What does Isaiah 17:4 mean?
Isaiah's God-given prophecy against Damascus and Syria has expanded to include the nation of the northern ten tribes of Israel (Isaiah 7:3; 1 Kings 12:16–20). The Lord wants to show His people that when they look to other nations for protection, they will share in the destruction of those other nations. He wants His people to trust Him first and above all. His people are not to put their faith in treaties or alliances or the false gods of their neighbors.The result of God's judgment against His people Israel through the Assyrians will be that their "glory" is flattened. The idea of glory here has to do with power and authority and wealth in the world. Instead of being healthy and prosperous, Israel will grow destitute as a people who cannot find enough food for themselves. Any glory that comes apart from depending on the Lord God will be exposed as false and flimsy. It will be a power that quickly vanishes in the heat of His judgment.