For you have forgotten the God of your salvation and have not remembered the Rock of your refuge; therefore, though you plant pleasant plants and sow the vine-branch of a stranger,
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse highlights a subtle yet crucial point: Israel's forgetting God isn't just a passive lapse, but an active choice to "plant pleasant plants" and sow "strange slips." This imagery reveals that their spiritual decline wasn't about having nothing; it was about choosing to cultivate things that were foreign and ultimately unproductive, leading to a hollow harvest.
For you have forgotten the God of your salvation and have not remembered the Rock of your refuge; therefore, though you plant pleasant plants and sow the vine-branch of a stranger,
English Standard Version (ESV)
This passage comes after prophecies against Damascus and the northern kingdom of Israel, which had allied against Judah. Isaiah is directly addressing the unfaithful people of Israel, rebuking them for forgetting their dependence on God, their true "rock of salvation." The verses that follow will describe the futility of their efforts and the impending destruction they face because of this spiritual abandonment.
Have you ever felt completely abandoned, like there was no one to turn to? This verse speaks to that deep human fear, but with a twist.
Isaiah confronts Israel with a devastating truth: their troubles stem from forgetting the very One who is their salvation and refuge.
The God of Salvation
The Rock of Refuge
Imagine pouring all your energy into something that’s guaranteed to fail. That's the picture Isaiah paints next.
The verse shifts from spiritual forgetting to its practical consequence: misplaced effort.
Planting Pleasant Plants
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Sowing Strange Slips
Understand the original words
tsur · Hebrew Noun
A figurative name for God, symbolizing His unchangeable nature, strength, permanence, and reliability as a source of protection and security for His people.
yeshu'ah · Hebrew Noun
The act of deliverance provided by God, encompassing rescue from physical enemies, spiritual bondage, and the ultimate restoration of the soul through His grace.
This verse is spoken in the context of the impending or ongoing destruction of the Northern Kingdom of Israel by the Assyrians, following the earlier fall of Damascus. The 'pleasant plants' and 'strange slips' likely allude to the foreign alliances and pagan worship Israel had adopted, especially in conjunction with Syria, which would ultimately bring ruin instead of security.
c. 734 BC
Syro-Ephraimite War begins
The kings of Aram-Damascus (Syria) and Israel form an alliance to attack Judah, which refuses to join them. This sets the stage for Isaiah's prophecy against Damascus.
c. 732 BC
Fall of Damascus
The Assyrian empire, under Tiglath-Pileser III, conquers Aram-Damascus, fulfilling Isaiah's prophecy in Isaiah 17:1-3. This event leaves Syria devastated.
c. 724-722 BC— this verse
Fall of Samaria
The Assyrian empire conquers the Northern Kingdom of Israel and deports much of its population, fulfilling prophecies against Ephraim.
This passage speaks directly to the 'rock of my strength' concept, describing how Israel grew fat and kicked against God, forgetting Him as their Rock and Savior.
Psalm 18:2Here, David declares, 'The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge.' This highlights the personal and protective nature of God as a refuge.
Jeremiah 2:21This verse offers a striking parallel, as Jeremiah laments, 'Yet I planted you a choice vine, wholly of pure seed. How then have you turned degenerate and become a wild vine to me?' It echoes the theme of God's careful planting being corrupted by the people's straying.
Ezekiel 8:14This passage describes women weeping for Tammuz, a foreign deity, which connects to the 'strange slips' mentioned in Isaiah 17:10, symbolizing the adoption of foreign and idolatrous practices.
Romans 1:21-23Paul explains how humanity, though knowing God, failed to honor Him as God, exchanging the truth for a lie and worshiping created things instead of the Creator, mirroring the forgetfulness and misplaced devotion seen in Isaiah.
barnesIsaiah 17:10: "Because thou hast forgotten the God of thy salvation, and hast not been mindful of the rock of thy strength, therefore shalt thou plant pleasant plants, and shalt set it with strange slips:"
Because thou ... - Because the kingdom of Israel or Samaria had done it. The God of thy salvation - The God in whom alone was salvation; or who alone could protect thee (compare Micah 7:7; Hosea 2:15). The rock of thy strength - God. A rock of strength is a strongly fortified place; or a rock…
pooleIsaiah 17:10: "Because thou hast forgotten the God of thy salvation, and hast not been mindful of the rock of thy strength, therefore shalt thou plant pleasant plants, and shalt set it with strange slips:"
Thou, O Israel. The Rock of thy strength; that God Who was thy only sure defence. Pleasant plants; excellent flowers and fruit trees. Strange slips; fetched from far countries. and therefore highly esteemed. The sense is, Thou shalt use much industry and cost, but to no purpose, as it follows…
The verse highlights a subtle yet crucial point: Israel's forgetting God isn't just a passive lapse, but an active choice to "plant pleasant plants" and sow "strange slips." This imagery reveals that their spiritual decline wasn't about having nothing; it was about choosing to cultivate things that were foreign and ultimately unproductive, leading to a hollow harvest.
This passage comes after prophecies against Damascus and the northern kingdom of Israel, which had allied against Judah. Isaiah is directly addressing the unfaithful people of Israel, rebuking them for forgetting their dependence on God, their true "rock of salvation." The verses that follow will describe the futility of their efforts and the impending destruction they face because of this spiritual abandonment.
This passage comes after prophecies against Damascus and the northern kingdom of Israel, which had allied against Judah. Isaiah is directly addressing the unfaithful people of Israel, rebuking them for forgetting their dependence on God, their true "rock of salvation." The verses that follow will describe the futility of their efforts and the impending destruction they face because of this spiritual abandonment.
"For you have forgotten the God of your salvation and have not remembered the Rock of your refuge; therefore, though you plant pleasant plants and sow the vine-branch of a stranger," — The verse highlights a subtle yet crucial point: Israel's forgetting God isn't just a passive lapse, but an active choice to "plant pleasant plants" and sow "strange slips." This imagery reveals that…
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Last reviewed October 2026