Isa 34:10-17 | JFB | STEP | 10. It-- The burning pitch, &c. ( ). smoke ... for ever-- ( ; ; ). generation to generation-- (Mal 1:4). none ... pass through-- Edom's original offense was: they would not let Israel pass through their land in peace to Canaan: God recompenses them in kind, no traveller shall pass through Edom. Volney, the infidel, was forced to confirm the truth of this prophecy: "From the reports of the Arabs, southeast of the Dead Sea, within three days' journey are upwards of thirty ruined towns, absolutely deserted."

‏ Isaiah 34:10-17

10. It--The burning pitch, &c. (Is 34:9).

smoke ... for ever--(Re 14:11; 18:18; 19:3).

generation to generation--(Mal 1:4).

none ... pass through--Edom's original offense was: they would not let Israel pass through their land in peace to Canaan: God recompenses them in kind, no traveller shall pass through Edom. Volney, the infidel, was forced to confirm the truth of this prophecy: "From the reports of the Arabs, southeast of the Dead Sea, within three days' journey are upwards of thirty ruined towns, absolutely deserted."

11. cormorant--The Hebrew is rendered, in Psa 102:6, "pelican," which is a seafowl, and cannot be meant here: some waterfowl (katta, according to Burckhardt) that tenants desert places is intended.

bittern--rather, "the hedgehog," or "porcupine" [Gesenius] (Is 14:23).

owl--from its being enumerated among water birds in Le 11:17; De 14:16. Maurer thinks rather the heron or crane is meant; from a Hebrew root, "to blow," as it utters a sound like the blowing of a horn (Re 18:2).

confusion--devastation.

line ... stones--metaphor from an architect with line and plummet-stone (see on Is 18:2; Is 28:17); God will render to it the exact measure of justice without mercy (Jas 2:13; 2Ki 21:13; La 2:8; Am 7:7, 8).

emptiness--desolation. Edom is now a waste of "stones."

12. Rather, "As to her nobles, there shall be none there who shall declare a kingdom," that is, a king [Maurer]; or else, "There shall be no one there whom they shall call to the kingdom" [Rosenmuller] (Is 3:6, &c.). Idumea was at first governed by dukes (Ge 36:15); out of them the king wan chosen when the constitution became a monarchy.

13. dragons--(See on Is 13:21; Is 13:22).

court for owls--rather, "a dwelling for ostriches."

14. wild beasts of the desert ... island--rather, "wild cats ... jackals" (Is 13:21).

screech owl--rather, "the night specter"; in Jewish superstition a female, elegantly dressed, that carried off children by night. The text does not assert the existence of such objects of superstition, but describes the place as one which superstition would people with such beings.

15. great owl--rather, "the arrow snake," so called from its darting on its prey [Gesenius].

lay--namely, eggs.

gather under her shadow--rather, "cherishes" her young under, &c. (Jr 17:11).

16. book of the Lord--the volume in which the various prophecies and other parts of Scripture began henceforward to be collected together (Is 30:8; Da 9:2).

Seek--(so Is 8:16, 20; Joh 5:39; 7:52).

no one ... fail--of these prophecies (Mt 5:18).

none shall want ... mate--image from pairing of animals mentioned, Is 34:15 ("mate"); no prediction shall want a fulfilment as its companion. Or rather, "none of these wild animals (just spoken of) shall be wanting: none shall be without its mate" to pair and breed with, in desolate Idumea.

my ... his--Such changes of person are frequent in Hebrew poetry.

them--the wild beasts.

17. cast ... lot--As conquerors apportion lands by lot, so Jehovah has appointed and marked out ("divided") Edom for the wild beasts (Nu 26:55, 56; Jos 18:4-6).