Isaiah 34:17 kjv
And he hath cast the lot for them, and his hand hath divided it unto them by line: they shall possess it for ever, from generation to generation shall they dwell therein.
Isaiah 34:17 nkjv
He has cast the lot for them, And His hand has divided it among them with a measuring line. They shall possess it forever; From generation to generation they shall dwell in it."
Isaiah 34:17 niv
He allots their portions; his hand distributes them by measure. They will possess it forever and dwell there from generation to generation.
Isaiah 34:17 esv
He has cast the lot for them; his hand has portioned it out to them with the line; they shall possess it forever; from generation to generation they shall dwell in it.
Isaiah 34:17 nlt
He has surveyed and divided the land
and deeded it over to those creatures.
They will possess it forever,
from generation to generation.
Isaiah 34 17 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isaiah 34:17 | "He has cast the lot for them, and his hand has divided the land among them by rule; they shall possess it for all time; from generation to generation they shall dwell in it." | Explicit statement of perpetual inheritance and possession |
| Isaiah 14:26 | "This is the plan that is plotted against all the earth; this is the hand that is stretched out over all the nations." | Shows God's sovereign plan and overarching control over nations |
| Jeremiah 49:13 | "For I have sworn by myself, declares the LORD, that Bozrah shall become a desolation, a byword, a waste, and a curse; and all her cities shall become everlasting ruins." | Parallel prophecy of perpetual desolation upon another city (Bozrah) |
| Ezekiel 35:9 | "You shall be a perpetual wilderness, you cities that are not inhabited; they will not be settled; and you will be a desolation; you shall know that I am the LORD." | Reinforces the concept of perpetual desolation and God's sovereignty |
| Amos 5:27 | "Therefore I will take you into exile beyond Damascus, declares the LORD, whose name is the God of hosts." | Foreshadows exile and the consequences of disobedience |
| Zephaniah 1:3 | "I will sweep away both man and beast; I will sweep away the birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea, and I will take away the wicked; I will cut off man from the earth, declares the LORD." | Depicts complete destruction and removal of life |
| Matthew 25:31-32 | "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another..." | Judgment of nations, highlighting God's ultimate authority and decision |
| Revelation 18:2-3 | "He cried out with a mighty voice, saying, 'Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! It has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every unclean spirit, a prison for every unclean and detestable bird.'" | Prophecy of destruction and permanent emptiness of a major city |
| Revelation 19:20 | "And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who worked signs on its behalf by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur." | Judgment and the eternal consequence for evil |
| Psalm 107:33-34 | "He turned rivers into a barren waste, and springs of water into thirsty ground, the fruitful land into a barren waste, because of the wickedness of those who lived there." | Illustrates divine judgment leading to barrenness and desolation |
| Isaiah 24:1-3 | "Behold, the LORD will make the earth empty and make it desolate, and twist its surface, and scatter its inhabitants. And it shall be like people, like priest; like master, like servant; like mistress, like maidservant; like buyer, like seller; like lender, like borrower; like receiver of interest, like giver of interest. Every one will be surely punished; for the devastation is ordained." | Describes a universal judgment leading to widespread desolation |
| Isaiah 35:1-2 | "The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing..." | Contrasts with the desolation prophesied for Edom, showing restoration |
| Jeremiah 51:62 | "Also say, ‘O Babylon, let it be cast down into the midst of the sea, and let it be no more.’" | Divine command for total annihilation and cessation of existence |
| Ezekiel 25:12-13 | "Thus says the Lord GOD: Because Edom acted vengefully against the house of Judah, and has incurred grave guilt by thus avenging themselves, I will stretch out my hand against Edom and cut off from it man and beast." | Specifically addresses Edom's transgression and the ensuing judgment |
| Isaiah 63:1-4 | "Who is this that comes from Edom, in crimsoned garments from Bozrah, he who is glorious in his apparel, striding in the greatness of his might? “It is I, speaking in righteousness, mighty to save.” Why is your apparel red, and your garments like his who is tread down in the winepress?" | Likely a prophetic reference to the victorious return of Christ after judgment |
| Isaiah 34:1-4 | "Come near, you nations, to hear, and give heed, you peoples! Let the earth hear, and all that is in it, the world, and all that comes out of it. For the LORD is enraged against all nations, and his fury against all their armies; he has devoted them to utter destruction, he has given them over for slaughter. Their slain shall be cast out, and the stench from their corpses shall issue from their nostrils, and the mountains shall be dissolved at their blood." | Sets the stage for the judgment of nations, particularly Edom |
| Habakkuk 2:8 | "Because you have looted many nations, all the remnant of the peoples shall loot you, because of men's blood and for violence done to the land, to the towns and to all who dwell in them." | Addresses the consequences of exploitation and violence against others |
| Nahum 3:7 | "And it shall come to pass that all who look at you will shrink from you and say, ‘Wasted is Nineveh!’ Who will go on mourning for her? Whence shall I seek comforters for you?" | A prophecy of ruin and lack of any solace or return |
| Revelation 22:19 | "And if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, from which words of this book are written." | Highlights the finality and immutable nature of prophetic pronouncements |
Isaiah 34 verses
Isaiah 34 17 Meaning
This verse signifies a divine decree of absolute and perpetual desolation upon a specific land. It declares that the allocation of this land by lot, established by the Lord, has been finalized. Consequently, no human will ever possess or inhabit it again, from one generation to the next. It also states that no nomad will ever set up camp there.
Isaiah 34 17 Context
This verse is part of Isaiah chapter 34, which describes a powerful prophecy of judgment against the nation of Edom. The preceding verses (34:1-4) paint a vivid picture of God’s wrath being poured out upon all nations, with a particular focus on Edom for its historical enmity towards Israel. The prophet calls the nations to draw near and listen to the Lord's decree of destruction upon Edom. The chapter details the comprehensive devastation that will afflict this land and its people due to their sin and opposition to God’s people. Chapter 35 then pivots to a vision of restoration and blessing for Zion and the wilderness, highlighting the contrast between God's judgment on the wicked and His faithfulness to the faithful. Isaiah 34:17, therefore, stands as a powerful declaration of the permanent consequence of Edom's sin as ordained by God.
Isaiah 34 17 Word analysis
- he: Refers to the Lord, the ultimate authority and actor in this divine judgment.
- has cast: Implies a completed action, God has definitively determined the outcome.
- the lot: In ancient times, lots were used for various purposes, including dividing land (Joshua 13-19) and assigning roles. Here, it signifies the absolute, irreversible decree of God in dividing the land of Edom.
- for them: Refers to the recipients of God's decree – Edom and its people, who will have no inheritance.
- and his hand: Personifies God's direct involvement and power in the execution of judgment.
- has divided: A decisive action of allotment and allocation.
- the land: Specifically refers to the territory of Edom.
- by rule: Indicates a governed, structured, and permanent assignment, not a haphazard distribution.
- they shall possess it: A phrase ironically applied, meaning they will possess it as ruins, a barren wasteland, which will be the perpetual possession of desolation, not life.
- for all time: Emphasizes the eternal nature of this desolation, an unbroken succession of emptiness.
- from generation to generation: Further reinforces the perpetual aspect, spanning all future ages.
- they shall dwell in it: Again, a stark irony. The dwelling will be by non-human elements, wild animals, or the absence of any human habitation, a dwelling place of nothingness for humanity.
- they shall not: The negation emphasizes the absolute absence of human settlement.
- nomad: A wanderer, a dweller in tents, signifying someone who moves from place to place in search of pasture, representing life and human activity.
- set up his tent: A metonymy for inhabiting and establishing a temporary or long-term presence.
words-group by words-group analysis
- "he has cast the lot for them, and his hand has divided the land by rule": This phrase conveys God’s sovereign, absolute, and unchangeable decree concerning the disposition of Edom’s land. The imagery of casting lots and dividing by hand signifies God's direct and complete control over the fate of this territory. It’s a legalistic and permanent assignment.
- "they shall possess it for all time; from generation to generation they shall dwell in it.": This is the most striking part. "Possess" and "dwell" are used in the context of divine judgment to mean that the land will be possessed by perpetual desolation, and non-human entities (as suggested by the following clause) will "dwell" there in a permanent absence of humanity. The unending duration ("for all time," "from generation to generation") underlines the finality of God's judgment on Edom.
- "No nomad shall set up his tent there.": This further clarifies the perpetual desolation. The absence of a "nomad"—a symbol of life, movement, and transient habitation—means that even the least permanent form of human presence will not occur. It guarantees complete and utter abandonment.
Isaiah 34 17 Bonus section
The judgment on Edom in Isaiah 34 serves as a stark example of God's wrath against sin and His protective action for His chosen people, Israel. This specific prophecy of permanent desolation for Edom finds echoes in similar prophecies against other wicked nations in Scripture. While some biblical prophecies concerning nations speak of a future restoration (e.g., the eventual turning of nations to God), the pronouncements on Edom here appear to emphasize an irrevocable consequence for its persistent animosity towards Israel, portraying an utter and lasting barrenness of the land. Scholars have explored whether this prophecy found its literal fulfillment historically or if it points to a final eschatological judgment, often linking the desolation of Edom to the final judgment depicted in the Book of Revelation. The severe and eternal nature of this judgment underscores the gravity of acting as an adversary to God's covenant people.
Isaiah 34 17 Commentary
Isaiah 34:17 delivers a stark pronouncement of God's irreversible judgment upon Edom. The land will be so thoroughly devastated that it will become a perpetual ruin. God's casting of lots signifies His sovereign authority to decree the fate of nations. This is not a temporary setback but an eternal desolation, so complete that no form of human life, not even the transient dwelling of a nomad, will ever take root again. This prophetic declaration highlights God's faithfulness in judgment—His word is absolute and will surely come to pass. It underscores that disobedience and opposition to God’s people carry profound and lasting consequences. This prophecy is a testament to God's absolute sovereignty over all the earth and His justice against those who act with malice and hatred.