The cities of Aroer are forsaken: they shall be for flocks, which shall lie down, and none shall make them afraid.
Aroer
Numbers 32:34 And the children of Gad built Dibon, and Ataroth, and Aroer,
Deuteronomy 2:36 From Aroer, which is by the brink of the river of Arnon, and from the city that is by the river, even unto Gilead, there was not one city too strong for us: the LORD our God delivered all unto us:
Deuteronomy 3:12 And this land, which we possessed at that time, from Aroer, which is by the river Arnon, and half mount Gilead, and the cities thereof, gave I unto the Reubenites and to the Gadites.
they shall
Isaiah 5:17 Then shall the lambs feed after their manner, and the waste places of the fat ones shall strangers eat.
Isaiah 7:23-25 And it shall come to pass in that day, that every place shall be, where there were a thousand vines at a thousand silverlings, it shall even be for briers and thorns…
Ezekiel 25:5 And I will make Rabbah a stable for camels, and the Ammonites a couchingplace for flocks: and ye shall know that I am the LORD.
none
Jeremiah 7:33 And the carcases of this people shall be meat for the fowls of the heaven, and for the beasts of the earth; and none shall fray them away.
they will be left to the flocks,
The imagery of cities being left to flocks suggests a complete reversal of their intended purpose. Cities, once bustling with human activity, are now so desolate that they become pastures for animals. This reflects the totality of the judgment and the extent of the desolation. In the ancient Near East, the presence of flocks in a city would indicate that the area is no longer inhabited by people, as animals typically graze in rural areas. This also underscores the idea of divine retribution, where the land is returned to a state of nature due to the people's disobedience.
which will lie down with no one to fear.
The absence of fear for the flocks indicates a complete lack of human presence and threat. In a world where predators and human activity often posed dangers to livestock, the ability for flocks to lie down without fear suggests a profound peace, albeit one that comes from desolation. This can be seen as a fulfillment of prophetic warnings where God promises to remove the inhabitants due to their sins, leaving the land to revert to a natural state. The peaceful lying down of the flocks can also be seen as a type of the peace that comes from God's ultimate restoration, pointing forward to the eschatological hope found in passages like Isaiah 11:6-9, where harmony is restored in creation.
Isaiah sets the scene by naming Aroer, a cluster of towns on the edge of the Arnon Gorge (cf. Deuteronomy 2:36). In the judgment against Damascus and the northern kingdom, these frontier settlements would be emptied. • Such abandonment echoes Jeremiah 48:19, where Moab’s Aroer is told to “stand by the road and watch,” anticipating refugees. • The image lines up with the wider pattern of divine judgment that strips proud cities of inhabitants, as in Isaiah 13:19–20 concerning Babylon. God’s word is certain: when He announces desolation, it happens exactly as foretold.
Once people are gone, nature reclaims the streets. • Zephaniah 2:14 pictures a similar scene: “Flocks will lie down in her midst.” • Isaiah 5:17 had already warned that “lambs will graze as in their own pasture” where Judah’s wealthy once feasted. Here in Aroer, unattended sheep and goats wander freely, a living testimony that human strength cannot secure a city against God’s decree. The Creator who owns “the cattle on a thousand hills” (Psalm 50:10) effortlessly redistributes the land when judgment falls.
The absence of shepherds or marauders means perfect stillness; even skittish animals feel safe. • Leviticus 26:6 promised Israel, “You will lie down with no one to make you afraid” when they walked in obedience. Ironically, disobedient nations now provide that peace—for animals, not people. • Ezekiel 34:25 foresees a messianic future where God removes “harmful beasts” so His flock can rest securely. The tranquil picture in Isaiah 17:2 foreshadows that ultimate shalom, while reminding us that God alone grants or withdraws safety.
Isaiah 17:2 paints a vivid, literal outcome of divine judgment: populated towns become empty pastures. Forsaken Aroer testifies to God’s faithfulness in keeping His warnings, the silent flocks show His sovereignty over land and life, and the fear-free stillness previews the perfect peace He will one day bring to all creation through His righteous rule.
Verse 2. - The cities of Aroer are forsaken. That the Aroer of this passage cannot be either that on the Arnon, or that facing Rabbath-Ammon (Joshua 13:25), has long been perceived and recognized (see Mr. Grove's article on "Aroer" in the 'Dict. of the Bible,' vol. 1. p. 115). It is evidently a city of the same name lying much further towards the north. Arid it is a city of far greater importance, having "cities" dependent on it. Now, Sargon's annals tell us of a "Gal'gar," a name well expressing the Hebrew ערער, which was united in a league with Damascus, Samaria, Arpad, and Simyra, in the second year of Sargon, and was the scene of a great battle and a great destruction. Sargon besieged it, took it, and reduced it to ashes ('Records of the Past,' 50.s.e.). There is every reason to recognize the "Aroer" of this verse in the "Gargar" of Sargon's inscriptions. They shall be for flocks (comp. Isaiah 5:17; Isaiah 7:25). It marked the very extreme of desolation, that cattle should be pastured on the sites of cities. None shall make them afraid; i.e. "there shall be no inhabitants to make any objection."