Isaiah 17:2

17:2 The cities of Aroer are abandoned. ¹ 

They will be used for herds,

which will lie down there in peace. ² 

Isaiah 36:21

36:21 They were silent and did not respond, for the king had ordered, “Don’t respond to him.”

Isaiah 64:12

64:12 In light of all this, ³  how can you still hold back, Lord?

How can you be silent and continue to humiliate us?

[17:2]  ¹ tn Three cities are known by this name in the OT: (1) an Aroer located near the Arnon, (2) an Aroer in Ammon, and (3) an Aroer of Judah. (See BDB 792-93 s.v. עֲרֹעֵר, and HALOT 883 s.v. II עֲרוֹעֵר.) There is no mention of an Aroer in Syrian territory. For this reason some want to emend the text here to עֲזֻבוֹת עָרַיהָ עֲדֵי עַד (’azuvot ’arayha ’adey ’ad, “her cities are permanently abandoned”). However, Aroer near the Arnon was taken by Israel and later conquered by the Syrians. (See Josh 12:2; 13:9, 16; Judg 11:26; 2 Kgs 10:33). This oracle pertains to Israel as well as Syria (note v. 3), so it is possible that this is a reference to Israelite and/or Syrian losses in Transjordan.

[17:2]  ² tn Heb “and they lie down and there is no one scaring [them].”

[64:12]  ³ tn Heb “because of these”; KJV, ASV “for these things.”