Isaiah 34 15

Isaiah 34:15 kjv

There shall the great owl make her nest, and lay, and hatch, and gather under her shadow: there shall the vultures also be gathered, every one with her mate.

Isaiah 34:15 nkjv

There the arrow snake shall make her nest and lay eggs And hatch, and gather them under her shadow; There also shall the hawks be gathered, Every one with her mate.

Isaiah 34:15 niv

The owl will nest there and lay eggs, she will hatch them, and care for her young under the shadow of her wings; there also the falcons will gather, each with its mate.

Isaiah 34:15 esv

There the owl nests and lays and hatches and gathers her young in her shadow; indeed, there the hawks are gathered, each one with her mate.

Isaiah 34:15 nlt

There the owl will make her nest and lay her eggs.
She will hatch her young and cover them with her wings.
And the buzzards will come,
each one with its mate.

Isaiah 34 verses

Isaiah 34 15 meaning

Isaiah 34:15 vividly depicts the utter desolation awaiting the land of Edom, transformed into an uninhabitable wilderness solely populated by specific wild, often unclean, birds and creatures. It signifies a complete reversal of natural order, where human life is utterly extinguished, and the land becomes a secure and thriving habitat exclusively for predatory and nocturnal animals, ensuring their unhindered proliferation. This portrays the absolute and irreversible nature of God's judgment, reducing a once-populated area to a realm of primeval chaos and ruin.

Isaiah 34 15 Context

Isaiah chapter 34, often referred to as a "Little Apocalypse," is a fierce oracle of divine judgment, primarily against Edom but serving as a universal pronouncement against all nations hostile to God and His people. It begins with a sweeping call to all nations to witness God's wrath (v. 1), describing a slaughter so immense that the land will be saturated with blood (vv. 5-7). The specific target, Edom, Judah's historical adversary descended from Esau, is singled out for its lasting enmity and violence towards Israel (Obad 1:10-14, Ezek 25:12).

The preceding verses in Isaiah 34 paint a picture of utter chaos and ruin. The "stars" melt away (v. 4), signifying a cosmic reversal. The land is not merely abandoned; it is rendered utterly waste, marked with "the line of confusion and the plummet of emptiness" (v. 11). This verse (v. 15) logically extends that imagery by detailing precisely what will inhabit the now-empty cities and fertile lands—not humans, but birds of prey and other creatures of the wilderness and night, signifying that the desolation is complete, self-sustaining, and irreversible, transforming the once-human sphere into a primal, untamed habitat. This serves as a warning of God's complete and final judgment, bringing solace to Judah that their oppressors will not escape divine justice.

Isaiah 34 15 Word analysis

• There (Heb. sham - שָׁם): This adverb of place emphatically points to the location just described: the desolated land of Edom, confirming it as the site of this profound ecological shift.
• the owl (Heb. qippōz - קִפּוֹז): This term is debated among scholars. While many translations render it "owl" (especially "screech owl" or "night-hawk"), some suggest a "darting snake" or "arrow-snake" (from a root meaning "to leap" or "to dart"). However, the following verbs ("nests," "lays eggs," "hatches," "gathers") strongly support an avian interpretation. If "owl," it points to a nocturnal bird, associated with desolate places and considered unclean under Mosaic Law (Lev 11:16; Deut 14:15), further emphasizing the corruption of the land.
• nests (Heb. qinnᵉnāh - קִנְּנָה): From the verb qanan, meaning "to make a nest," firmly grounds the imagery in the life cycle of a bird.
• and lays eggs (Heb. ûḇāyiṣāh - וּבָיצָה): From bitsa, "to lay eggs," emphasizing the procreative activity that will continue undisturbed in this now desolate land.
• hatches them (Heb. ûfiqqᵉ‘āh - וּפִקְּעָה): From paqa‘, meaning "to break open, to hatch," confirming the complete reproductive cycle of these creatures.
• and gathers them (Heb. wəqibbaṣāh - וְקִבְּצָה): From qabats, "to gather," conveying a sense of motherly care and protection, a stark irony as this "protective shadow" is now extended to creatures of desolation rather than to human inhabitants.
• under her shadow (Heb. bəṣillāhh - בְצִלָּהּ): "Shadow" (tzel) often symbolizes protection, rest, and refuge in biblical texts (e.g., Psa 91:1, "under the shadow of the Almighty"). Here, this imagery of maternal security is ironically applied to wild, predatory, and often detested creatures, underscoring the radical inversion of habitation and order in the land. It’s no longer a place of human rest, but animal security.
• there also (Heb. ’akh sham - אַךְ שָׁם): Again, highlighting the specific location and adding another layer of creatures to its new inhabitants.
• the falcons (Heb. dayyôt - דַּיּוֹת): This refers to kites or other birds of prey, again unclean animals according to Mosaic Law (Lev 11:14; Deut 14:13). Their presence signifies a predator-dominated ecosystem.
• are gathered (Heb. niqbaṣû - נִקְבְּצוּ): The passive form emphasizes that they are drawn to this desolate place as a suitable, unthreatened habitat.
• everyone with its mate (Heb. ’ishshah rᵉ‘ûtāhh - אִשָּׁה רְעוּתָהּ): Literally "a woman with her companion," but here contextually meaning "each with its mate" or "each with its partner." This idiom signifies a pairing for the purpose of breeding, thus underscoring the undisturbed proliferation of these wild species in the forsaken land. The judgment isn't just about desolation; it's about the establishment of a new, twisted order of life where human absence guarantees animal abundance.

Words-group analysis:

• "There the owl nests and lays eggs, hatches them, and gathers them under her shadow": This extended phrase powerfully conveys the idea of a complete life cycle, an undisturbed ecological thriving. The owl, a symbol of night and desolation, finds perfect conditions for procreation and nurturing its young, symbolizing the deep, undisturbed, and permanent nature of the ruin. The land of Edom becomes a sanctuary not for the covenant people or even for humans, but for wild, often 'unclean' animals.
• "there also the falcons are gathered, everyone with its mate": This phrase amplifies the scene of thriving animal life. The repetition of "there" solidifies the location. The falcons, birds of prey, joining the scene in pairs signifies the robust and ongoing establishment of a new animal dominion. It's not just a transient visit but a permanent settling and proliferation, sealing the fate of the land as forever lost to human habitation.

Isaiah 34 15 Bonus section

The detailed biological imagery of birds nesting, laying eggs, hatching, and nurturing their young underscores a divine certainty. This desolation is not a temporary blight but a complete, irreversible ecological transformation, a judgment so thorough that even the cycle of life is re-purposed to signal its finality for humanity in that specific space. It subtly polemicizes against any contemporary belief that human dominion is absolute and unchallenged, or that land once populated could never truly be forsaken. It shows God's sovereign power to reallocate dominion from humans to the wildest creatures as a sign of ultimate judgment. Historically, the region of Edom did become desolate, aligning with these prophecies.

Isaiah 34 15 Commentary

Isaiah 34:15 is a potent climax to the description of Edom's (and, by extension, any nation opposing God's) total annihilation. It's a stark portrait of absolute reversal: a once-human populated land, instead of remaining barren, becomes a teeming, secure refuge for creatures antithetical to human society. The specific animals—the "owl" (whether an avian or serpentine creature, certainly wild and associated with night/uncleanness) and "falcons"—are not merely present; they nest, lay eggs, hatch their young, and gather them "under her shadow," all signs of permanent, undisturbed, and reproductive inhabitation. The detail "everyone with its mate" signifies that this is not accidental; it is a divinely ordained, flourishing ecosystem for these species, ensuring their undisturbed proliferation.

The use of "shadow" in this context is deeply ironic. In other biblical texts, God’s "shadow" is a place of protection and blessing for His people (Psa 91:1). Here, the protective shadow is cast not over humans, but over creatures of the desolate wilderness. This illustrates a complete forfeiture of the land from human domain and divine favor for humans there. The thriving of these wild, predatory, and often unclean creatures stands as a testament to the utter absence of human life and the deep, irreversible nature of God's judgment, transforming the land into a lasting monument of divine wrath. The desolate human past gives way to a wild, yet paradoxically, secure animal future.