Isaiah 13:21 kjv
But wild beasts of the desert shall lie there; and their houses shall be full of doleful creatures; and owls shall dwell there, and satyrs shall dance there.
Isaiah 13:21 nkjv
But wild beasts of the desert will lie there, And their houses will be full of owls; Ostriches will dwell there, And wild goats will caper there.
Isaiah 13:21 niv
But desert creatures will lie there, jackals will fill her houses; there the owls will dwell, and there the wild goats will leap about.
Isaiah 13:21 esv
But wild animals will lie down there, and their houses will be full of howling creatures; there ostriches will dwell, and there wild goats will dance.
Isaiah 13:21 nlt
Desert animals will move into the ruined city,
and the houses will be haunted by howling creatures.
Owls will live among the ruins,
and wild goats will go there to dance.
Isaiah 13 21 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isaiah 13:19 | And Babylon, the jewel of kingdoms, the glory of the Babylonians' pride, shall be like Sodom and Gomorrah when God overthrew them. | Destruction of Babylon |
| Isaiah 13:22 | Beasts of the desert shall lie there, and their houses shall be full of doleful creatures; there ostriches shall dwell, and wild goats shall leap. | Further description of desolation |
| Jeremiah 51:37 | Babylon shall become a heap of ruins, a dwelling place for jackals, an astonishing sight, and a hissing, without inhabitants. | Jeremiah's prophecy of Babylon's fall |
| Jeremiah 50:39 | So wild shall dwell with hyenas, and ostriches shall dwell in her. She shall never again be inhabited or lived in for generation after generation. | Parallel prophecy in Jeremiah |
| Revelation 18:2 | He cried out with a mighty voice, "Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! It has become a dwelling place of demons, a haunt of every unclean spirit, a haunt of every unclean and hateful bird." | New Testament depiction of Babylon's fall |
| Revelation 18:10 | They will stand far off, in fear of her torment, crying, ‘Alas! Alas, you great city, you mighty city, Babylon! For in one hour your judgment has come.’ | Fear and lament over Babylon |
| Revelation 18:17 | For in one hour all this wealth has been laid waste.’ And all shipmasters and seafaring men, all sailors, all whose trade is on the sea, stood far off | Economic ruin of Babylon |
| Jeremiah 50:30 | Her young men shall fall in the squares, and all her soldiers shall be cut off on that day, declares the Lord. | Military defeat of Babylon |
| Isaiah 34:11-15 | The raven and the porcupine will possess it, the owl and the raven will dwell in it. He will stretch over it the line of confusion and the plummet of emptiness. They shall call it, ‘The people who are no more,’ and ‘The land of those whom the Lord has marked for battle.’ Thorns shall grow over its pleasant palaces, nettles and brambles in its fortresses. It shall be a haunt of jackals, an | |
| Ps 74:14 | You crushed the heads of Leviathan; you gave him as food for the creatures of the wilderness. | Symbolism of powerful creatures |
| Ex 23:29 | I will not drive them out from you in a single year, lest the land become a wilderness and the wild beasts multiply against you. | Consequences of rapid expulsion |
| Lev 26:22 | I will let loose the wild beasts against you, and they shall bereave you of your children and destroy your livestock and make you few in number, so that your ways shall become desolate. | Divine judgment with wild beasts |
| Eze 39:17 | As for you, son of man, thus says the Lord God: Speak to the birds of every sort and to all beasts of the field: “Assemble yourselves and come from every quarter to the feast that I am preparing for you, a great feast on the mountains of Israel, that you may eat flesh and drink blood.” | Feast for scavengers/destruction |
| Job 4:11 | The lion whelps perish from hunger, and the lions’ couch is scattered. | Predation and scattering |
| Job 12:7-9 | "But now ask the beasts, and they will teach you, or the birds of the heavens, and they will tell you; or speak to the ground, and it will teach you, or the fish of the sea, and they will declare to you? Who among all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this?" | Testimony of God's creation |
| Prov 30:29-31 | Three things are majestic in their stride, four are stately in their gait: the lion, which has no rival; the wild goat; the bull; and the king when he leads his army. | Majesty of certain animals |
| Prov 30:31 | The warhorse, the male goat, the lion, and the king going at the head of his army. | Animal strength and leadership |
| Deut 32:24 | They shall be gaunt with hunger, and devoured by plague and bitter destruction; I will send against them the teeth of beasts, and the venom of things that crawl on the ground. | Divine punishment with animals |
| Isa 2:15 | And the high places shall be abandoned; the proud treetops shall be made low; the Lord alone will be exalted on that day. | Demise of arrogance |
| Isa 5:9 | In my ears the Lord of hosts has declared, “Surely many mighty houses shall become desolate, a great house without inhabitant.” | Devastation of homes |
Isaiah 13 verses
Isaiah 13 21 Meaning
Isaiah 13:21 describes the desolation of Babylon, stating that wild animals will inhabit it, specifically referencing ostriches and hairy creatures. This verse signifies utter ruin and abandonment, a stark contrast to its former glory.
Isaiah 13 21 Context
This verse is part of Isaiah chapter 13, which is a prophecy against Babylon. The chapter details the impending judgment of God upon this powerful city. It speaks of a mighty army gathering, the terror that will grip the city, and the ultimate destruction that will befall it. The prophecy outlines the severe desolation that Babylon will experience after its defeat. The specific mention of animals signifies that the city will become uninhabited by humans, turning into a wild, desolate place where animals roam freely. This is consistent with other prophetic pronouncements against cities that have incurred God's wrath, emphasizing total ruin and the reversal of human dominance.
Isaiah 13 21 Word Analysis
- וְהָיָה (v'hayah): "And it shall be" or "And it will come to pass." This phrase introduces a future consequence or outcome.
- מִבְנֶה (mivneh): "Building" or "edifice." Refers to structures. The absence of its usual inhabitants renders the grand buildings empty.
- עִיר (ir): "City." The specific entity being described as desolate.
- קְצִיב (ketziv): "Dwelling place" or "habitation." Signifies where creatures make their home.
- לְרָמָּה (l'rammah): "For a ruin," "for a desolation," or "for a waste." Indicates the state of abandonment and destruction.
- חַיּוֹת (chayot): "Wild animals" or "beasts." Generic term for wild creatures.
- וְשָׂם (v'sam): "And put" or "and place." Suggests deliberate inhabitation by these creatures.
- תּוֹשִׁיַּת (toshiyut): "Habitation" or "dwelling." Emphasizes the establishment of these wild creatures.
- יַעֲנָה (ya'anah): "Ostrich." A specific desert bird known for its large size and loud cry. In ancient Near Eastern contexts, it was often associated with desolate places and was considered unclean (Leviticus 11:16). Its presence signifies barrenness and absence of human society.
- וְרָקְדוּ (v'ra'kdu): "And leap" or "and dance." The energetic movement of wild creatures.
- שָׁמָּה (shamah): "There." Points to the location – in the ruins of the city.
- קִּיִּם (qiym): "Ostriches" or "night creatures." Potentially another term for desolate-dwelling creatures, possibly night birds or a type of owl, also considered unclean. Scholars debate its exact meaning but generally agree it denotes a creature of ruin.
- וְיֹצְאוּ (v'yotzu): "And go out" or "and come forth." Indicating emergence.
- צִיִּים (tziiym): "Dry places," "deserts," or "desolate regions." Another term reinforcing the barren and empty nature of the place.
- בִּכְרֵי (bikrey): "Firstborn of." This can be used for strength or the primary produce. Here it signifies the offspring of the desert creatures.
- תַּנּוֹת (tanot): "Serpents" or "dragons" or "sea monsters." Often refers to creatures associated with chaos, the deep, or desolate watery places, or even desolate dry places depending on context. It amplifies the wild and dangerous nature of the future inhabitants.
Word-Group Analysis
The phrase "wild animals will dwell there, and their houses will be full of doleful creatures; there ostriches shall dwell, and wild goats shall leap" collectively paints a picture of a city that has reverted to a primal state. The mention of specific animals like ostriches and the general term "wild animals" suggests not just a lack of human presence but an active inhabitation by creatures that symbolize barrenness and wildness. The combination of "houses full of creatures" implies that even the former places of human habitation become dens for these animals, emphasizing complete reversal and desecration. The "leaping" of wild goats signifies a vibrant wild life in the absence of human order.
Isaiah 13 21 Bonus Section
The prophecy concerning Babylon's desolation and inhabitation by wild creatures, as seen in Isaiah 13:21, resonates with a broader biblical theme of nature reflecting God's actions or judgment. When humans reject divine order, the natural world can sometimes reflect that disorder, becoming either overgrowingly wild or barren. This specific imagery of the ostrich (ya'anah) is particularly poignant, as this large, flightless bird was often associated with the desert and desolate regions in ancient thought, contributing to the vivid picture of abandonment and wilderness reclaiming the once-bustling city. Some interpret the mention of specific unclean animals as a direct consequence of the city's wickedness, where the very presence of such creatures in formerly hallowed or occupied spaces is a sign of divine displeasure. This aligns with Leviticus 26:22, which warns of wild beasts being sent against Israel if they disobey.
Isaiah 13 21 Commentary
This verse serves as a powerful testament to divine judgment. Babylon, once a magnificent and powerful metropolis, becomes a mere haunt for wild animals. The ostrich and other "doleful creatures" or "hairy ones" are not randomly mentioned. They are often symbols in Scripture of desolation, wilderness, and things deemed unclean or out of place in human society. Their dwelling in the former habitations of man signifies a complete inversion of order. It is a prophetic image that transcends the literal fall of ancient Babylon, pointing towards the ultimate judgment of any system or entity that opposes God's sovereignty and stands in rebellion. The verse illustrates the devastating consequences of pride and defiance, where human glory is reduced to animal tenancy. It reminds us that ultimately, the earth belongs to the Lord, and He reserves the right to appoint and depose even the mightiest of earthly powers.