THEOSISJohn Chrysostom
The prophet reveals their complete ruin; from the term ‘Eleni’ (Isaiah 34:15) onward, let the most astute discern if there is any other meaning to grasp within this passage. (Is. 34:11-17)
Isaiah 34:11Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers
The bittern and ericius shall possess it: and the ibis and the raven shall dwell in it: and a line shall be stretched out upon it, to bring it to nothing, and a plummet, unto desolation.
וִירֵשׁ֙וּהָ֙ קָאַ֣ת וְקִפּ֔וֹד וְיַנְשׁ֥וֹף וְעֹרֵ֖ב יִשְׁכְּנוּ־בָ֑הּ וְנָטָ֥ה עָלֶ֛יהָ קַֽו־תֹ֖הוּ וְאַבְנֵי־בֹֽהוּ׃
The Church Fathers on this verse
3 Church Fathers comment on this verse
Cyrill of Alexandria
On the day of the Lord's judgment and the season of His vengeance against Zion, the wilderness will transform into a pit of fire, and the land will turn to ash, burning like an unquenchable flame day and night. The smoke will rise high, and throughout generations, it will remain desolate. In that time, various birds such as owls and ravens will make their nests there, and it will be a land of desolation occupied by beasts. The prophet clarifies his previous declarations, indicating that the day of reckoning and the season of recompense are coming upon Zion. This will occur when the land is drenched with fire and brimstone, leading to destruction by an unstoppable blaze, where flames will never be extinguished.
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The rising smoke may symbolize the spread of despair, signaling to distant lands the magnitude of their plight. The desolation of cities is foretold, with the once-thriving places becoming homes to birds like blackbirds, owls, and wrens, reduced to barren landscapes where wild donkeys dwell. These wild donkeys signify areas that have been utterly abandoned, while the term for a creature akin to a thorny mouse signifies the presence of unclean spirits. If one seeks to grasp the essence of these words and their spiritual significance, it can be understood that the neglected souls, void of the Holy Spirit, will ultimately be consumed by predatory forces and infested by unclean spirits, reminiscent of the beasts mentioned—hedgehogs, ravens, and wild donkeys.
Ephraem the Syrian
The unicorns, representing the Idumeans, will perish alongside them. The land will absorb their blood, transforming its streams into pitch and covering the ground with tar. Birds, including owls and ravens, will take up residence there. The spirits of darkness will descend, and the night terrors will find their abode (Is. 34:7, 9, 11, 14). The calamities foretold by the prophet will certainly befall Idumea following the predicted devastation; rather than human occupants, creatures such as birds, hedgehogs, and vultures will inhabit the homes of Idumea.
Cross references
Passages read together with this verse.
- Lam 2:8Heth. The Lord hath purposed to destroy the wall of the daughter of Sion: he hath stretched out his line, and hath not withdrawn his hand from destroying: and the bulwark hath mourned, and the wall hath been destroyed together.
- Zeph 2:14And flocks shall lie down in the midst thereof, all the beasts of the nations: and the bittern and the urchin shall lodge in the threshold thereof: the voice of the singing bird in the window, the raven on the upper post, for I will consume her strength.
- Rev 18:2And he cried out with a strong voice, saying: Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen: and is become the habitation of devils and the hold of every unclean spirit and the hold of every unclean and hateful bird:
- Isa 14:23And I will make it a possession for the ericius and pools of waters, and I will sweep it and wear it out with a besom, saith the Lord of hosts.
- 2 Sam 8:2And he defeated Moab, and measured them with a line, casting them down to the earth: and he measured with two lines, one to put to death, and one to save alive: and Moab was made to serve David under tribute.
- Isa 24:10The city of vanity is broken down, every house is shut up, no man cometh in.
- Mal 1:3But have hated Esau? and I have made his mountains a wilderness, and given his inheritance to the dragons of the desert.
- Mal 1:4But if Edom shall say: We are destroyed, but we will return and build up what hath been destroyed: thus saith the Lord of hosts: They shall build up, and I will throw down: and they shall be called the borders of wickedness, and the people with whom the Lord is angry for ever.