Yesaya 28:17

28:17 I will make justice the measuring line,

fairness the plumb line;

hail will sweep away the unreliable refuge, ¹ 

the floodwaters will overwhelm the hiding place.

Yesaya 34:11

34:11 Owls and wild animals ²  will live there, ³ 

all kinds of wild birds ⁴  will settle in it.

The Lord ⁵  will stretch out over her

the measuring line of ruin

and the plumb line ⁶  of destruction. ⁷ 

[28:17]  ¹ tn Heb “[the] refuge, [the] lie.” See v. 15.

[34:11]  ² 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]  ³ tn Heb “will possess it” (so NIV).

[34:11]  ⁴ 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]  ⁵ tn Heb “he”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[34:11]  ⁶ tn Heb “stones,” i.e., the stones used in a plumb bob.

[34:11]  ⁷ sn The metaphor in v. 11b emphasizes that God has carefully planned Edom’s demise.