Isaiah 34:1-17

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 34:5

My sword shall be bathed in heaven ; rather, has been bathed , or has been made drunken ( ἐνεθύσθη , LXX .) in heaven . Some suppose a reference to the old" war in heaven," when the sword of Divine justice was drawn against the devil and his angels. Others regard the sword now to be used against the Idumeans as first, in heaven, "made drunken" with the Divine anger. It shall come down upon Idumea (comp. Isaiah 63:1-6 ). The Edomites first showed themselves enemies of Israel... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 34:6

The sword of the Lord is filled ; or, glutted (Lowth). The tense is "the perfect of prophetic certainty." It is made fat with fatness . "Fed, as it were, on the fat of sacrifices" (see Le Isaiah 3:3 , Isaiah 3:4 , Isaiah 3:9 , Isaiah 3:10 , Isaiah 3:15 ; Isaiah 7:3 , etc.). Lambs … goats … rams . The lesser cattle represent the lower classes of those about to be slain, while the " unicorns " and " bullocks " of Isaiah 34:7 represent the upper classes—the great men... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 34:7

The unicorns ; Bishop Lowth renders ream by "wild goats;" Mr. Cheyne by "buffaloes." Probably the wild ox, a native of the trans-Jordanic region, is intended. Shall come down ; rather, shall go down ; i.e. shall fall and perish (comp. Jeremiah 1:1-19 :27). read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 34:8

The day of the Lord's vengeance (comp. Isaiah 61:2 and Isaiah 63:4 ). In all three places the "day" of God's vengeance is contrasted with the "year" of his recompense, to show how infinite is his mercy, how short-lived, comparatively speaking, his auger. Mr. Cheyne well compares the concluding clauses of the second commandment, where "retribution is declared to descend to the third and fourth generation, but mercy to the thousandth." Recompenses for the controversy of Zion ; rather, ... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 34:8

The Lord's controversy. "The year of recompenses for the controversy of Zion." Fausset says, "When Judah was captive in Babylon, Edom in every way insulted over her fallen mistress, and killed many of those Jews whom the Chaldeans had left, and hence was held guilty of fratricide by God (Esau, their ancestor, having been brother to Jacob): this was the cause of the denunciations of the prophets against Edom ( Isaiah 63:1 ; Jeremiah 49:7 ; Ezekiel 25:12-14 ; Ezekiel 35:3-15 ; Joel... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 34:9

And the streams thereof ; i.e. "the streams of the land of Edom." Though Edom has no perennial rivers, it has numerous torrent-courses to carry off the winter rains (see 2 Kings 3:20-22 ). These should run with pitch, instead of water. The general idea is that Edom should be visited with a destruction like that of Sodom and Gomorrah ( Genesis 19:24 ; comp. Jeremiah 49:18 ). But the prophet scarcely intends his words to be taken literally; he is making Edom a type or representation of... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 34:10

None shall pass through it forever and ever . There was a literal fulfillment of the prophecies against Edom to a considerable extent. Malachi, writing three hundred years after Isaiah, says that the "mountains and the heritage of Esau were laid waste for the dragons of the wilderness" ( Malachi 1:3 ); and he makes the Edomites themselves exclaim, "We are impoverished , but we will return and build the desolate places" ( Isaiah 1:4 ). A certain amount of recovery must have... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 34:11

The cormorant and the bittern shall possess it . Compare the prophecy against Babylon in Isaiah 14:23 . The Hebrew word translated "cormorant," is now generally regarded as designating the "pelican," while the one rendered "bittern" is thought by some to mean "hedgehog" or "porcupine." Animals that delight in solitude are certainly meant, but the particular species is, more or less, matter of conjecture. He shall stretch out upon it ; rather, and one shall stretch out upon it . The... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 34:12

They shall call the nobles , etc.; rather, as for her nobles , there shall be none there for them to call to the kingdom . The nobles are termed horim , probably because the right of succession to the kingdom was vested in the descendants of the Horites, from whom the Edomites took their territory ( Genesis 36:20 , Genesis 36:29 , Genesis 36:30 ). These having died out, there would be no one to appoint as king. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 34:13

Thorns shall come up in her palaces . The "palaces" of Bozrah are mentioned also by Amos ( Amos 1:12 ), and are threatened with destruction by fire. Amid their ruins should grow up thorns and briars. It shall be an habitation of dragons ; or, of jackals (see the comment on Isaiah 13:22 ). Owls ; literally, daughters of screaming—a description better suited to the owl than to the ostrich, which some regard as the bird meant. read more

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