Isaiah 17 · Verse 9

Isaiah 17:9

In that day shall his strong cities be as a forsaken bough, and an uppermost branch, which they left because of the children of Israel: and there shall be desolation.
Isaiah 17:9, King James Version

Isaiah 17:9 in other translations

BSBIn that day their strong cities will be like forsaken thickets and summits, abandoned to the Israelites and to utter desolation.
WEBIn that day, their strong cities will be like the forsaken places in the woods and on the mountain top, which were forsaken from before the children of Israel; and it will be a desolation.
ASVIn that day shall their strong cities be as the forsaken places in the wood and on the mountain top, which were forsaken from before the children of Israel; and it shall be a desolation.
YLTIn that day are the cities of his strength As the forsaken thing of the forest, And the branch that they have left, Because of the sons of Israel, It also hath been a desolation.
DARBYIn that day shall his strong cities be as the forsaken tract in the woodland, and the mountain-top which they forsook before the children of Israel; and there shall be desolation.
BBEIn that day your towns will be like the waste places of the Hivites and the Amorites which the children of Israel took for a heritage, and they will come to destruction.
WebsterIn that day shall his strong cities be as a forsaken bough, and an uppermost branch, which they left because of the children of Israel: and there shall be desolation.

What does Isaiah 17:9 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
9. forsaken bough--rather "the leavings of woods," what the axeman leaves when he cuts down the grove (compare Is 17:6). which they left because of--rather, "which (the enemies) shall leave for the children of Israel"; literally, "shall leave (in departing) from before the face of the children of Israel" [Maurer]. But a few cities out of many shall be left to Israel, by the purpose of God, executed by the Assyrian.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 9 As a forsaken bough, and an uppermost branch "the Hivites and the Amorites" - החרש והאמיר hachoresh vehaamir. No one has ever yet been able to make any tolerable sense of these words. The translation of the Septuagint has happily preserved what seems to be the true reading of the text, as it stood in the copies of their time; though the words are now transposed, either in the text or in their Version; οἱ Αμαρῥαιοι και οἱ Ευαιοι, "the Amorites and the Hivites." It is remarkable that many commentators, who never thought of admitting the reading of the Septuagint, understand the passage as referring to that very event which their Version expresses; so that it is plain that nothing can be more suitable to the context. "My father," says Bishop Lowth, "saw the necessity of admitting this variation at a time when it was not usual to make so free with the Hebrew text." Mr. Parkhurst is not satisfied with the prelate's adoption of the reading of the Septuagint, "the Hivites and the Amorites." He thinks the difficult words should be thus rendered; he takes the whole verse: "And his fortified cities shall be like the leaving, or what is left כעזובת caazubath, of or in a ploughed field, החרש hachoresh, or on a branch which they leave coram, before, the children of Israel." Which he considers a plain reference to the Mosaic laws relative to the not gleaning of their ploughed fields, vineyards, and oliveyards, but leaving עזב ozeb, somewhat of the fruits, for the poor of the land; Lev 9:9, Lev 9:10; Deu 24:19-21, in the Hebrew. I fear that the text is taken by storm on both interpretations. One MS. has כל ערי col arey, "all the cities;" and instead of החלש hachalash, "of the branch," six MSS. have החדש hachodesh, "of the month." But this is probably a mistake.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Isaiah 17:1-11

Syria 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…

Read the full comment on Isaiah 17:1-11 →

Isaiah 17:9 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

בַּיּ֨וֹםbai.Yomin the dayH3117
הַה֜וּאha.Hu'<the> thatH1931
יִהְי֣וּ\׀yih.Yuthey will beH1961
עָרֵ֣י'a.Rei[the] cities ofH5892
מָעֻזּ֗וֹma.'u.Zorefuge hisH4581
כַּעֲזוּבַ֤תka.'a.zu.Vatlike [the] forsaken [place] ofH5800
הַחֹ֙רֶשׁ֙ha.Cho.reshthe forestH2793
וְהָ֣אָמִ֔ירve.Ha.'a.Mirand the tree-topH534
אֲשֶׁ֣ר'a.SherwhichH834
עָזְב֔וּ'a.ze.Vuthey abandonedH5800
מִפְּנֵ֖יmi.pe.Nei<from> because ofH6440
בְּנֵ֣יbe.Nei[the] people ofH1121
יִשְׂרָאֵ֑לYis.ra.'ElIsraelH3478
וְהָיְתָ֖הve.ha.ye.Tahand it will beH1961
שְׁמָמָֽה\׃she.ma.Maha desolationH8077

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Isaiah 17:9

  • Isaiah 27:10

    Yet the defenced city shall be desolate, and the habitation forsaken, and left like a wilderness: there shall the calf feed, and there shall he lie down, and consume the branches thereof.

  • Amos 3:11-15

    Therefore thus saith the Lord God; An adversary there shall be even round about the land; and he shall bring down thy strength from thee, and thy palaces shall be spoiled. Thus saith the Lord; As the shepherd taketh out of the mouth of the lion two legs, or a piece of an ear; so shall the children of Israel be taken out that dwell in Samaria in the corner of a bed, and in Damascus in a couch. Hear ye, and testify in the house of Jacob, saith the Lord God, the God of hosts, That in the day that I shall visit the transgressions of Israel upon him I will also visit the altars of Beth–el: and the horns of the altar shall be cut off, and fall to the ground. …

  • Hosea 10:14

    Therefore shall a tumult arise among thy people, and all thy fortresses shall be spoiled, as Shalman spoiled Beth–arbel in the day of battle: the mother was dashed in pieces upon her children.

  • Isaiah 17:4-5

    And in that day it shall come to pass, that the glory of Jacob shall be made thin, and the fatness of his flesh shall wax lean. And it shall be as when the harvestman gathereth the corn, and reapeth the ears with his arm; and it shall be as he that gathereth ears in the valley of Rephaim.

  • Hosea 13:15-16

    Though he be fruitful among his brethren, an east wind shall come, the wind of the Lord shall come up from the wilderness, and his spring shall become dry, and his fountain shall be dried up: he shall spoil the treasure of all pleasant vessels. Samaria shall become desolate; for she hath rebelled against her God: they shall fall by the sword: their infants shall be dashed in pieces, and their women with child shall be ripped up.

  • Amos 7:9

    And the high places of Isaac shall be desolate, and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste; and I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword.

  • Micah 7:13

    Notwithstanding the land shall be desolate because of them that dwell therein, for the fruit of their doings.

  • Isaiah 28:1-4

    Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim, whose glorious beauty is a fading flower, which are on the head of the fat valleys of them that are overcome with wine! Behold, the Lord hath a mighty and strong one, which as a tempest of hail and a destroying storm, as a flood of mighty waters overflowing, shall cast down to the earth with the hand. The crown of pride, the drunkards of Ephraim, shall be trodden under feet: And the glorious beauty, which is on the head of the fat valley, shall be a fading flower, and as the hasty fruit before the summer; which when he that looketh upon it seeth, while it is yet in his hand he eateth it up.

  • Micah 6:16

    For the statutes of Omri are kept, and all the works of the house of Ahab, and ye walk in their counsels; that I should make thee a desolation, and the inhabitants thereof an hissing: therefore ye shall bear the reproach of my people.

  • Isaiah 6:11-13

    Then said I, Lord, how long? And he answered, Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate, And the Lord have removed men far away, and there be a great forsaking in the midst of the land. But yet in it shall be a tenth, and it shall return, and shall be eaten: as a teil tree, and as an oak, whose substance is in them, when they cast their leaves: so the holy seed shall be the substance thereof.

  • Isaiah 7:16-20

    For before the child shall know to refuse the evil, and choose the good, the land that thou abhorrest shall be forsaken of both her kings. The Lord shall bring upon thee, and upon thy people, and upon thy father’s house, days that have not come, from the day that Ephraim departed from Judah; even the king of Assyria. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall hiss for the fly that is in the uttermost part of the rivers of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria. And they shall come, and shall rest all of them in the desolate valleys, and in the holes of the rocks, and upon all thorns, and upon all bushes. …

  • Isaiah 24:1-12

    Behold, the Lord maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof. And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest; as with the servant, so with his master; as with the maid, so with her mistress; as with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the lender, so with the borrower; as with the taker of usury, so with the giver of usury to him. The land shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled: for the Lord hath spoken this word. The earth mourneth and fadeth away, the world languisheth and fadeth away, the haughty people of the earth do languish. …

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
4,5; 6:11-13; 7:16-20; 9:9-12; 24:1-12; 27:10; 28:1-4; Ho 10:14
Ho 13:15,16; Am 3:11-15; 7:9; Mic 5:11; 6:16; 7:13

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Isaiah 17:8

    And he shall not look to the altars, the work of his hands, neither shall respect that which his fingers have made, either the groves, or the images.

  • Isaiah 17:9

    In that day shall his strong cities be as a forsaken bough, and an uppermost branch, which they left because of the children of Israel: and there shall be desolation.

  • Isaiah 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:

Read all of Isaiah 17

Isaiah 17:9 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		En aquel día las ciudades de su fortaleza serán como los frutos que quedan en los pimpollos y en las ramas, las cuales fueron dejadas á causa de los hijos de Israel; y habrá asolamiento.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		En ce jour-là ses villes fortifiées seront comme les lieux délaissés d’un bois épais et d’un sommet, qui ont été délaissés devant les fils d’Israël; et ce sera une désolation.
German
Elberfelder 1871		An jenem Tage werden seine Festungsstädte sein wie die verlassenen Orte des Waldes und des Berggipfels, welche man vor den Kindern Israel verließ; und es wird eine Wüste sein. -
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		In die illa erunt civitates fortitudinis ejus derelictæ sicut aratra, et segetes quæ derelictæ sunt a facie filiorum Israël; et eris deserta.