Yesaya 13:21

13:21 Wild animals will rest there,

the ruined ¹  houses will be full of hyenas. ² 

Ostriches will live there,

wild goats will skip among the ruins. ³ 

Yesaya 14:23

14:23 “I will turn her into a place that is overrun with wild animals ⁴ 

and covered with pools of stagnant water.

I will get rid of her, just as one sweeps away dirt with a broom,” ⁵ 

says the Lord who commands armies.

Yesaya 34:11

34:11 Owls and wild animals ⁶  will live there, ⁷ 

all kinds of wild birds ⁸  will settle in it.

The Lord ⁹  will stretch out over her

the measuring line of ruin

and the plumb line ¹⁰  of destruction. ¹¹ 

[13:21]  ¹ tn The word “ruined” is supplied in the translation for clarification.

[13:21]  ² tn The precise referent of this word in uncertain. See HALOT 29 s.v. *אֹחַ. Various English versions translate as “owls” (e.g., NAB, NASB), “wild dogs” (NCV); “jackals” (NIV); “howling creatures” (NRSV, NLT).

[13:21]  ³ tn Heb “will skip there.”

[14:23]  ⁴ tn Heb “I will make her into a possession of wild animals.” It is uncertain what type of animal קִפֹּד (qippod) refers to. Some suggest a rodent (cf. NASB, NRSV “hedgehog”), others an owl (cf, NAB, NIV, TEV).

[14:23]  ⁵ tn Heb “I will sweep her away with the broom of destruction.”

[34:11]  ⁶ tn קָאַת (qa’at) refers to some type of bird (cf. Lev 11:18; Deut 14:17) that was typically found near ruins (see Zeph 2:14). קִפּוֹד (qippod) may also refer to a type of bird (NAB “hoot owl”; NIV “screech owl”; TEV “ravens”), but some have suggested a rodent may be in view (cf. NCV “small animals”; ASV “porcupine”; NASB, NRSV “hedgehog”).

[34:11]  ⁷ tn Heb “will possess it” (so NIV).

[34:11]  ⁸ tn The Hebrew text has יַנְשׁוֹף וְעֹרֵב (yanshof vÿ’orev). Both the יַנְשׁוֹף (“owl”; see Lev 11:17; Deut 14:16) and עֹרֵב (“raven”; Lev 11:15; Deut 14:14) were types of wild birds.

[34:11]  ⁹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[34:11]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “stones,” i.e., the stones used in a plumb bob.

[34:11]  ¹¹ sn The metaphor in v. 11b emphasizes that God has carefully planned Edom’s demise.