New Living Translation
Isaiah 17:1
1This message came to me concerning Damascus: “Look, the city of Damascus will disappear! It will become a heap of ruins.
Isaiah 17:1 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap.
- New International Version (NIV)A prophecy against Damascus: “See, Damascus will no longer be a city but will become a heap of ruins.
- English Standard Version (ESV)An oracle concerning Damascus. Behold, Damascus will cease to be a city and will become a heap of ruins.
- New King James Version (NKJV)The burden against Damascus. “Behold, Damascus will cease from being a city, And it will be a ruinous heap.
Context of Isaiah 17:1
This message came to me concerning Damascus: “Look, the city of Damascus will disappear! It will become a heap of ruins. 2The towns of Aroer will be deserted. Flocks will graze in the streets and lie down undisturbed, with no one to chase them away. 3The fortified towns of Israel will also be destroyed, and the royal power of Damascus will end. All that remains of Syria will share the fate of Israel’s departed glory,” declares the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
Read all of Isaiah 17Isaiah 17:1 word by word
מַשָּׂ֖א דַּמָּ֑שֶׂק הִנֵּ֤ה דַמֶּ֙שֶׂק֙ מוּסָ֣ר מֵעִ֔יר וְהָיְתָ֖ה מְעִ֥י מַפָּלָֽה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Isaiah 17:1
- Isaiah 15:1This message came to me concerning Moab: In one night the town of Ar will be leveled, and the city of Kir will be destroyed.
- Isaiah 19:1This message came to me concerning Egypt: Look! The Lord is advancing against Egypt, riding on a swift cloud. The idols of Egypt tremble. The hearts of the Egyptians melt with fear.
- Isaiah 7:8for Syria is no stronger than its capital, Damascus, and Damascus is no stronger than its king, Rezin. As for Israel, within sixty-five years it will be crushed and completely destroyed.
- Genesis 14:15There he divided his men and attacked during the night. Kedorlaomer’s army fled, but Abram chased them as far as Hobah, north of Damascus.
- Genesis 15:2But Abram replied, “O Sovereign Lord, what good are all your blessings when I don’t even have a son? Since you’ve given me no children, Eliezer of Damascus, a servant in my household, will inherit all my wealth.
- 1 Kings 11:24and had become the leader of a gang of rebels. After David conquered Hadadezer, Rezon and his men fled to Damascus, where he became king.
- 1 Chronicles 18:5When Arameans from Damascus arrived to help King Hadadezer, David killed 22,000 of them.
- 2 Chronicles 28:5Because of all this, the Lord his God allowed the king of Aram to defeat Ahaz and to exile large numbers of his people to Damascus. The armies of the king of Israel also defeated Ahaz and inflicted many casualties on his army.
- Jeremiah 49:23This message was given concerning Damascus. This is what the Lord says: “The towns of Hamath and Arpad are struck with fear, for they have heard the news of their destruction. Their hearts are troubled like a wild sea in a raging storm.
- Amos 1:3This is what the Lord says: “The people of Damascus have sinned again and again, and I will not let them go unpunished! They beat down my people in Gilead as grain is threshed with iron sledges.
- Zechariah 9:1This is the message from the Lord against the land of Aram and the city of Damascus, for the eyes of humanity, including all the tribes of Israel, are on the Lord.
- Acts 9:2He requested letters addressed to the synagogues in Damascus, asking for their cooperation in the arrest of any followers of the Way he found there. He wanted to bring them—both men and women—back to Jerusalem in chains.
- Isaiah 8:4For before this child is old enough to say ‘Papa’ or ‘Mama,’ the king of Assyria will carry away both the abundance of Damascus and the riches of Samaria.”
- Isaiah 10:9We destroyed Calno just as we did Carchemish. Hamath fell before us as Arpad did. And we destroyed Samaria just as we did Damascus.
- 2 Kings 16:9So the king of Assyria attacked the Aramean capital of Damascus and led its population away as captives, resettling them in Kir. He also killed King Rezin.
- Isaiah 25:2You turn mighty cities into heaps of ruins. Cities with strong walls are turned to rubble. Beautiful palaces in distant lands disappear and will never be rebuilt.
Commentaries on Isaiah 17:1
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1The burden of Damascus - Which is, according to the common version, The cities of Aroer are forsaken. It has already been observed by the learned prelate that the prophecy, as it relates to Damascus, was executed in the beginning of the reign of Ahaz, probably about the third year. If we credit Midrash, the Damascenes were the most extensive and flagrant of all idolaters. "There were in Damascus three hundred and sixty-five streets, in each of these was…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1The 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.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1Syria and Israel threatened. (Is. 17:1-11) The woe of Israel's enemies. (Is. 17:12-14) Verses 1-11 Sin desolates cities. It is strange that great conquerors should take pride in being enemies to mankind; but it is better that flocks should lie down there, than that they should harbour any in open rebellion against God and holiness. The strong holds of Israel, the kingdom of the ten tribes, will be brought to ruin. Those who are partakers in sin, are…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1Damascus, the leader of the alliance between Syria and Israel against Judah, fell when the Assyrian king Tiglath-pileser III invaded in 732 BC.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-11Already, Tiglath-pileser had carried away the people of Damascus to Kir, in the fourth year of Ahaz (2Ki 16:9); but now in Hezekiah's reign a further overthrow is foretold (Jr 49:23; Zec 9:1). Also, Shalmaneser carried away Israel from Samaria to Assyria (2Ki 17:6; 18:10, 11) in the sixth year of Hezekiah of Judah (the ninth year of Hoshea of Israel). This prophecy was, doubtless, given previously in the first years of Hezekiah when the foreign nations…Read the comment
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In the dictionaries
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
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