of these words. The translation of the Septuagint has happily preserved what seems to be the true reading of the text, as it stood in the copies of their time; though the words are now transposed, either in the text or in their Version; ̔ ̔ ̔ , "the Amorites and the Hivites." It is…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 9His strong cities - The cities of the united kingdoms of Damascus and Samaria. Be as a forsaken bough - There has been much difficulty in the interpretation of this passage. Lowth says, No one has ever been able to make any tolerable sense of these words;‘ and proposes himself the translation, In that day shall his strongly fenced cities become Like the desertion of the Hivites and the Amorites; Following in this the translation of the Septuagint, but…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 9The Hivites and Amorites were part of the original people living in Canaan. The Israelites were to destroy them when they conquered the land (see Deuteronomy 20:17).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 99. forsaken bough--rather "the leavings of woods," what the axeman leaves when he cuts down the grove (compare Is 17:6). which they left because of--rather, "which (the enemies) shall leave for the children of Israel"; literally, "shall leave (in departing) from before the face of the children of Israel" [Maurer]. But a few cities out of many shall be left to Israel, by the purpose of God, executed by the Assyrian.Read the comment

Topics related to Isaiah 17:9

• Church
• Israel, Prophecies Concerning

In the dictionaries

• Israel
• Israel, Israelites
• Jacob, Israel
• Children of Israel
• That Day
• Rebuke
• Ruinous
• Rushing
• Evil
• Ezekiel

Commentaries on Isaiah 17

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings