ישעיהו, פרק י״ז, פסוק ט׳

A prophecy of destruction paints a picture of historical irony and a tragic reversal of fate. The mighty fortified cities that the people trust are destined to become completely deserted, echoing a distant memory of conquest and flight. These strongholds refer to the fortified cities of the Israelites [רש״י, אבן עזרא], with a specific focus on Samaria, the capital of the kingdom of Ephraim [אבן עזרא, מלבי״ם]. The primary approach among commentators is that the descriptions of these places denote total abandonment, though an alternative perspective suggests the terms highlight the sheer strength and fortification of the structures themselves before they fall [מלבי״ם].

The impending desolation is illustrated through vivid imagery drawn from nature, specifically thick forests or trees with many branches [רש״י, מצודת ציון, אבן עזרא]. Attention is drawn to the high canopies [מצודת ציון, אבן עזרא, ביאור שטיינזלץ] or the tallest, most choice trees [שד״ל, מלבי״ם]. The prevailing thought is that the cities will be emptied of human life, much like a dense, unpopulated forest or high treetops left untouched by fruit gatherers who simply cannot climb them [רד״ק, מצודת דוד]. Alternatively, the focus on forests might connect back to the idolatrous trees that the people previously worshipped [שד״ל].

The prophecy then draws the mind back to the days when the land was first conquered. It recalls the Canaanites and other local nations who abandoned their cities, fleeing in panic from the arriving Israelites during the time of Joshua [רש״י, רד״ק, אבן עזרא, מצודת דוד]. Some add that this points specifically to the forests of Mount Ephraim, which the Canaanites heavily fortified in defense before ultimately being forced to leave [מלבי״ם]. The context of fleeing implies deep fear and terror, ruling out any notion that this refers to crops peacefully left behind for the poor [שד״ל]. Here lies the central tragedy: in a bitter twist of fate, just as the original inhabitants fled in terror and left behind empty ruins when the Israelites arrived, the Israelites will now be forced to abandon their own fortified cities out of fear of the approaching Assyrian king [רד״ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Ultimately, the entire land, along with the massive defense systems the people so heavily relied upon, will be reduced to an absolute, uninhabited wasteland.