Isaiah 13 21

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 verses

Isaiah 13 21 meaning

This verse vividly portrays the complete and irreversible desolation of Babylon, consequent to God's judgment. It illustrates how the once-grand palaces and houses, bustling with human life, will become permanent dwelling places for wild, desert-dwelling animals and other creatures associated with mournfulness, wilderness, and even the demonic. The imagery signifies a radical inversion of order: human civilization and its festivities replaced by the untamed wild, haunted by unsettling inhabitants. It is a potent prophecy of absolute ruin, highlighting the finality of divine retribution against a proud, idolatrous, and oppressive empire.

Isaiah 13 21 Context

Isaiah chapter 13, explicitly titled "The Burden of Babylon," is a profound prophetic oracle concerning the destruction of one of the greatest empires of the ancient world. The chapter commences with a declaration of divine judgment against Babylon, which had become synonymous with pride, idolatry, and global oppression. Verses 1-16 set the scene with cosmic upheavals – darkened sun, moon, and stars – symbolizing a cataclysmic event initiated by God. The Medes (v. 17) are identified as God's instrument to execute this judgment. Verse 21 occurs within a highly descriptive passage (vv. 19-22) that depicts Babylon's complete ruin. Its once-magnificent structures will not merely be emptied of humans but become the permanent haunts of creatures of the wilderness and even the demonic. This prophecy was delivered centuries before Babylon's ultimate decline, foreshadowing its capture by Cyrus the Great in 539 BC, but looking towards its final, long-term desolation where it ceased to exist as a populated city. It underscores God's foreknowledge and ultimate sovereignty over human empires, emphasizing that even the most formidable power will yield to His will.

Isaiah 13 21 Word analysis

• But: Establishes a sharp contrast with the preceding verse's declaration of human abandonment. It shifts from what won't be there to what will.
• wild beasts of the desert: (Hebrew: tsiyyim, ציים) – Refers to specific arid-land animals like hyenas or wild dogs, denoting complete surrender of the urban space to the raw, untamed wilderness.
• shall lie there: (Hebrew: ravatshu, רבצו) – Implies permanent inhabitation, making the place their settled home, signifying absolute and lasting desolation.
• and their houses: Points to the once opulent and dignified residences and palaces of Babylon's elite, now reduced to ruins fit only for animals.
• shall be full: (Hebrew: mal'u, מלאו) – Conveys abundance and thorough saturation. These desolate creatures will not be scarce but will thoroughly populate every crevice of the former structures.
• of doleful creatures: (Hebrew: 'ochim, אֹחִים) – Often identified as screech owls or howling animals (jackals), implying mournful sounds and a desolate, eerie atmosphere.
• and owls: (Hebrew: benoth ya'anah, בְּנוֹת יַעֲנָה) – Literally "daughters of the ostrich," or simply ostriches. These birds are associated in Scripture with wilderness, mournful cries, and abandonment, intensifying the theme of desolation.
• shall dwell there: (Hebrew: shakhanu, שכנו) – Reinforces the notion of established and settled habitation, confirming the permanence of this takeover.
• and satyrs: (Hebrew: se'irim, שְׂעִירִים) – Meaning "hairy ones." This term can denote wild goats, but biblically and contextually often refers to goat-demons or wilderness spirits. In ancient Near Eastern thought, these were believed to inhabit desolate, god-forsaken places, linking the physical ruin to a spiritual takeover or cursed state.
• shall dance there: (Hebrew: u'reqdu, וּרְקְּדוּ) – The act of dancing implies celebration or revelry. Here, it is a grotesque and unholy mockery, as these wild or demonic entities will perform their own distorted rituals in places where human feasts and luxury once flourished.

Words-group by words-group analysis

• "wild beasts of the desert shall lie there; and their houses shall be full of doleful creatures": This opening phrase starkly contrasts the previous human-occupied glory with a profound naturalistic invasion. It transforms the grand architecture of Babylon into animal dens, indicating a complete reversal of order from human dominion to wild reign.
• "owls shall dwell there, and satyrs shall dance there": This clause elevates the imagery from mere animal habitation to something more haunting and spiritual. The owls symbolize mournfulness and a place forsaken. The "satyrs dancing" goes beyond natural desolation, strongly implying a demonic or pagan element celebrating the downfall, effectively ceding the spiritual control of the space to malevolent forces, thereby cursing the land permanently.

Isaiah 13 21 Bonus section

The multi-layered symbolism in this verse is crucial. The progression from physical abandonment by humans (v. 20) to occupation by various wild animals, and culminating in the "dancing satyrs," portrays an escalating scale of desolation. It reflects the ancient understanding that places utterly abandoned by humans were then claimed by malevolent wilderness spirits, or at least creatures whose presence deeply unsettling. This concept resonated deeply with its original audience, for whom the wilderness was often associated with chaos, untamed forces, and demonic presences, contrasting sharply with the ordered world of human civilization. The prophecy suggests Babylon would revert not just to nature, but to a state akin to primeval, unholy chaos, reinforcing God's pronouncements of it never again being inhabited (Isa 13:20). This spiritual aspect strongly echoes in Revelation's portrayal of "Babylon the Great" as "a dwelling place for demons" (Rev 18:2), indicating a profound continuity of thematic judgment.

Isaiah 13 21 Commentary

Isaiah 13:21 encapsulates the comprehensive nature of God's judgment, depicting Babylon's transformation from a global metropolis to an unholy, uninhabitable wasteland. The prophecy moves beyond mere destruction to illustrate a profound reversal of civilization itself. Once centers of human power and pleasure, Babylon's opulent structures become a dwelling place for creatures of the desert and eerie sounds. The specific mention of "satyrs" dancing adds a significant spiritual dimension, suggesting that the city's fate is not merely physical ruin but a cursed state, where the presence of demonic or pagan entities supplants former human revelry. This serves as a powerful testament to God's ultimate sovereignty over all earthly kingdoms and a warning against pride and idolatry.