The Meaning of Isaiah 17:2 Explained

Isaiah 17:2

KJV: The cities of Aroer are forsaken: they shall be for flocks, which shall lie down, and none shall make them afraid.

YLT: Forsaken are the cities of Aroer, For droves they are, and they have lain down, And there is none troubling.

Darby: The cities of Aroer are forsaken: they shall be for flocks; and they shall lie down and there shall be none to make them afraid.

ASV: The cities of Aroer are forsaken; they shall be for flocks, which shall lie down, and none shall make them afraid.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

The cities  of Aroer  [are] forsaken:  they shall be for flocks,  which shall lie down,  and none shall make [them] afraid. 

What does Isaiah 17:2 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 17

1  Syria and Israel are threatened
6  A remnant shall forsake idolatry
9  The rest shall be plagued for their impiety
12  The woe of Israel's enemies

What do the individual words in Isaiah 17:2 mean?

[are] forsaken the cities of Aroer for flocks they will be and which lie down and no one will make [them] afraid
עֲזֻב֖וֹת עָרֵ֣י עֲרֹעֵ֑ר לַעֲדָרִ֣ים תִּֽהְיֶ֔ינָה וְרָבְצ֖וּ וְאֵ֥ין מַחֲרִֽיד

עֲזֻב֖וֹת  [are]  forsaken 
Parse: Verb, Qal, QalPassParticiple, feminine plural
Root: עָזַב 
Sense: to leave, loose, forsake.
עָרֵ֣י  the  cities 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct
Root: עִיר 
Sense: excitement, anguish.
עֲרֹעֵ֑ר  of  Aroer 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: עֲרֹועֵר  
Sense: a city on the north bank of the river Arnon, the southern point of the territory of Sihon the king of the Amorites and later of Reuben; modern ‘Arair’.
לַעֲדָרִ֣ים  for  flocks 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural
Root: עֵדֶר  
Sense: flock, herd.
תִּֽהְיֶ֔ינָה  they  will  be 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person feminine plural
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
וְרָבְצ֖וּ  and  which  lie  down 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural
Root: רָבַץ  
Sense: to stretch oneself out, lie down, lie stretched out.
וְאֵ֥ין  and  no  one 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb
Root: אַיִן 
Sense: nothing, not, nought n.
מַחֲרִֽיד  will  make  [them]  afraid 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Participle, masculine singular
Root: חָרַד  
Sense: to tremble, quake, move about, be afraid, be startled, be terrified.