The Meaning of Isaiah 17:1 Explained

Isaiah 17:1

KJV: The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap.

YLT: The burden of Damascus. Lo, Damascus is taken away from being a city, And it hath been a heap -- a ruin.

Darby: The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap.

ASV: The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

The burden  of Damascus.  Behold, Damascus  is taken away  from [being] a city,  and it shall be a ruinous  heap. 

What does Isaiah 17:1 Mean?

Study Notes

burden of Damascus
As in the burden of Moab, there was doubtless a near fulfilment in Sennacherib's approaching invasion, but Is 17:12-14 as evidently look forward to the final invasion and battle. Cf. Isaiah 10:26-34 .
Come
Armageddon (the ancient hill and valley of Megiddo, west of Jordan in the plain of Jezreel) is the appointed place for the beginning of the great battle in which the Lord, at His coming in glory, will deliver the Jewish remnant besieged by the Gentile world- powers under the Beast and False Prophet Revelation 16:13-16 ; Zechariah 12:1-9 . Apparently the besieging hosts, whose approach to Jerusalem is described in Isaiah 10:28-32 alarmed by the signs which precede the Lord's coming Matthew 24:29 ; Matthew 24:30 have fallen back to Megiddo, after the events of Zechariah 14:2 where their destruction begins; a destruction consummated in Moab and the plains of Idumea Isaiah 63:1-6 . This battle is the first event in "the day of Jehovah" Isaiah 2:12 and is the fulfilment of the smiting-stone prophecy of Daniel 2:35 .

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 17:1 mean?

The burden against Damascus Behold Damascus will cease from [being] a city and it will be a heap ruinous
מַשָּׂ֖א דַּמָּ֑שֶׂק הִנֵּ֤ה דַמֶּ֙שֶׂק֙ מוּסָ֣ר מֵעִ֔יר וְהָיְתָ֖ה מְעִ֥י מַפָּלָֽה

מַשָּׂ֖א  The  burden  against 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מַשָּׂא 
Sense: load, bearing, tribute, burden, lifting.
דַּמָּ֑שֶׂק  Damascus 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: דּוּמֶּשֶׂק 
Sense: an ancient trading city, capital of Syria, located in the plain east of Hermon, 30 (205 km) miles northeast of Jerusalem.
הִנֵּ֤ה  Behold 
Parse: Interjection
Root: הִנֵּה  
Sense: behold, lo, see, if.
דַמֶּ֙שֶׂק֙  Damascus 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: דּוּמֶּשֶׂק 
Sense: an ancient trading city, capital of Syria, located in the plain east of Hermon, 30 (205 km) miles northeast of Jerusalem.
מוּסָ֣ר  will  cease 
Parse: Verb, Hofal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: סוּר 
Sense: to turn aside, depart.
מֵעִ֔יר  from  [being]  a  city 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, feminine singular
Root: עִיר 
Sense: excitement, anguish.
וְהָיְתָ֖ה  and  it  will  be 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
מְעִ֥י  a  heap 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מְעִי  
Sense: ruin, heap.
מַפָּלָֽה  ruinous 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: מַפָּלָה 
Sense: a ruin.