Isaiah 17:9Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Douay-RheimsHebrew (Masoretic text)

In that day his strong cities shall be forsaken, as the ploughs, and the corn that were left before the face of the children of Israel, and thou shalt be desolate.
Douay-Rheims

בַּיּ֨וֹם הַה֜וּא יִהְי֣וּ ׀ עָרֵ֣י מָעֻזּ֗וֹ כַּעֲזוּבַ֤ת הַחֹ֙רֶשׁ֙ וְהָ֣אָמִ֔יר אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָזְב֔וּ מִפְּנֵ֖י בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וְהָיְתָ֖ה שְׁמָמָֽה׃
Hebrew (Masoretic text)

The Church Fathers on this verse

4 Church Fathers comment on this verse

John Chrysostom
Cyrill of Alexandria
Ephraem the Syrian
Jerome of Stridon

John Chrysostom

4th centuryChurch Father

Regarding what remains from the Amorites and Hivites for the children of Israel, He recalls the past blessings to illuminate His identity to the Jews. They cannot refute this truth and must recognize that the downfall of the cities of the Amorites and Hivites did not result from their own strength. Instead, these nations, due to their transgressions, were delivered to them, just as the present inhabitants have brought judgment upon their cities. Notice the multitude of charges! If the Jews engaged in the same iniquities as the Gentile nations, could they escape the consequences of their actions?

Cyrill of Alexandria

5th centuryChurch Father

And they shall be desolate, for you have abandoned God your Savior and failed to acknowledge the Lord your helper. The unfolding events illustrate how their circumstances deteriorated; they had initially triumphed by God's assistance and struck fear into the hearts of the Gentile cities and nations. They overcame their adversaries with ease because God smoothed the rough paths and lightened the heavy burdens. Yet, when they chose to mimic the wickedness of others, they became afraid and fell prey to their enemies. Their cities lay in ruins, deserted by their inhabitants, much like the Hivites and Amorites who perished by the sword.

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Thus, the reason for their weakness and the severe calamity they endured is made clear: you have forsaken God your Savior and have not remembered the Lord your helper. They ought to have expressed gratitude for the blessings they received, having been delivered from the bondage of Egypt, vanquishing their foes, and laying waste to the cities of their adversaries before finally entering the promised land. Instead, they repaid the Lord with wrongdoing, boldly insulted Him, and disregarded the sacred law bestowed by wise Moses, turning to worthless idols, as they proclaimed: These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt (Ex. 32:4). Therefore, when we align ourselves with God, reflecting on the Divine and striving to please Him, we will inevitably be stronger than our foes, able to overpower the rulers and powers of darkness, defeating evil spirits swiftly. We will conquer sinful desires and overcome wicked thoughts, ensuring that the ruler of this world—the devil—finds no foothold within us. Conversely, if we neglect our devotion to God, we render ourselves weak and vulnerable, remaining under the dominion of our enemies, allowing Satan to maintain his grip.

Ephraem the Syrian

4th centuryChurch Father

On that day, his hailstones shall be as powerful as the waters of Horesh Amir. The Hebrew text indicates this as the leftover branches and limbs that the children of Israel had previously preserved. Through this, the prophet predicts the Israelites' exile, which was realized during the reign of Theglaffellasar, who took captive the tribes of Reuben and Gad, along with half of the tribe of Manasseh.

Jerome of Stridon

4th centuryChurch Father

In that day, the fortified cities will be abandoned, just as the ploughs and harvesters were left behind by the people of Israel. The land will become desolate because you have turned away from God, your Savior, and have failed to remember your mighty Helper. This is not a message directed at Damascus, but rather concerning the ten tribes known as Israel, who, in their fear of an unexpected invasion, like those nations during the Exodus, abandoned their ploughs and supplies, fleeing to seek safety. Thus, the land of Israel will remain desolate for a long time.

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It is curious that instead of referencing ploughs and harvests, Aquila chose to translate it as "tile" and "Emir," Simmachus as "wood" and "Amir," while the LXX translated it as "Amorites" and "Hivites." Only Theodotion accurately rendered the Hebrew terms as "ploughs" and "heaps," which in Hebrew signifies both "ploughs" and "stacks of grain."

You have forgotten God, your Savior, and have not recalled your mighty Helper. The consequence is that, O Israel, you shall endure this suffering because you have rejected God, your Savior, who rescued you from Egypt and defeated your enemies, and because you have failed to acknowledge your Helper. Therefore, you will try to cultivate the garden of the faithful, planting foreign cuttings. This statement should be interpreted with irony—having forgotten God, your Savior, and neglected your powerful Helper, you think you can establish a safe haven; instead, will you not plant foreign vines that your foes will ultimately uproot? Or consider this: O my sons, who descend from my people, you choose to make them strangers and downtrodden.

Cross references

Passages read together with this verse.