Isaiah 17:3 - Printer Friendly

ESV: The fortress will disappear from Ephraim, and the kingdom from Damascus; and the remnant of Syria will be like the glory of the children of Israel, declares the Lord of hosts.

NIV: The fortified city will disappear from Ephraim, and royal power from Damascus; the remnant of Aram will be like the glory of the Israelites," declares the Lord Almighty.

NASB: The fortified city will disappear from Ephraim, And sovereignty from Damascus And the remnant of Aram; They will be like the glory of the sons of Israel,' Declares the Lord of armies.

CSB: The fortress disappears from Ephraim, and a kingdom from Damascus. The remnant of Aram will be like the splendor of the Israelites. This is the declaration of the Lord of Armies.

NLT: The 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.

KJV: The fortress also shall cease from Ephraim, and the kingdom from Damascus, and the remnant of Syria: they shall be as the glory of the children of Israel, saith the Lord of hosts.

NKJV: The fortress also will cease from Ephraim, The kingdom from Damascus, And the remnant of Syria; They will be as the glory of the children of Israel,” Says the Lord of hosts.

This oracle from the Lord is about Damascus and Aram—Syria—but now Isaiah widens it to include Aram's close ally at the time: Israel. All of Isaiah's prophecies were written primarily for God's people. Though many are "about" other nations, they are not meant as messages to those people. Rather, the Lord wanted His people in Israel and Judah to understand that He was the Lord of all the world. He wanted them to understand His power over all the nations. His first desire for the house of Jacob was to trust in Him alone, instead of turning to other nations or their gods for protection.

During this time, Assyria had become a major power intent on controlling as much of the world as they could. In attempting to resist Assyria, the Syrians made an alliance with Israel. Israel at that time would have consisted of the northern ten tribes of God's people (1 Kings 12:16–20). Together, Israel and Syria had attempted to get Judah to ally with them against the Assyrians. Instead, King Ahaz of Judah made an alliance with the Assyrians. That's when Israel and Syria attacked Judah to try and replace Ahaz as king.

In chapter 7, the Lord sends Isaiah to Ahaz to tell him not to fear the kings of Israel and Syria because their plan was going to fail. "It shall not stand, and it shall not come to pass (Isaiah 7:7)." That prophecy to the anxious King Ahaz fits with this oracle against Damascus. Ephraim was another name for Israel because it was the largest of the northern ten tribes. The disappearance of "the fortress" meant that Israel would lose the ability to defend itself. The loss of "the kingdom" from Damascus meant that Syria would lose its authority as ruler over its people and territories. Both prophecies were fulfilled when the Assyrians decimated Syria and Israel in 732 BC.

Isaiah shows that the fates of both nations are connected. The survivors in Syria will have the same level of power and authority as the children of Israel at that time, which will be very little. The prophet reminds his readers this declaration comes from the Lord of hosts. He is the One who will bring this judgment on both Israel and Syria, using the Assyrians as the tool to do it.

Isaiah 17:1–14 begins as a prophecy of the destruction of Damascus, the capital of Syria. Israel will nearly be wiped out along with it. Survivors of both nations will exist on scraps. The remnant of Israel will finally look to their Maker for help instead of praying to false idols. This remnant will experience grief and pain because they have forgotten the God of their salvation. Still, the Lord God has the power to drive away enemies like dust against a strong wind.

What begins as an oracle against Damascus becomes a description of the consequences of Israel's faithlessness As well as the Lord's ability to save them. Damascus will become a heap of ruins. Ephraim will be nearly wiped out along with it. The glory of both will be wasted away like a once healthy man starving and living on scraps. Finally, Israel will look to their Maker instead of to idols they have made with their hands. They forgot the God of their salvation, the One who can chase away the storms of the enemy nations.

Prior chapters included prophecies against various nations, such as Assyria, Babylon, and Moab (Isaiah 13—16). Chapter begins as another oracle against one of Israel's hostile neighbors. However, this one is set much earlier in time. Damascus will become ruins and Israel will be nearly wiped out along with it. Survivors will gather scraps just to survive. The remnant in Israel will finally look to their Maker for help, instead of to idols. Still, the Lord can drive away the roaring nations who have come against Israel. Further oracles follow, beginning with a prophecy about Cush (Isaiah 18).

Isaiah is among the most important prophetic books in the entire Bible. The first segment details God's impending judgment against ancient peoples for sin and idolatry (Isaiah 1—35). The second part of Isaiah briefly explains a failed assault on Jerusalem during the rule of Hezekiah (Isaiah 36—39). The final chapters predict Israel's rescue from Babylonian captivity (Isaiah 40—48), the promised Messiah (Isaiah 49—57), and the final glory of Jerusalem and God's people (Isaiah 58—66).