Isaiah 34:11-17 NIV

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Isaiah 34:9-17

This prophecy looks very black, but surely it looks so further than upon Edom and Bozrah. 1. It describes the melancholy changes that are often made by the divine Providence, in countries, cities, palaces, and families. Places that have flourished and been much frequented strangely go to decay. We know not where to find the places where many great towns, celebrated in history, once stood. Fruitful countries, in process of time, are turned into barrenness, and pompous populous cities into... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 34:11

But the cormorant and the bittern shall possess it ,.... The word for "cormorant" is rendered a "pelican", in Psalm 102:6 they were both unclean fowls according to the law, of which see Leviticus 11:17 and See Gill on Isaiah 14:23 , the owl also and the raven shall dwell in it ; which were likewise unclean creatures; and these, with the former, and other creatures after mentioned, delight to dwell in desolate and ruinous places; and so Babylon or Rome being destroyed, will become a... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 34:12

They shall call the nobles thereof to the kingdom, but none shall be there ,.... They shall call them to take upon them the kingdom and government, and there shall be none to do it, or that will care to do it; or rather there will be no kingdom to take unto them. The words may be rendered either, "as for the nobles thereof, not there a kingdom shall they be called" F16 חריה ואין שם מלוכה יקראו "nobiles ejus, et non ibi regnum vocabuntur", Forerius. ; or, "the nobles shall... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 34:13

And thorns shall come up in her palaces ,.... Where their kings and princes dwelt, and kept their courts, popes and cardinals; here will be the tokens of God's curse, as thorns are, these being the people of his curse, as in Isaiah 34:5 , nettles and brambles in the fortresses thereof ; alluding to "Bozrah" which signifies a fortress; referring to the towers and fortifications of the city of Rome, and all other fortified cities within its jurisdiction: and it shall be a habitation... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 34:14

The wild beasts of the desert shall also meet with the wild beasts of the islands ,.... In Rome, and take up their abode there; of these creatures, the first of which the Targum renders monstrous ones, and the latter wild cats; see Gill on Isaiah 13:22 , and the satyr shall cry to his fellow ; or the "hairy" one F18 שעיר "pilosus", a שער "capillus." ; from which word the goat has its name; and these creatures are described by the ancients as half goats and half men; of which... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 34:15

There shall the great owl make her nest ,.... Jarchi, Kimchi, and Ben Melech, say that "kippoz" here is the same with "kippod", rendered "bittern" in Isaiah 34:11 but Aben Ezra takes them to be two different birds; it is hard to say what is designed by it. Bochart thinks that one kind of serpent is here meant, so called from its leaping up, and which may be said to make nests, lay eggs and hatch them, as follows: and lay, and hatch, and gather under her shadow ; lay its eggs, sit upon... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 34:16

Seek ye out of the book of the Lord, and read ,.... Joseph Kimchi interprets this of the book of the law of Moses; which being consulted, it will appear that punishment was threatened to be inflicted on the enemies of God's people, particularly the Edomites. Jarchi thinks the book of Genesis is intended; in which we may read how every creature, with its mate, at the time of the flood, was gathered to Noah in the ark. Aben Ezra supposes the book of God's decrees is meant; in which, could it... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 34:17

And he hath cast the lot for them ,.... The Targum adds, "by his word:' and his hand hath divided it unto them by line ; the same adds, "by his will.' The allusion is to the dividing of the land of Canaan by lot and line, to the children of Israel, for their inheritance and possession; and in like manner, it is suggested, shall Rome and its territories be distributed to those wild beasts and birds of prey, and everyone shall know and take its proper place and portion: they shall... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Isaiah 34:11

The cormorant - קאת kaath , the pelican, from the root קיא ki , to vomit, because it is said she swallows shell-fish, and when the heat of her stomach has killed the fish, she vomits the shells, takes out the dead fish, and eats them. The bittern - קפד kippod , the hedge-hog, or porcupine. The owl - ינשוף yanshoph , the bittern, from נשף nashaph , to blow, because of the blowing noise it makes, almost like the lowing of an ox. My old MS. Bible renders the words... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Isaiah 34:13

And thorns shall come up in her palaces - בארמנותיה ועלו vealu bearmenotheyha ; so read all the ancient versions. A court for owls - יענה yaanah , the ostrich, from ענה anah , to cry, because of the noise it makes. "They roar, "says Dr. Shaw, "sometimes like a lion - sometimes like a bull. I have often heard them groan as if in the utmost distress." read more

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Isaiah 34:9-17

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 34:11

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 34:12

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 34:13

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 34:14

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 34:15

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 34:16

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 34:17

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Isaiah 34:11

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Isaiah 34:13

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