Isaiah 34:10
Ver. 10. It shall not be quenched night nor day,.... It will be long burning, and shall not be extinguished until it is utterly consumed. The burning of Rome will continue long, especially the smoke of it; the kings of the earth, and others, are represented as standing and looking at it, and lamenting for it, Re 18:9:the smoke thereof shall go up for ever; this very phrase is what will be used by the saints in their "allelujahs", at the burning of Rome, Re 19:3 with which compare Re 14:11:from generation to generation it shall lie waste; the land shall be no more manured and cultivated, nor the city rebuilt; when Babylon is once fallen, it shall never be raised up again, but always remain desolate, Re 18:2:none shall pass through it for ever and ever; no inhabitant in it, nor traveller through it; it will be so horrible and terrible, as none will care to dwell there, yea, not so much as to travel through it; see Jer 49:18. Isaiah 34:11Ver. 11. But the cormorant and the bittern shall possess it,.... The word for "cormorant" is rendered a "pelican", in Ps 102:6 they were both unclean fowls according to the law, of which see Le 11:17 and See Gill on "Isa 14:23":the owl also and the raven shall dwell in it; which were likewise unclean creatures; and these, with the former, and other creatures after mentioned, delight to dwell in desolate and ruinous places; and so Babylon or Rome being destroyed, will become a cage of every unclean and hateful bird, Re 18:2:and he shall stretch out upon it the line of confusion and the stones of emptiness; "he", that is, God, as Kimchi interprets it; the allusion is to builders, that make use of the line and plummet, as to build, so to pull down, that they may know what is to be pulled down, and how far they are to go; see 2Ki 21:13 and hereby it is signified, that as the destruction should be entire, nothing should be left but confusion and emptiness; and all should become "tohu" and "bohu", which are the words used here; and are the same that are used to express the confused chaos, the unformed and empty earth, Ge 1:2 so likewise that it should be by line and level, by rule and measure; or according to the rules of justice and equity. Isaiah 34:12Ver. 12. They shall call the nobles thereof to the kingdom, but none [shall be] there,.... They shall call them to take upon them the kingdom and government, and there shall be none to do it, or that will care to do it; or rather there will be no kingdom to take unto them. The words may be rendered either, "as for the nobles thereof, not there a kingdom shall they be called" {p}; or, "the nobles shall call"; or, "they shall call the nobles", and "there shall be no kingdom" {q}; the kingdom of the beast, as it is called, Re 16:10 shall be no more; and though the cardinals, who are like to nobles, may call for it, and expect it, or be called to it, yet to no purpose; this kingdom will not only be full of darkness, but utterly destroyed:and all her princes shall be nothing; shall come to nothing; the above mentioned cardinals, who are clothed and live like princes, these shall be no more; the same with the merchants of the earth, which like the merchants of Tyre are princes, Re 18:3.{p} warqy hkwlm Mv Nyaw hyrx "nobiles ejus, et non ibi regnum vocabuntur", Forerius. {q} "Ingenuos ejus vocabunt, et non erit ibi regnum", Tigurine version. Isaiah 34:13Ver. 13. And thorns shall come up in her palaces,.... Where their kings and princes dwelt, and kept their courts, popes and cardinals; here will be the tokens of God's curse, as thorns are, these being the people of his curse, as in Isa 34:5:nettles and brambles in the fortresses thereof; alluding to "Bozrah" which signifies a fortress; referring to the towers and fortifications of the city of Rome, and all other fortified cities within its jurisdiction:and it shall be a habitation of dragons; literally, as it figuratively had been the seat of the old dragon, the devil, and of the beast to whom the dragon gave his power, seat, and authority; and who, though he looked like a lamb, spoke like a dragon, Re 12:3:[and] a court for owls; or, "daughters of the owl"; or "ostriches", as some render it. Isaiah 34:14Ver. 14. The wild beasts of the desert shall also meet with the wild beasts of the islands,.... In Rome, and take up their abode there; of these creatures, the first of which the Targum renders monstrous ones, and the latter wild cats, See Gill on "Isa 13:22":and the satyr shall cry to his fellow; or the "hairy" one {r}; from which word the goat has its name; and these creatures are described by the ancients as half goats and half men; of whichSee Gill on "Isa 13:21". The Targum renders it demons; and with this well agrees the account of Babylon or Rome as fallen, that it shall be the habitation of, devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, Re 18:2:the screech owl also shall rest there, and find for herself a place of rest; there being no inhabitants to disturb her. By the name "Lilith", it appears to be a night bird, which flies and is heard in the night. The Jews call a she demon by this name, which, they say {s}, has a human face, and has wings, and destroys children as soon as born; and therefore the Jews, especially in Germany, write upon the four corners of the bed of a new mother, Adam, Eve, out Lilith {t}; the same with the Lamia of the Romans; and so the Vulgate Latin here renders it.{r} ryev "pilosus", a rev "capillus." {s} T. Bab. Nidda, fol. 24. 2. {t} Vid. Buxtorf. Lex. Rab. col. 1140. Isaiah 34:15Ver. 15. There shall the great owl make her nest,.... Jarchi, Kimchi, and Ben Melech, say that "kippoz" here is the same with "kippod", rendered "bittern" in Isa 34:11 but Aben Ezra takes them to be two different birds; it is hard to say what is designed by it. Bochart thinks that one kind of serpent is here meant, so called from its leaping up, and which may be said to make nests, lay eggs and hatch them, as follows:and lay, and hatch, and gather under her shadow; lay its eggs, sit upon them, and hatch them; or "break" them {u}, that is, the eggs, by sitting on them, when the young ones spring out of them; and then being hatched, and running about, gather them under their wing, especially when in any danger:there shall the vultures also be gathered, everyone with her mate; which creatures usually gather together where dead carcasses lie.{u} heqby "et scindet", Pagninus, Montanus; "rumpet", Vatablus; "quumque eruperit", Junius & Tremellius, i.e. "pullities", so Ben Melech. Isaiah 34:16Ver. 16. Seek ye out of the book of the Lord, and read,.... Joseph Kimchi interprets this of the book of the law of Moses; which being consulted, it will appear that punishment was threatened to be inflicted on the enemies of God's people, particularly the Edomites. Jarchi thinks the book of Genesis is intended; in which we may read how every creature, with its mate, at the time of the flood, was gathered to Noah in the ark. Aben Ezra supposes the book of God's decrees is meant; in which, could it be seen, might be read all the particulars of this prophecy. But it seems best to understand it of this book of the prophecy of Isaiah; which being sought to, and read at the time when these predictions will be fulfilled, it will be easily seen, by comparing events with prophecies, how everything will be exactly accomplished; from whence may be concluded, this book being called the book of the Lord, that it was written by divine inspiration, as all other parts of the Bible are; which is a recommendation of them, and is a reason why they should be constantly applied unto, and diligently read. It may deserve some consideration, whether the book of the Revelation may not be designed; which, at the destruction of Babylon or Rome, will be proper to be looked into afresh, to see the agreement between the prophecies in it, and the then state of things respecting it, when it will be an habitation of devils and unclean birds:not one of these shall fail: not one of these beasts or birds before mentioned shall be wanting here, or be "deprived" of its prey:none shall want her mate; the satyr, or vulture, or any other, which will engage their continuance, and by which means there will be a fresh brood of them in succession for after ages:for my mouth, it hath commanded them; these beasts and birds, to assemble in the above mentioned place:and his spirit, it hath gathered them; the Spirit of the mouth of the Lord, his power, and his providence; as he gathered all creatures to Adam, to give them names; and to Noah, to be preserved with him in the ark; so, by a secret instinct; will he gather together these creatures, to inhabit the desolate places of Edom or Rome. The Targum is,"for by his word they shall be gathered, and by his will they shall draw near.''So Ben Melech interprets it of his will and pleasure. Isaiah 34:17Ver. 17. And he hath cast the lot for them,.... The Targum adds,"by his word:''and his hand hath divided it unto them by line; the same adds,"by his will.''The allusion is to the dividing of the land of Canaan by lot and line, to the children of Israel, for their inheritance and possession; and in like manner, it is suggested, shall Rome and its territories be distributed to those wild beasts and birds of prey, and everyone shall know and take its proper place and portion:they shall possess it for ever; as their inheritance, allotted and appointed to them:from generation to generation shall they dwell therein:See Gill on "Isa 34:10" where Jarchi, out of the Derash, has this note,"this is the curse of Moses; the war of the Lord against Amalek, from generation to generation; from the generation of Moses to the generation of Saul; from thence to the generation of Mordecai; and from thence to the generation of the King Messiah.''
John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible.