Isaiah 34:13-15

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 34:13

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

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

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Isaiah 34:14

The weld beasts of the desert - ציים tsiyim , the mountain cats. - Bochart. Wild beasts of the island - איים aiyim , the jackals. The satyr - שעיר seir , the hairy one, probably the he-goat. The screech owl - לילית lilith , the night-bird, the night-raven, nyctycorax, from ליל layil , or לילה lailah , the night. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Isaiah 34:15

The great owl - קפוז kippoz , the ακοντιας , or darter, a serpent so called because of its suddenly leaping up or darting on its prey. Probably the mongoose or ichneumon may be intended. The vultures - דיות daiyoth , the black vultures. My old MS. Bible renders these names curiously: And ageyn cumen schul devylis: the beste, party of an asse, and party of a mam: and the wodwose, the tother schal crien to the tother. There schal byn lamya, that is, thrisse, or a beste, havynge... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 34:1-15

The Divine indignation. The strong, pictorial language of the prophet brings into bold relief some truths respecting God's indignation of which it is needful to be occasionally reminded. We learn— I. THAT IT IS A CONSTANT FACTOR IN THE GOVERNMENT OF THE WORLD . "Come near, ye nations, to hear; and hearken, ye people; let the earth hear, and all that is therein … for the indignation of the Lord is upon all nations ," etc. ( Isaiah 34:1 , Isaiah 34:2 ). It is... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 34:1-17

SECTION 11. THE DIVINE JUDGMENT ON THE WORLD , AND THE GLORY OF THE CHURCH CONSEQUENT UPON IT ( Isaiah 34:1-17 ; Isaiah 35:1-10 .). read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 34:1-17

The sins and punishment of Edom. The Edomites appear in the blackest colors in the descriptions of the prophets. And in this oracle their punishment is represented in the horrible desolation of their land. I. THEIR SINS . Their cruelty is above all stigmatized. At the siege of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar they helped to plunder the city and slaughter the poor Jews. Their conduct on this occasion was never forgotten ( Psalms 137:1-9 .). In Obadiah we have the feelings about them... read more

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