Isaías 34
Matthew Henry · Citado em PreceptAustin
Isaías 34
Henry - The streams thereof, that both watered the land and pleased and refreshed the inhabitants, shall now be turned into pitch, shall be congealed, shall look black, and shall move slowly, or not at all. Their floods to lazy streams of pitch shall turn; so Sir R. Blackmore. The dust thereof shall be turned into brimstone; so combustible has sin made their land that it shall take fire at the first spark of God’s wrath struck upon it; and, when it has taken fire, it shall become burning pitch; the fire shall be universal, not a house, or town, on fire, but a whole country; and it shall not be in the power of any to suppress or extinguish it. It shall burn continually, burn perpetually, and shall not be quenched night nor day (Isa 34:10). And its loose earth into brimstone - The former could be cultivated but not the latter. The language compares with that used to describe God's judgment and destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (cf. Ge 19:24; Jer 49:17–18). David Thompson - Just like when God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, so also He will destroy the land here. Tar will run like streams through the land and the dust will even smolder and burn. This whole area will become an unquenchable burning place of judgment. And its land will become burning pitch - The picture here is a land like a smoldering volcanic wasteland. Pitch (02203) is zepheth means tar or pitch, a viscid substance used twice in this verse and elsewhere only in Exodus 2:3 "But when she could hide him no longer, she got him a wicker basket and covered it over with tar and pitch. Then she put the child into it and set it among the reeds by the bank of the Nile." Baker on zepheth - A feminine noun referring to tar, pitch. A bitumen, black, sticky substance used for waterproofing. The basket in which Moses was placed was waterproofed using this substance (Ex. 2:3). In figurative language, streams of Edom will be turned into pitch in a day of judgment (Isa. 34:9), indicating a hot flowing tar or pitch. Wikipedia - Pitch is a name for any of a number of viscoelastic polymers. Pitch can be natural or manufactured, derived from petroleum, coal tar[1] or plants. Various forms of pitch may also be called tar, bitumen or asphalt. Pitch produced from plants is also known as resin. Some products made from plant resin are also known as rosin. Pitch was traditionally used to help caulk the seams of wooden sailing vessels (see shipbuilding). Pitch may also be used to waterproof wooden containers and in the making of torches. Petroleum-derived pitch is black in colour, hence the adjectival phrase, "pitch-black"
Isaías 34
Henry comments "so combustible has sin made their land that it shall take fire at the first spark of God’s wrath struck upon it; and, when it has taken fire, it shall become burning pitch; the fire shall be universal, not a house, or town, on fire, but a whole country; and it shall not be in the power of any to suppress or extinguish it. It shall burn continually, burn perpetually, and shall not be quenched night nor day. The torment of those in hell, or that have a hell within them in their own consciences, is without interruption; the smoke of this fire goes up for ever. As long as there are provoking sinners on earth, from one generation to another, an increase of sinful men, to augment the fierce anger of the Lord (Nu 32:14), there will be a righteous God in heaven to punish them for it. And as long as a people keep up a succession of sinners God will have a succession of plagues for them; nor will any that fall under the wrath of God be ever able to recover themselves. It will be found, how light soever men make of it, that it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God (Hebrews 10:31-note). None will pass through it forever and ever - This apparently will be the condition of the land of Edom even in the Millennial reign. It will be a good reminder to the inhabitants of the high cost of sin! Henry "If the land be doomed to destruction, none shall pass through it, but travelers will choose rather to go a great way about than come within the smell of it." Jeremiah writes that Edom will become an object of horror; everyone who passes by it will be horrified and will hiss at all its wounds. 18 “Like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah with its neighbors,” says the LORD, “no one will live there, nor will a son of man reside in it.(Jer 49:17-18) A similar description is given of the fall of Babylon in the end time Revelation 14:10+ he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. 11 “And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever; they have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.” Rev 18:18+ and were crying out as they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, ‘What city is like the great city?’ Rev 19:3+ And a second time they said, “Hallelujah! HER (BABYLON) SMOKE RISES UP FOREVER AND EVER.” Isaiah 34:11 But pelican and hedgehog will possess it, And owl and raven will dwell in it; And He will stretch over it the line of desolation And the plumb line of emptiness. KJV Isaiah 34:11 But the cormorant and the bittern shall possess it; the owl also and the raven shall dwell in it: and he shall stretch out upon it the line of confusion, and the stones of emptiness. ESV Isaiah 34:11 But the hawk and the porcupine shall possess it, the owl and the raven shall dwell in it. He shall stretch the line of confusion over it, and the plumb line of emptiness. But pelican and hedgehog will possess it. Isaiah 13:20-22; 14:23; Zephaniah 2:14; Revelation 18:2,21-23 And He will stretch over it the line of desolation And the plumb line of emptiness. 2 Samuel 8:2; 2 Kings 21:13; Lamentations 2:8; Malachi 1:3,4 EDOM WILL BECOME A WILDERNESS FOREVER Keil and Delitzsch - The description of the ruin, which commences in verse 11a with a list of animals that frequent marshy and solitary regions, is similar to the one in Isa. 13:20–22; 14:23 (compare Zeph. 2:14, which is founded upon this). Isaiah’s was the original of all such pictures of ruin which we meet with in the later prophets. But pelican and hedgehog will possess it, And owl and raven will dwell in it - These were ceremonially unclean birds (cf. Dt 14:14–17), also associated with the ruins of Babylon (Isa 13:2) and Nineveh (Zeph 2:14).
Isaías 34
Henry - The cities shall become like old decayed houses, which, being deserted by the owners, look very frightful, being commonly possessed by beasts of prey or birds of ill omen. See how dismally the palaces of the enemy look; the description is peculiarly elegant and fine....They shall become the residence and rendezvous of fearful frightful beasts and birds, which usually frequent such melancholy places, because there they may be undisturbed, and, when they are frightened thither, they help to frighten men thence (from that place). This circumstance of the desolation, being apt to strike a horror upon the mind, is much enlarged upon here Matthew Henry on stretch over it the line of destruction - God shall mark them for ruin and destruction. He shall stretch out upon Bozrah the line of confusion with the stones or plummets of emptiness, v. 11. This intimates the equity of the sentence passed upon it; it is given according to the rules of justice and the exact agreeableness of the execution with the sentence; the destruction is not wrought at random, but by line and level. The confusion and emptiness that shall overspread the face of the whole country shall be like that of the whole earth when it was Tohu and Bohu (the very words here used)-without form and void. Gen. 1:2. Sin will soon turn a paradise into a chaos, and sully the beauty of the whole creation. When there is confusion there will soon be emptiness; but both are appointed by the Governor of the world, and in exact proportions. And He will stretch over it the line of desolation (formlessness) - ESV =. He shall stretch the line of confusion over it. This speaks of a desolate, empty waste and in a sense is a reversal of God's bringing order out of chaos, for the same two words desolation (tohu) and emptiness (bohu) are used in the creation account in Genesis 1:2. Line (06957)(qav) is a masculine noun which refers to a line for measuring and was literally a cord used in construction work (1 Ki 7:23). In the figurative sense qav refers to a measuring "line" or standard of justice (as applied to Jerusalem in 2 Ki 21:13). In David's psalm 19, qav refers to the "architectural plan" or line of the heavens reflecting the Master Craftman's handiwork (Ps 19:4). Qav can also refer to a word of instruction in prophetic or legal settings (Isa 28:10, 13). Finally, as in the present context qav can refer to God's judgments (Isa 34:11) and His sovereign distribution of power (Isa 34:17). Qav - 20x in 14v - circumference*(1), line(16), measuring line(3). 2 Ki. 21:13; 2 Chr. 4:2; Job 38:5; Ps. 19:4; Isa. 28:10,13,17; 34:11,17; 44:13; Jer. 31:39; Lam. 2:8; Ezek. 47:3; Zech. 1:16 NIDOTT says "Stretching a measuring line over the land means that as an ownerless plot of ground, the land is to be resurveyed and reassigned, the threat of judgment against Jerusalem is that the measuring line of Samaria will be cast over it (2 Kgs 21:13), meaning that it will be taken over by foreigners.The same sense in variant wording is found in Mic 2:4; the inheritance of the people will be surveyed with a measuring line. However, in the case of Edom the force of the picture has been escalated. The land can no longer be redivided because of the total destruction. The measuring line is one of תֹּהוּ, i.e., one useful only for absolute wasteland." And the plumb line of emptiness - God's measure of justice is meted out with absolute precision and perfection. A plumb-line is a cord from which a metal weight is suspended pointing directly to the earth's center of gravity; used to determine the vertical from a given point These words tohu (formless) and bohu (void) first appear in Gen. 1:2, describing the world before God ordered it and filled it with life and now they describe the disorder as a result of His judgment! Gotquestions - A plumb line, also called a plummet, is a cord with a non-magnetic weight attached to one end. When the cord is held in such a way that the weight can dangle freely, an exact vertical can be determined. Painters and carpenters use plumb lines to keep their work straight. It is difficult, while in the middle of a project, to determine a true horizontal or vertical line without an objective measuring tool, so a plumb line is employed. A plumb line applies the law of gravity to find right angles, to indicate the most direct route from top to bottom, and to keep things plumb. A plumb line doesn’t change or move with the whims of the carpenter. It remains true, and all work must line up with it or risk being crooked. (What is a plumb line in the Bible?) Desolation (08414)(tohu) means empty, formless, futile, waste, meaningless. Isaiah juxtaposes tohu and bohu (below) in the judgment against Edom to describe the total depopulation and destruction of the land so it is a waste fit only for desert animals. The Hebrew noun tōhû (תֹּהוּ) carries the fundamental idea of formlessness, emptiness, and unreality, describing that which lacks order, substance, purpose, or stability. Its meaning must be drawn from its Old Testament usage, since it has no clear cognates, and across those contexts it consistently conveys a negative condition of desolation, futility, or non-functionality, standing in sharp contrast to the order, fullness, and purposeful design that characterize God’s work. Its most foundational use appears in Genesis 1:2, where “the earth was tōhû,” traditionally rendered “without form.” Here the term does not imply chaos in the sense of disorder opposed to God’s nature, but rather unformed and unproductive incompleteness. The earth had not yet been shaped or filled. This is confirmed by the structure of the creation account, where the first three days give “form” (light/dark, sky/sea, land), and the last three days “fill” what was empty (sun/moon, birds/fish, animals/man). Thus, tōhû describes the earth prior to God’s ordering activity, not the result of judgment, but a stage awaiting divine formation. In other contexts, however, tōhû takes on the sense of desolation and wasteland, especially when linked to judgment. It describes a desert wilderness (Deut 32:10; Job 6:18), a land reduced to ruin (Isa 34:11; Jer 4:23), or even a destroyed city (Isa 24:10). In these settings, the word depicts a reversal of creation order, where what God once formed and filled is reduced back to emptiness and barrenness due to sin and judgment. The term also extends metaphorically into the moral and spiritual realm, where it signifies emptiness, vanity, and futility. Idols are described as tōhû because they are utterly worthless and unreal (1 Sam 12:21; Isa 41:29; 44:9). Human efforts apart from God are likewise characterized as tōhû, lacking substance or lasting value (Isa 49:4). Even the nations and rulers, when compared to God, are regarded as tōhû, emphasizing their insignificance and inability to accomplish anything apart from Him (Isa 40:17, 23). In this sense, tōhû points to that which appears real but is ultimately empty, ineffective, and without eternal substance. A striking usage appears in Job 26:7, where God “hangs the earth on tōhû,” portraying it as suspended over “nothingness” or “empty space,” highlighting both God’s sovereign power and the utter dependence of creation upon Him. Thus, while the nuances of tōhû vary, its core idea remains consistent. It represents that which is unformed, unfilled, empty, futile, or reduced to desolation, whether physically, morally, or spiritually. It is the opposite of what God intends, for He “did not create it tōhû, but formed it to be inhabited” (Isa 45:18). Therefore, tōhû ultimately underscores a profound theological contrast: apart from God’s creative and sustaining work, all is emptiness and futility, but through His word and power, He brings order, purpose, fullness, and life out of what was formless and void. A H Konkel - Jeremiah 4:23 depicts an universal and cosmic catastrophe. Jeremiah uses creation language to describe the judgment on the fruitful garden of creation as a reversal to precreation chaos. The term תֹּהוּ may simply indicate a waterless impassable or pathless desert (Ps 107:40; Job 12:24). However, it often signifies nothingness, void, or emptiness. Job testifies that God hangs the north (the traditional home of the gods and dangerous beings) upon תֹּהוּ and hangs the earth without anything (Job 26:7). He says that his friends are like the desert streams that evaporate, they vanish into nothing (Job 6:18; this v. does not speak of caravans, but of the paths of the streams). The latter is one of the four occurrences of תֹּהוּ with the article, all with the meaning “nothing”: Samuel exhorts the people not to turn after the nothings (1 Sa 12:21); the corrupt judges dismiss the case of the righteous for no reason, i.e., baseless counter arguments that free the guilty (Isa 29:21); God sets the rulers of the earth as if they were not (לְאָיִן), the judges of the earth as nothing (Isa 40:23). The last reference is one of several that make תֹּהוּ parallel with a word meaning “nothing.” The deeds of the gods are nothing (אֶפֶס), their libations a wind and tohu (Isa41:29); all the idols are tohu, they have no profit (Isa 44:9); in 59:4 those going to court trust in תֹּהוּ, their words are empty (שָׁוְא); the servant in 49:4 fears that he has spent his strength for nothing (תֹּהוּ) and in vain (הֶבֶל). The term תֹּהוּ is common in the vocabulary of creation. Its function is to indicate chaos in contrast to the order of creation. So Isaiah says that the world was not made a wasteland, God made it to be inhabited (Isa 45:18). The reversal of this creation is announced in the opening of the “little apocalypse” (Isa 24–27), in which the “city of chaos” is described as shattered (24:10). The devastation of the earth is described in terms reminiscent of those of the prophet Hosea over Israel (cf. 24:4; Hos 4:3). It is only natural that the material originally used to describe the judgment of Israel should be transferred, with little alteration, to that of universal judgment. This same type of terminology is found in Jer 4:28, in a passage that is a self-conscious reversal of the original description of creation (Jer 4:23–28). Both of these passages state that creation will return to the state of precreation chaos. (NIDOTT) Tohu - 20x in 19v - chaos(1), confusion(1), desolation(1), emptiness(1), empty space(1), formless(2), futile(2), futile things(1), meaningless(2), meaningless arguments(1), nothing(2), waste(3), waste place(2). Gen. 1:2; Deut. 32:10; 1 Sam. 12:21; Job 6:18; 12:24; 26:7; Ps. 107:40; Isa. 24:10; 29:21; 34:11; 40:17,23; 41:29; 44:9; 45:18-19; 49:4; 59:4; Jer. 4:23 Emptiness (void)(0922)(bohu) means void or waste and depicts the state of matter after God had created it but before He had fashioned it for habitation (Gen. 1:2). It, therefore, describes the state of the land or earth after God judges it (Isa. 34:11; Jer. 4:23). It is used in combination with tōhû, without form, each time. Bohu - 3x in 3v - emptiness, void, waste Genesis 1:2 The earth was formless (tohu) and void (bohu), and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters. Isaiah 34:11 But pelican and hedgehog will possess it, And owl and raven will dwell in it; And He will stretch over it the line of desolation And the plumb line of emptiness. Jeremiah 4:23 I looked on the earth, and behold, it was formless (tohu) and void (bohu); And to the heavens, and they had no light. Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament. - It is probable that the descriptions in Isaiah of the desolations of Edom and those in Jeremiah of Israel borrow this phrase from the Genesis picture of a primordial chaos. Isaiah 34:12 Its nobles--there is no one there whom they may proclaim king-- and all its princes will be nothing. KJV Isaiah 34:12 They shall call the nobles thereof to the kingdom, but none shall be there, and all her princes shall be nothing. Its nobles--there is no one there Whom they may proclaim king Isaiah 3:6-8; Ecclesiastes 10:16,17 And all its princes will be nothing. Isaiah 41:24; 1 Corinthians 8:4; 13:2; 2 Corinthians 12:11 THE LAND OF NOTHING: NOBLES NO MORE Its nobles--there is no one there whom they may proclaim king-- and all its princes will be nothing. This describes a place barren of human life. NET - Her nobles will have nothing left to call a kingdom and all her officials will disappear. NLT - It will be called the Land of Nothing, and all its nobles will soon be gone. Matthew Henry - Their great men shall be all cut off, and none of them shall dare to appear: They shall call the nobles of the kingdom to take care of the arduous affairs which lie before them, but none shall be there to take this ruin under their hand, and all her princes, having the sad tidings brought them, shall be nothing, shall be at their wits' end, and not be able to stand them in stead, to shelter them from destruction. Isaiah 34:13 Thorns will come up in its fortified towers, Nettles and thistles in its fortified cities; It will also be a haunt of jackals And an abode of ostriches. KJV Isaiah 34:13 And thorns shall come up in her palaces, nettles and brambles in the fortresses thereof: and it shall be an habitation of dragons, and a court for owls. Thorns will come up in its fortified towers Isaiah 32:13,14; Hosea 9:6; Zephaniah 2:9 It will also be a haunt of jackals And an abode of ostriches. Isaiah 13:21,22; 35:7; Jeremiah 9:11; 10:22; 49:33; 50:39,40; 51:37; Malachi 1:3; Revelation 18:2,20-24 THE DESTRUCTION AND DESOLATION OF MAN'S ACHIEVEMENTS Thorns will come up in its fortified towers, Nettles and thistles in its fortified cities; It will also be a haunt of jackals And an abode of ostriches. The "thorny" fate of Edom's fortified towers and cities reminds me of the striking contrast in Proverbs 18:10-11 The name of the LORD is a strong tower; The righteous runs into it and is safe. Proverbs 18:10+ A rich man’s wealth is his strong city, And like a high wall in his own imagination. Proverbs 18:11+ THOUGHT - Beloved there is only one fortified tower and city which will stand forever. Are you safe in the Strong Tower of Jehovah Jesus by grace through faith (Acts 4:12, Jn 14:6, Eph 2:8-9, Acts 16:31)? Matthew Henry - Even the houses of state, and those of strength, shall become as wildernesses (v. 13); not only grass shall grow, but thorns shall come up, in her palaces, nettles and brambles in the fortresses thereof, and there shall be none to cut them up or tread them down. We sometimes see ruined buildings thus overgrown with rubbish. It intimates that the place shall not only be uninhabited and unfrequented where a full court used to be kept, but that it shall be under the curse of God; for thorns and thistles were the production of the curse, Gen. 3:18. Isaiah 34:14 The desert creatures will meet with the wolves, The hairy goat also will cry to its kind; Yes, the night monster will settle there And will find herself a resting place. KJV Isaiah 34:14 The wild beasts of the desert shall also meet with the wild beasts of the island, and the satyr shall cry to his fellow; the screech owl also shall rest there, and find for herself a place of rest. The desert creatures will meet with the wolves Isaiah 13:21 FRIGHTENING FAUNA IN THE FORSAKEN LAND NET Note - The precise meaning of לִּילִית (lilit) is unclear, though in this context the word certainly refers to some type of wild animal or bird. The word appears to be related to לַיְלָה (laylah, “night”). Some interpret it as the name of a female night demon, on the basis of an apparent Akkadian cognate used as the name of a demon. Later Jewish legends also identified Lilith as a demon. Cf. NRSV “Lilith.” Leopards, and all the rav’ning brotherhoods That range the plains, or lurk in woods, Each other shall invite to come, And make this wilder place their home. Fierce beasts of every frightful shape and size Shall settle here their bloody colonies. —Sir R. Blackmore We see a similar fate prophesied in Isaiah 13 But desert creatures will lie down there, And their houses will be full of owls; Ostriches also will live there, and shaggy goats will frolic there. Hyenas will howl in their fortified towers And jackals in their luxurious palaces. Her fateful time also will soon come And her days will not be prolonged. (Isaiah 13:21-22)
Isaías 34
Henry - There shall the screech-owl rest, a night-bird and an ominous one. Isaiah 34:15 The tree snake will make its nest and lay eggs there, And it will hatch and gather them under its protection. Yes, the hawks will be gathered there, Every one with its kind. KJV Isaiah 34:15 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. BGT Isaiah 34:15 ἐκεῖ ἐνόσσευσεν ἐχῖνος καὶ ἔσωσεν ἡ γῆ τὰ παιδία αὐτῆς μετὰ ἀσφαλείας ἐκεῖ ἔλαφοι συνήντησαν καὶ εἶδον τὰ πρόσωπα ἀλλήλων LXE Isaiah 34:15 There has the hedgehog made its nest, and the earth has safely preserved its young: there have the deer met, and seen one another's faces. NET Isaiah 34:15 Owls will make nests and lay eggs there; they will hatch them and protect them. Yes, hawks will gather there, each with its mate. CSB Isaiah 34:15 The sand partridge will make her nest there; she will lay and hatch her eggs and will gather her brood under her shadow. Indeed, the birds of prey will gather there, each with its mate. ESV Isaiah 34:15 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. NIV Isaiah 34:15 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. NLT Isaiah 34:15 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. The tree snake - This is a somewhat unusual translation and most versions interpret this as a reference to an owl's nest. David Thompson - It is interesting that there are several predatory wild beasts which are mentioned who will inhabit this part of the world. Dead bodies will draw them there and they will eat their fill and then live there. Jackals, wolves, hawks, viper snakes, all will live in this part of the world. Matthew Henry - the owl, a melancholy bird, the raven, a bird of prey, invited by the dead carcases, shall dwell there (with all the ill-boding monsters of the air, Sir R. B.), all the unclean birds, which were not for the service of man, v. 13. It shall be a habitation for dragons, which are poisonous and hurtful. The great owl shall there make her nest (v. 15) and lay and hatch; the breed of them shall be kept up to provide heirs for this desolate place. The vultures which feast on carcasses, shall be gathered there, every one with his mate. Now observe, 1. How the places which men have deserted, and keep at a distance from, are proper receptacles for other animals, which the providence of God takes care of, and will not neglect. 2. Whom those resemble that are morose, unsociable, and unconversable, and affect a melancholy retirement; they are like these solitary creatures that take delight in desolations. 3. What a dismal change sin makes; it turns a fruitful land into barrenness, a frequented city into a wilderness. And in their lofty rooms of state, Where cringing sycophants did wait, Dragons shall hiss and hungry wolves shall howl; In courts before by mighty lords possess’d The serpent shall erect his speckled crest, Or fold his circling spires to rest. —Sir R. Blackmore Isaiah 34:16 Seek from the book of the LORD, and read: Not one of these will be missing; None will lack its mate. For His mouth has commanded, And His Spirit has gathered them. KJV Isaiah 34:16 Seek ye out of the book of the LORD, and read: no one of these shall fail, none shall want her mate: for my mouth it hath commanded, and his spirit it hath gathered them. BGT Isaiah 34:16 ἀριθμῷ παρῆλθον καὶ μία αὐτῶν οὐκ ἀπώλετο ἑτέρα τὴν ἑτέραν οὐκ ἐζήτησαν ὅτι κύριος ἐνετείλατο αὐτοῖς καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα αὐτοῦ συνήγαγεν αὐτάς LXE Isaiah 34:16 They passed by in full number, and not one of them perished: they sought not one another; for the Lord commanded them, and his Spirit gathered them. NET Isaiah 34:16 Carefully read the scroll of the LORD! Not one of these creatures will be missing, none will lack a mate. For the LORD has issued the decree, and his own spirit gathers them. CSB Isaiah 34:16 Search and read the scroll of the LORD: Not one of them will be missing, none will be lacking its mate, because He has ordered it by my mouth, and He will gather them by His Spirit. ESV Isaiah 34:16 Seek and read from the book of the LORD: Not one of these shall be missing; none shall be without her mate. For the mouth of the LORD has commanded, and his Spirit has gathered them. NIV Isaiah 34:16 Look in the scroll of the LORD and read: None of these will be missing, not one will lack her mate. For it is his mouth that has given the order, and his Spirit will gather them together. NLT Isaiah 34:16 Search the book of the LORD, and see what he will do. Not one of these birds and animals will be missing, and none will lack a mate, for the LORD has promised this. His Spirit will make it all come true. Seek from the book of the LORD, and read: Not one of these will be missing Isaiah 30:8; Deuteronomy 31:21; Joshua 1:8; Proverbs 23:12; Daniel 10:21; Amos 3:7; Malachi 3:16; John 5:39; 10:35; 2 Peter 1:19; Matthew 5:18; Luke 21:33 None will lack its mate. For His mouth has commanded, And His Spirit has gathered them. Genesis 6:17; Ps 33:6,9 Related Passages: Isaiah 30:8 Now go, write it on a tablet before them And inscribe it on a scroll, That it may serve in the time to come As a witness forever. Deuteronomy 31:21 “Then it shall come about, when many evils and troubles have come upon them, that this song will testify before them as a witness (for it shall not be forgotten from the lips of their descendants); for I know their intent which they are developing today, before I have brought them into the land which I swore.” Seek from the book of the LORD, and read: - Two commands call for the people to seek to understand His word. NET NOTE - It is uncertain what particular scroll is referred to here. Perhaps the phrase simply refers to this prophecy and is an admonition to pay close attention to the details of the message. Not one of these will be missing These events will certainly come about because the Lord has decreed it. Edom’s destruction is coming just as the word of the Lord has declared (vv. 16–17). NET NOTE - Heb "one from these will not be missing." (hennah, "these") is feminine plural in the Hebrew text. It may refer only to the birds mentioned in v. 15b or may include all of the creatures listed in vv. 14b–15 (all of which are identified with feminine nouns). Matthew Henry - Here is an assurance given of the full accomplishment of this prediction, even to the most minute circumstance of it. When this destruction comes compare the event with the prediction, and you will find it to answer exactly.” Note, The book of the prophets is the book of the Lord, and we ought to consult it and converse with it as of divine origin and authority. We must not only read it, but see out of it, search into it, turn first to one text and then to another and compare them together. Abundance of useful knowledge might thus be extracted, by a diligent search, out of the scriptures, which cannot be got by a superficial reading of them. When you have read the prediction out of the book of the Lord then observe, 1. That according to what you have read so you see; not one of these shall fail (None will lack its mate For His mouth has commanded), either beast or fowl: and, it being foretold that they shall possess it from generation to generation, in order to that, that the species may be propagated ( And His Spirit has gathered them), none shall want her mate; these marks of desolation shall be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the land. 2. That God’s mouth having commanded this direful muster His Spirit shall gather them, as the creatures by instinct were gathered to Adam to be named (Ge 2:19-20) and to Noah to be housed (Ge 7:1-3, 8-9). What God’s word has appointed His Spirit will effect and bring about, for no word of God shall fall to the ground. The word of God’s promise shall in like manner be accomplished by the operations of the Spirit. 3. That there is an exact order and proportion observed in the accomplishment of this threatening: He has cast the lot for these birds and beasts, so that each one shall know his place as readily as if it were marked by line. See the like, Joel 2:7, 8-note, They shall not break their ranks, neither shall one thrust another. For His mouth has commanded - What God commands, God completes (one way or another). THOUGHT - What God commands of us as His Spirit filled children, God enables by His Spirit! Are you filled with the Spirit today (Eph 5:18+)? One of the best ways is to be filled with His Word (and obey it cf James 1:22+) (See Filled with His Spirit/Richly Indwelt with His Word). Then you will empowered to fight the good fight of faith and to keep His command to walk by the Spirit to successfully fight off the desires of the flesh (Gal 5:16-17+). POSB - The Lord’s day of wrath is sure to come. It cannot be stopped. The time is set, fixed once and for all by the Lord. The book of the Lord declares it (vv.16-17). And every living person is commanded to read the warning of God in the book of the Lord. Not a single detail of His warning will be omitted in that day, not even one of the birds or animals mentioned in these verses will be missing or lack a mate in that day. The Lord Himself has spoken the Word concerning the coming day of wrath, and He will execute that day by His Spirit. God’s Spirit will carry out the orders, make everything happen just as God has declared (The Preacher's Outline & Sermon Bible – Isaiah I)
Isaías 34
Henry - The soothsayers among the heathen foretold events by the flight of birds, as if the fate of men depended on them. But here we find that the flight of birds is under the direction of the God of Israel: He has cast the lot for them. That the desolation shall be perpetual: They shall possess it for ever.