Isaiah 17–18: The Root, Shoot, and Fruit of Jesse (Part I)

As many of you have witnessed over recent years, the drawn-out conflict in Syria has resulted in monumental changes in the Middle East. While atrocity after atrocity makes the headlines and day after day the casualties increase, the average citizen of the world looks on helplessly and waits for someone in power to do the right thing. And just when we think it can’t get any worse, it does (see here).

For those of us who are keen on Bible prophecy, we are able to see how the events in Syria are setting the stage for the end-times. We are also able to see the glimmer of hope in these dark days, because we know the King of kings (and King of Israel), Jesus the Messiah, will crush the tyrants currently in power and set up His everlasting kingdom on earth in the not-so-distant future.

Thus, with all of the focus on Syria these days, it’s no wonder that Isaiah 17 keeps cropping up in prophecy circles:

An oracle against Damascus: Look, Damascus is no longer a city. It has become a ruined heap (Isa. 17:1, HCSB).

Now, I don’t have a problem with using this text to establish the relevancy and truthfulness of God’s word as it shows us, indeed, just how close we are to the time of the end. The way I see it: The more who are aware of the signs of the times, the merrier. But whenever Isaiah 17 surfaces in discussion of the end-times, why do we rarely hear mention of verses 3, 4, and 6? After all, Damascus [Syria] isn’t the only nation under judgment in this oracle:

The fortress disappears from Ephraim...[o]n that day the splendor of Jacob will fade...[o]nly gleanings will be left in Israel (Isa. 17:3-6, HCSB, emphasis mine).

So then, I begin this two-part post with a plea: We who know the Lord and teach His word should know better than to isolate one verse or passage without considering the surrounding context and crucial literary markers that arrange the material into a cohesive whole.

While some are waiting for Isaiah 17:1 to be fulfilled at any moment (and some think it has already been fulfilled), I will propose an alternative way to look at this popular passage based on the unity of Isaiah 13–23 (a consistent, thematic arrangement of the LORD’s final judgments against Israel and the nations that carries on through chapter 34). Also, we should consider the book of Isaiah as a whole and, most importantly, the entire biblical narrative.

Therefore, I am hesitant to say that Damascus will be destroyed and completely uninhabitable before or even at the beginning of the Tribulation simply because the timing isn’t clear. The “woe oracles” of Isaiah 13–23 are broad, sweeping overviews of the Day of the LORD, so I tend to question the usefulness of trying to pinpoint the exact time or placement of Damascus’ destruction on the 7-year timeline of the 70th week.

That being said, I am confident that the prophecies of Isaiah 17 ultimately concern the Time of Jacob’s trouble (the 7-year Tribulation period to come) and both the annihilation of Damascus and purging of Israel will surely come to pass—without fail.

If you’re up for the challenge, then I’d like to explore some uncharted territory and let you be the judge of the conclusions drawn from an in-depth study of Isaiah 17–18. For starters, these two chapters should be seen together, because there are thematic elements that unify them. Gary Smith of the New American Commentary series provides four points to support this tight-knit connection (pg. 339):

1) There is no introductory announcement of a new oracle [Heb. massa] in Isa. 18:1; therefore, the next oracle picks up at Isa. 19:1

2) These two chapters are linked together by the extensive use of harvest imagery and metaphors (Isa. 17:4-6, 10-11, 13; 18:3-6)

3) Each oracle in the Isa. 13–23 series includes a reference to the name of Yahweh [the LORD] and His personal involvement in world events. In the case of “the oracle against Damascus,” YHWH’s direct involvement is not shown until Isaiah 18:3-6.

4) The land beyond the rivers of Cush (Isa. 18:1) is representative of all the nations of the earth that are seen in a positive light (Isa. 18:3, 7) in direct contrast to the “raging nations” of Isa. 17:12-14, who are rebuked and driven away by the Holy One of Israel. Thus, it is a misunderstanding to see this as a separate oracle for, or against, Cush.

With the thematic interrelationship between chapters 17 and 18 in mind, I’ll first attempt to untangle what I believe is a rich, albeit obscure, messianic passage in 17:10-11 (Part I). In the next post, I’ll show how chapter 18 helps to explain the events of chapter 17 and link these findings with further developed passages in Isaiah related to the root, shoot, and fruit of Jesse (Part II).

Ready to dig deep? It might help to grab some coffee, nestle into your favorite study spot, and, of course, pray on these things to see if they ring true.


The Messianic Backdrop to Isaiah 17: The Seed of the Woman and the Righteous Branch

First, in order to set the tone for what follows, let’s revisit a couple of key verses in Luke’s gospel that should shape the way we view the Old Testament scriptures:

Then beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He interpreted for them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures...[t]hen He told them, ‘These are My words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about Me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms must be fulfilled.’ Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures (Lk. 24:27, 44-45, HCSB, emphasis mine).

I love these passages. They confirm that a lifetime of academic study in the ancient Near East won’t be able to bring you any closer to understanding the Old Testament without the God of the Bible opening your mind and heart to see the full picture of Messiah. And despite past and present attempts to “demystify” or debunk the inspiration of the Scriptures (especially predictive prophecy), liberal theologians and field experts haven’t impeded the Holy Spirit in the least from revealing the Messiah to every humble heart who continues to ask, seek, and knock (Matt. 7:7).

Not every scholar is a skeptic, thankfully. Every generation has produced gifted, educated believers who help to clarify the Scriptures for those who aren’t able to devote a chunk of their life to the academic grind. However, as a note of caution, there is always the danger of overemphasizing ancient facts and figures, which can lead to an interpretation that isolates the text from the overarching biblical narrative and strips the passage of its messianic force.

In other words, when we major on the background and supplemental information to support an interpretation, we might become adept at explaining the history of ancient Israel to someone, but we could miss the overall thrust of a passage that communicates the revelation about Christ.

Michael Rydelnik, a scholar who advocates a canonical, or holistic, way of interpreting the Hebrew Bible, writes in the preface of his book, The Messianic Hope:

In their struggle to determine the meaning of biblical texts, some evangelical scholars have adopted a historical reading of the text that often minimizes direct messianic prophecy (xv).

Later on in the book, he adds:

Too often it is present-day interpreters that fail to see the true meaning of Old Testament texts by limiting themselves to their historical rather than their literary sense. Therefore, it is contemporary readers that need to adjust their lenses to see the Hebrew Bible as the New Testament authors did, as a messianic book written with a messianic intention (pg. 111).

Indeed, it’s not enough to know that the Assyrian king, Shalmanesar V, invaded the Northern Kingdom and forced Israel into exile around 722 BC (the historical backdrop to the prophecies in Isaiah 17). More importantly, we should also ask: How does Isaiah’s composition within the final, canonical form of Scripture teach us about the Messiah and what He will do?

Interwoven throughout the Hebrew Bible (OT) are rich messianic passages with grand implications for not only Israel, but also Christ’s ruling body, the Church. It takes a trained eye, and you have to know what you’re looking for, but it is worth the pursuit to try and piece the whole puzzle together.

So before we get to Isaiah 17, let’s survey the beginning chapters of Isaiah and see how the references to Messiah drive the narrative forward and reveal the underlying hope of the believing remnant. And remember, the messianic hope began with the promised seed of the woman in Genesis 3:15:

Isaiah 1:1 – Crucial first words that address the immediate audience (Judah and Jerusalem) and highlight the royal, messianic line of David: the “kings of Judah” (cf. Gen. 49:10; 2 Sam. 7:11-16).

Isaiah 4:2 – The first botanical metaphor of the Messiah in Isaiah, “...the branch of the LORD...”

Isaiah 6:13 – The hope for all Israel will come through a surviving remnant, “...the holy seed is the stump.”

Isaiah 7:14 – The virgin will give birth to a son, Immanuel (cf. Matt. 1:23; Lk. 1:30-35), the ultimate seed of the woman. Notice Isaiah’s frustration with the people of the covenant promise, “Listen, house of David!” (7:13a).

Isaiah 9:6-7 – The eternal son of David will reign forever, “...He will reign on the throne of David and over his kingdom...forever...”

Isaiah 11:1 – The shoot comes from “the stump of Jesse” (refer back to 6:13) and will bear lasting fruit.

And, lastly, a pivotal text for this study:

On that day the root of Jesse will stand as a banner [Heb. nes, “signal, flag”] for the peoples. The nations [Gentiles] will seek Him, and His resting place will be glorious (Isa. 11:10, HCSB).

*See also Numbers 21:8 for the first usage of this term, nes, in a highly messianic text (cf. Isa. 49:6, 22; Jn. 12:20-36, especially verses 20 and 32 which emphasize outreach to the Gentiles).

These messianic verses reveal the backbone and undercurrent of the book of Isaiah. We get the impression that those who hear Isaiah’s message should never place their hope in anything or anyone else but the coming Messiah—He is the ultimate promised seed of the woman who will crush the head of the serpent and deliver God’s children. Given that the Messiah is also eternal, He is both David’s offspring and the root of David’s father, Jesse (cf. Rev. 5:5; 22:16). Amazing!

Additionally, the plant metaphors that depict the Messiah are consistent and will spring up here and there throughout the rest of the book. And so, at this point in Isaiah we have a lot to build on: The coming Messiah is the root, shoot, and bearer of all the choice fruit of Yahweh’s future harvest (cf. 1 Cor. 15:20-23).


Isaiah 17 and the Syrian Connection to a Great Gentile Harvest

All right. Here’s where things might get a little technical, so please forgive me (or not, if you’re a language geek like me). There is no other way to show you the intricacies of the Isaiah 17 messianic connection without diving into the original language, and so a close examination of the Hebrew text is required if we’re going to catch the deliberate wordplay.

Before we dive in, here is the bird’s-eye view: When we observe Isaiah 17–18 as a complete unit, notice the central, pivotal verse:

17:1
17:2
17:3
17:4
17:5
17:6
17:7
17:8
17:9
17:10
17:11
17:12
17:13
17:14
18:1
18:2
18:3
18:4
18:5
18:6
18:7

After listing out all of the verses from Isaiah 17–18 in an unbroken sequence, my initial hunch about the significance of 17:11 has been confirmed. As we’ll soon discover, this verse (17:11) builds on prior revelation in Scripture concerning the exact consequence for Israel’s disobedience and rejection of “the God of their salvation” and “Rock of their strength” (Isa. 17:10).

While it appears that Damascus doesn’t have a prayer, the inclusion of Aram (modern-day Syria) in this oracle is striking. After the Tribulation runs its course, Damascus will have been destroyed, but there will be surviving Syrians along with the remnant of Israel (Isa. 17:3). Thus, we have in this account another example of the LORD showing mercy in the midst of His wrath and climactic judgment, and note: His mercy is not only for Israel but the Gentiles as well.

Here are some key points to glean from each section of Isaiah 17 leading up to the hinge verse (17:11).

Isaiah 17:1-3 – Damascus, Damascus, Damascus (written three times in this text). Woe to Damascus because it is going to be destroyed, but also woe to the northern tribes of Israel because they will not come out unscathed. The survivors of Aram (Syria) are equated with the survivors of Israel (see Gen. 10:22; we can trace the lineage of Jacob and Aram back to Shem).

Isaiah 17:4-6 – The term “splendor, glory” [Heb. kabod] links to the previous verse. Jacob/Israel will endure a shaking and diminish in size and strength. Isaiah prophesied as much at the outset, where the children of Israel are labeled pejoratively as “Sodom and Gomorrah” and told only a few will survive the coming desolation (Isa. 1:7-10).

Isaiah 17:7-9 – For this section it would be good to refer back to Isaiah 2:5-22. The repetitive phrase “in/on that day” [Heb. preposition + noun, bayom] is used in 2:11, 17, 20 and repeated throughout the rest of the book, including our chapter of study (Isa. 17:4, 7, 9, 11). We should view the “day” in the loaded phrase “in/on that day,” not in a narrowed sense, but broad in scope (i.e. the Tribulation events described in Isaiah that begin with the phrase “in/on that day” will not all occur within the same 24-hour span of time).

Isaiah 17:10-11:

(a) Verse 10: This verse explains why devastating judgment comes not only against Damascus but Israel as well, “For you have forgotten the God of your salvation, and you have failed to remember the Rock of your strength.” Deuteronomy 32 is the primary point of reference when looking for other passages that label Israel’s God as a Rock to be remembered (see Deut. 32:4, 18, 30-31, 37). There are amazing similarities between Deut. 32:18 and Isaiah 17:10 especially.

The second part of this verse also strongly echoes Deuteronomy 32, and here is where things get interesting. Most English translations will paraphrase this verse with the assumption that Isaiah is speaking about Israel planting literal plants (or some specific form of idolatrous act in defiance of God’s commands). However, I don’t believe that is an accurate understanding of the words being used in this text. Rather than describing a historical, literal act of idolatry in Israel’s past, the second part of verse 10 actually depicts (and predicts) the future consequence for Israel’s disobedience and rejection of their Rock in figurative language (cf. 1 Cor. 10:4).

Here is a word-for-word translation of 17:10b derived from the Masoretic Text (MT):

“...and so (as a result), you will plant plants, delightful ones (Heb. naamanim), and a foreign (strange) branch (vine), you will sow him (or, sow it)” (my translation).

If I transliterate one of the Hebrew nouns in this text, does anything jump out at you (especially given the immediate context of Aram/Syria)?

“...and so, you will plant plants, Naamans, and a strange branch, you will sow him.”

Naamans! I kid you not. That’s exactly what is written in the Masoretic Text. If we paraphrase what is written, then we miss out on the subtle, yet powerful message being communicated. Also, Isaiah 17:10 is the only place in the Hebrew Bible where the plural form of Naaman is found.

The connection to Aram (Syria) in Isaiah 17 makes this find all the more compelling. This is a good time to revisit 2 Kings 5 and read through the narrative about Naaman, the commander of the army for the king of Aram. The God of Israel, YHWH, showed great favor on this Gentile who was highly regarded “because through him, the LORD had given victory to Aram” (2 Kgs. 5:1). Naaman had a skin disease that was healed because he listened to Elisha, the prophet of Yahweh.

After being healed by washing in the Jordan river (dipping himself in the water seven times according to God’s instruction), Naaman proclaimed in the presence of Elisha and other Syrians:

...I know there’s no God in the whole world except in Israel... (2 Kgs. 5:15, HCSB).

Wow. This stunning discovery in Isaiah 17 further confirms the profound implications of Deuteronomy 32:21. As a direct consequence of Israel forsaking their Rock, the God of Israel will graft in Naamanim, delightful plants—people like Naaman the Syrian, a Gentile, who trusted in the Word of God, was baptized by the washing of water, and healed of his disease (cf. Eph. 5:25-27; Titus 3:4-7).

Is there any other passage in Isaiah that adds weight to interpreting 17:10 as both messianic and figurative? Yes! And I had to do a double-take on this one:

“For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, and the man of Judah is a delightful plant... (Isa. 5:7, my translation).

In the second line of this verse, the noun “man” (Heb. aish) is singular and so is the word “plant” (Heb. neta). The LXX (Greek version of the OT) also confirms this translation with an interesting twist, “...and the man of Judah is a beloved new plant.” The beloved is a title for Christ in the New Testament (see Matt. 3:17; Eph. 1:6; Col. 1:13).

This term for “plant” (neta) is only found twice in Isaiah—here in 5:7 and in 17:10. And so, there is early precedent in Isaiah that supports the use of metaphor in 17:10; i.e. the “plants” and Naamanim (Naamans) of 17:10 are figurative. Curiously, in the second line of 17:10, the nouns are all singular, whereas the nouns in the first line are plural:

17:10a, “and so you will plant plants, Naamans...” (2 plural nouns as direct objects)
17:10b, “and a strange branch, you will sow him/it“ (2 singular nouns as direct objects)

Maybe if we lay out 17:10 in a chiastic structure, the interrelationships will be clearer (see here for more on chiasms in the Bible):

(A): you will plant plants
    (B): Naamans
    (B): a strange (foreign) branch
(A): you will sow him/it

So, in 17:10b we find corporate representation by use of a singular term. This “branch” is strange, because it is imported (Gentile) and not native to Israel; the connection to Naaman, the believing Syrian Gentile, emphasizes this point.

Now then, let’s see if the following verse has anything to contribute to our overall understanding of this immense prophetic passage.

(b) Verse 11: This verse begins with the same Hebrew phrase found in many of Isaiah’s “Day of the LORD” passages, bayom (“on that day”). See also, in the same chapter, Isa. 17:4, 7, 9.

Here is my word-for-word translation of 17:11 based on the Masoretic Text (MT) and the Dead Sea Scrolls (DSS):

“On that day you will help your plant to grow, and in the morning you will help your seed to sprout forth (or, bloom)—the harvest will disappear (or, flee, escape) on that day of disease and incurable pain.“

In a few English versions, there has been a misunderstanding about the root of the word translated “to grow,” which is found only here in the Hebrew Bible. Some translations have “you will fence it in,” or something to that effect. However, the recent discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls has cleared up the confusion and confirmed the parallelism of 17:11a, “you will help your plant to grow...you will help your seed to bloom...”  See especially, the ESV, NET, HCSB, NIV, etc. The root word is not sug (to fence in; encircle), but sagag (to grow). The specific Dead Sea Scroll discovery which confirms the true root is called 1QpHab (Cave 1, Qumran, pesher, Habakkuk, see here).

Next up, there is a minor textual corruption in the Masoretic Text (MT) that has huge implications. Many English versions have rightly emended this error from “the harvest will be a heap,” to “the harvest will flee, or disappear.” The difference is a single Hebrew letter, dalet. Without the added consonants, the word translated “heap” is nd, and the word translated “flee, disappear” is ndd. Therefore, it’s easy to see how a scribe could accidentally omit a dalet down through the years of transmission (for more on this crucial textual issue, see the NET Bible comment here).

Let’s break verse 11 down:

(a) “On that day” — A reiteration that this specific prophecy will ultimately take place at the time of the end, on the Day of the LORD.

(b) “you will help your plant to grow” — We’ve already seen in Isaiah 5:7, “...the man of Judah is a delightful plant.” The “plant” in 17:10 is also figurative and represents a person, and/or possibly a group of people. Another reference to Messiah as a plant is found in Isaiah 53:2.

(c) “and in the morning you will help your seed to bloom” — This is an epic, messianic reference that I believe has been buried and overlooked. The exact same Hebrew phrase “your seed” is found in the preeminent messianic text of Genesis 3:15 (and shows up repeatedly in the Abrahamic/Davidic covenant passages of the OT; e.g. Gen. 15:5; 22:17; 28:14; 2 Sam. 7:12-13; 1 Chron. 17:11-14; cf. Gal. 3:16).

(d) “the harvest will vanish” — The mention of a harvest indicates that the “plant,” “branch” (v. 10), and “seed” are all singular terms that represent a corporate entity. At the appointed harvest time, this foreign branch is taken away; it “flees, escapes, disappears,” and the one who helped it to grow, Israel, suffers the loss.

(e) “on that day of disease and incurable pain” — Tribulation language: A time of trouble, pain, and distress for Jacob (cf. Jer. 30:5-7; Mic. 7:1-2). This also appears to be dramatic irony given that Naaman was healed of his disease, but notice what immediately follows the account in 2 Kings 5:1-9. In 5:20-27, Gehazi, not accepting that YHWH could be so gracious to a Gentile without paying for it first, tries to pull a fast one on Elisha. Much to greedy Gehazi’s dismay, he is exposed and cursed with Naaman’s skin disease.


Summary of Part I

Ok. Given the numerous botanical metaphors of Messiah surveyed in the early going of Isaiah, and after taking an in-depth look at the text of 17:10-11, our spiritual antennae should be primed for picking up any messianic signals at this point. If you can accept that Isaiah is not speaking about literal plants in 17:10-11, then who could this grafted-in, imported branch be? Who are these Namaanim, connected with Israel’s seed, and those who sprout up into a fully-ripe harvest that disappears into thin air at the end of the age?

Hmmm...

Let’s put it all together now. Here’s an interpretative/paraphrase translation of 17:10-11:

And so, Israel, as a result of rejecting your Rock—the God of your salvation—you will plant plants, ones like Naaman, and you will graft in a Gentile branch. At the time of end, you will help your plant to grow, and in the morning, when the Day dawns, you will help your seed to bloom, yet the harvest will vanish on the day of plagues and great pain.

The correct interpretation of Isaiah 17:10-11 yields a theology that is consistent with what we find in Deuteronomy 32:21 and the New Testament writings of the apostle Paul:

I ask, then, has God rejected His people? Absolutely not! For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin...by their stumbling, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel jealous...if the root is holy, so are the branches...you, though a wild olive branch, were grafted in among them and have come to share in the rich root of the cultivated olive tree...the root sustains you...a partial hardening has come to Israel until the full number of Gentiles has come in... (Rom. 11:1, 11, 16-18, 25, HCSB, emphasis mine).

And does Paul know anything about a so-called vanishing harvest? You bet:

For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the archangel’s voice, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are still alive will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and so we will always be with the Lord (1 Thess. 4:16-17, HCSB, emphasis mine).

Stay tuned for Part II...

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