Yeremia 50:39

50:39 Therefore desert creatures and jackals will live there.

Ostriches ¹  will dwell in it too. ² 

But no people will ever live there again.

No one will dwell there for all time to come. ³ 

Yeremia 51:37

51:37 Babylon will become a heap of ruins.

Jackals will make their home there. ⁴ 

It will become an object of horror and of hissing scorn,

a place where no one lives. ⁵ 

[50:39]  ¹ tn The identification of this bird has been called into question by G. R. Driver, “Birds in the Old Testament,” PEQ 87 (1955): 137-38. He refers to this bird as an owl. That identification, however, is not reflected in any of the lexicons including the most recent, which still gives “ostrich” (HALOT 402 s.v. יַעֲנָה) as does W. S. McCullough, “Ostrich,” IDB 3:611. REB, NIV, NCV, and God’s Word all identify this bird as “owl/desert owl.”

[50:39]  ² tn Heb “Therefore desert creatures will live with jackals and ostriches will live in it.”

[50:39]  ³ tn Heb “It will never again be inhabited nor dwelt in unto generation and generation.” For the meaning of this last phrase compare the usage in Ps 100:5 and Isaiah 13:20. Since the first half of the verse has spoken of animals living there, it is necessary to add “people” and turn the passive verbs into active ones.

[51:37]  ⁴ tn Heb “a heap of ruins, a haunt for jackals.” Compare 9:11.

[51:37]  ⁵ tn Heb “without an inhabitant.”