The cities of Aroer are deserted; they will be for flocks, which will lie down, and none will make them afraid.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The prophecy pictures a complete abandonment of these cities, so thoroughly deserted that even flocks can graze and rest without fear. This speaks to a desolation so profound that the very human presence that once caused fear is entirely gone, leaving only the quietude of grazing animals.
The cities of Aroer are deserted; they will be for flocks, which will lie down, and none will make them afraid.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This prophecy is part of a judgment against Damascus and its allies. Isaiah begins by describing the utter desolation that will fall upon the cities associated with Aroer, a region likely near Damascus and part of its political influence. After this pronouncement of ruin, the prophecy shifts to focus on the destruction of the kingdom of Ephraim (northern Israel) and the subsequent weakening of Judah itself.
Imagine the echo of footsteps fading in once-crowded streets. What does it mean for cities to be 'forsaken'?
Isaiah 17:2 declares that the 'cities of Aroer are forsaken.' This isn't just a passing abandonment; it signifies a profound judgment from God.
The Weight of 'Forsaken'
What could possibly bring 'peace' to the ruins of once-proud cities?
The verse continues, 'they will be for flocks, which will lie down, and none will make them afraid.' This imagery is striking – the very places of human habitation and power become domains of simple, unthreatened livestock.
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From Human Dominion to Animal Peace
The desolation of the cities of Aroer, a place allied with Damascus, speaks to the brutal reality of Assyrian military campaigns that swept through the region, leaving once-thriving cities to become desolate pastures.
Late 8th century BC— this verse
Sargon II's Campaign and Battle of Gargar
Assyrian king Sargon II campaigns against a coalition of northern cities, including one named Gargar (possibly the Aroer mentioned in Isaiah). The city is besieged, captured, and destroyed, leading to its desolation.
734-732 BC
Assyrian Invasion of Syria and Israel
King Tiglath-Pileser III of Assyria invades the region, conquering Damascus and deporting inhabitants from Israel's northern and eastern territories, including Gilead and areas near Aroer.
722 BC
Fall of Samaria
The northern kingdom of Israel (often referred to as Ephraim in prophetic texts) falls to the Assyrians, marking a significant loss of sovereignty and a turning point in the region's political landscape.
This passage also describes desolation where flocks can graze undisturbed, directly echoing the imagery of Isaiah 17:2 and reinforcing the theme of cities abandoned to nature.
Jeremiah 49:2This verse describes the desolation of Rabbah, a city in the Ammonite territory, where it will become a pasture for flocks and a desolate place, paralleling the fate of the cities of Aroer.
Zephaniah 2:15Similar to Isaiah 17:2, this verse predicts that cities will be ruined and become desolate, suitable for wild animals and flocks to inhabit without fear, highlighting the theme of divine judgment leading to utter ruin.
Ezekiel 25:5This passage speaks of Rabbah becoming a 'stable for camels,' a stark image of abandonment and repurposing for animal use, similar to the idea of cities becoming 'for flocks' in Isaiah 17:2.
clarkeIsaiah 17:2: "The cities of Aroer are forsaken: they shall be for flocks, which shall lie down, and none shall make them afraid."
The cities of Aroer are forsaken "The cities are deserted for ever" - What has Aroer on the river Arnon to do with Damascus? and if there be another Aroer on the northern border of the tribe of Gad, as Reland seems to think there might be, this is not much more to the purpose. Besides, the cities of Aroer, if Aroer itself is a city, makes no good sense. The Septuagin…
wesleyIsaiah 17:2: "The cities of Aroer are forsaken: they shall be for flocks, which shall lie down, and none shall make them afraid."
17:2 Aroer - Of that part of Syria, called Aroer, from a great city of that name. These cities were possessed by the Reubenites and Gadites, whom Tiglath - pilneser carried into captivity, 1Chron 5:26. These he mentions here, as he doth Ephraim in the next verse , because they were confederate with Syria against Judah. Afraid - Because the land shall be desolate, and…
The prophecy pictures a complete abandonment of these cities, so thoroughly deserted that even flocks can graze and rest without fear. This speaks to a desolation so profound that the very human presence that once caused fear is entirely gone, leaving only the quietude of grazing animals.
This prophecy is part of a judgment against Damascus and its allies. Isaiah begins by describing the utter desolation that will fall upon the cities associated with Aroer, a region likely near Damascus and part of its political influence. After this pronouncement of ruin, the prophecy shifts to focus on the destruction of the kingdom of Ephraim (northern Israel) and the subsequent weakening of Judah itself.
This prophecy is part of a judgment against Damascus and its allies. Isaiah begins by describing the utter desolation that will fall upon the cities associated with Aroer, a region likely near Damascus and part of its political influence. After this pronouncement of ruin, the prophecy shifts to focus on the destruction of the kingdom of Ephraim (northern Israel) and the subsequent weakening of Judah itself.
"The cities of Aroer are deserted; they will be for flocks, which will lie down, and none will make them afraid." — The prophecy pictures a complete abandonment of these cities, so thoroughly deserted that even flocks can graze and rest without fear. This speaks to a desolation so profound that the very human pres…
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Last reviewed October 2026