Isaiah 17:2

The cities of Aroer Hardly, "the (two) cities Aroer" (gen. of appos.), as a name for the trans-Jordanic territory. If Aroer be really a proper name, the phrase must be explained by the analogy of Joshua 13:17 "the daughter cities of A." But where was Aroer? The best-known town of the name, that on the Arnon (Numbers 32:34; Deuteronomy 2:36, &c.), is much too far south and belonged to Moab. There seems to have been another in Ammon (Joshua 13:25), but it too is outside the territory of Damascus and can scarcely have been important enough to give its name to a district. We must either assumean unknown Aroer in Syria, or take the word in an appellative sense ("the ruined cities are forsaken") or else adopt the text of the LXX., which reads "(Damascus shall be) deserted for ever" (omitting "cities").

shall be for flocks … afraid cf. Isaiah 5:17; Isaiah 32:14, and Zephaniah 3:13; Job 11:19.