Isaías 34
Bob Utley · You Can Understand the Bible
Isaías 34
CONTEXTUAL INSIGHTS Isaiah 34 and 35 are very similar to Isa. 24-27. Both of these are combinations of judgment and blessing sections which are conclusions to a much longer literary unit. Isaiah 34 speaks of universal judgment in graphic terms. Isaiah 35 speaks of universal restoration in beautiful, idealistic terms. Because there is a double space between chapter 33 and chapter 34 in the Dead Sea Scrolls copy of Isaiah, it is possible that this literary unit (chapters 34-35 and 38-39) should go with 40-66 (as far as literary setting). Chapter 35 is a discussion of the new age, the days of restoration. They describe what YHWH wanted to do with mankind before the Fall of Genesis 3 and the disobedience of Abraham's seed.
Isaías 34:1-15
34:1 There are several commands in this verse. draw near, BDB 897 I, KB 1132, Qal IMPERATIVE listen, BDB 904, KB 1151, Hiphil IMPERATIVE hear, BDB 1033, KB 1570, Qal JUSSIVE (see SPECIAL TOPIC: LISTEN/HEAR) The Sovereign of the universe is addressing His creation and announcing its judgment. "O nations," BDB 156, cf. Isa. 34:2; 43:9 O peoples, BDB 522, cf. Isa. 17:12; 43:9 the earth, BDB 75, cf. Isa. 37:16,20; Gen. 18:18; 22:18; Micah 1:2 (see SPECIAL TOPIC: LAND, COUNTRY, EARTH) all it contains, BDB 571, cf. Isa. 6:3 the world, BDB 385, cf. Isa. 13:11; 24:4 (see SPECIAL TOPIC: WORLD, I. E.) all that springs from it, BDB 481 CONSTRUCT BDB 425 Obviously this refers to the known world of Isaiah's day. The language is universal but hyperbolic. 34:2 "For the Lord's indignation is against all the nations. . .He has utterly destroyed them" The idea of "utterly destroyed" (BDB 355 I, KB 353, Hiphil PERFECT; see SPECIAL TOPIC: UTTERLY DESTROY [herem] and CURSE [anathema]) refers to the concept of "holy war." In Joshua this concept in relation to Jericho is translated "under the ban" (i.e. dedicated to YHWH for destruction, cf. Josh. 6:17,18 [thrice]; 7:1 [twice], 12 [twice], 13 [twice], 15). 34:3 This verse expands the thought of Isa. 34:2, with graphic imagery of warfare. their slain thrown out, BDB 1020, KB 1527, Hophal IMPERFECT their corpses will give off (lit. "go up") their stench, BDB 748, KB 828, Qal IMPERFECT, cf. Amos 4:10 the mountains will be drenched (lit. "dissolve") with their blood, BDB 587, KB 606, Niphal PERFECT with waw This reflects a battle scene where the bodies of the dead have remained unburied for an extended period of time. In the ANE improper burial was a horror and disgrace and might affect one's afterlife. It represented a total defeat, physically and spiritually. SPECIAL TOPIC: BURIAL PRACTICES 34:4 This hyperbolic language relating to the host of heaven is a recurrent theme in the Bible. Isaiah 13:10,13; 34:4; 51:6 Ezekiel 32:7,8 Joel 2:10,31; 3:15 Matthew 24:29,35 2 Peter 3:10 Revelation 6:12-14; 8:12; 20:11 The phrase "host of heaven" can refer to astral deities (sun, moon, stars, planets, comets, etc.) usually associated with Babylonian idolatry the angelic army of YHWH (cf. Isa. 24:21-22; Josh. 5:14-15, based on Deut. 32:8 in the LXX and illustrated in Daniel 10) In this context it refers to the objects of light in the sky. These objects are affected and thrown into disarray by the approach of their creator! These physical objects, often viewed as deities, are subject to YHWH! See D. Brent Sandy, Plowshares and Pruning Hooks, pp. 176-177. ▣ "rolled up like a scroll" This imagery is used by John in Rev. 6:14. The sky in the ANE was thought to be tightly stretched skin over the earth like a bowl (cf. Isa. 40:22) a set up tent (cf. Ps. 104:2) The old order will be replaced by the new (cf. Rev. 21:1). SPECIAL TOPIC: THE CIRCLE OF THE EARTH NASB, NRSV, JPSOA "wither away" NKJV, TEV, LXX "fall" REB, NET "fade away" "fall down" This VERB (BDB 615, KB 663) occurs three times in this verse. Qal IMPERFECT Qal INFINITIVE CONSTRUCT Qal ACTIVE PARTICIPLE It also occurs in the parallel literary unit of Isaiah 24-27 (cf. Isa. 24:4 [twice]). Agriculture also shakes at the coming of the creator! We could say heaven and earth both fall apart at the approach of the Creator/Judge because they, too, have been affected by mankind's sin (cf. Gen. 3:17-19; Rom. 8:19-22). 34:5 "satiated" "bathed" "drunk its fill" "prepared" "drunk deep" JPSOA, LXX "shall be drunk" REB, DSS, Targums "appears" "sharpened" The MT has the VERB (BDB 924, KB 1194, Piel PERFECT). The ancient versions are split between satiated ‒ רותה (BDB 924) appears ‒ תראה (BDB 906; DSS, Targums) The UBS Text Project, p. 78, cannot decide which is original. Option #1 parallels v. 6 best. ▣ "for judgment upon Edom" Edom is singled out for judgment in this literary unit just as Moab was singled out in Isa. 25:10-12. Here Edom (like Moab earlier) is symbolic of all the arrogant nations who rebel against God. SPECIAL TOPIC: EDOM AND ISRAEL "devoted to destruction" See SPECIAL TOPIC: UTTERLY DESTROY (herem) and CURSE (anathema). 34:6-7 These verses use the imagery of sacrifice (cf. BDB 830, f, cf. Jer. 50:27; 51:40; Ezek. 39:17-20) to describe YHWH's judgment the blood of lambs and goats, Isa. 34:6 the fat of the kidneys of rams, Isa. 34:6 young bulls, Isa. 34:7 Not only are domestic animals going to be sacrificed, but also wild oxen (BDB 910). Verse 7 could be imagery for Edom's leaders. The imagery of YHWH's sword is also found in Deut. 32:41-42 and Ezek. 21:28-32. 34:6 "is sated with fat" "made overflowing with fatness" NRSV, REB, JPSOA, LXX "is gorged with fat" "is greasy with fat" This VERB (BDB 206, KB 234, Hothpael PERFECT) is found only here in this rare stem. It denotes a reflexive concept, "YHWH's sword has fattened itself." The Pual IMPERFECT of the same VERB is found in Isa. 34:7, "became greasy with fat." Both speak of a huge number of sacrificial victims slain (imagery for the dead of the enemies' army). The fat of the lower organs was that part of the animal placed on the altar. 34:8 We as modern interpreters must remember the essence of Hebrew poetry is its abbreviated form its sound plays its parallelism Westerners tend to be Greek-thinking, logical literalists! However, this is ancient eastern poetic literature. See G. B. Caird, The Language and Imagery of the Bible, chapter 5, "Hebrew Idiom and Hebrew Thought," pp. 107-117. This is also true of Genesis 1-2. See John L. Walton, The Lost World of Genesis 1. This verse is a good example, "day," line 1 is parallel to "year," line 2. This is not meant to be a temporal, historical comment, but the recognition that a time of judgment and accountability to God is coming! How long it will last is not an issue. SPECIAL TOPIC: EASTERN LITERATURE SPECIAL TOPIC: HEBREW POETRY ▣ "For the Lord has a day of vengeance" The concept of the valid and appropriate judgment of YHWH is expressed by "a day of vengeance" (BDB 668, cf. Isa. 35:4; 47:3; 61:2; 63:4; Jer. 51:6). It is parallel to YHWH being against the proud in Isa. 2:12. It is parallel to the day of the Lord as destruction in Isa. 13:6. It is mentioned in Deut. 22:35,41,43; Isa. 50:17; Micah 5:14. YHWH is an ethical, moral Being. There are consequences to sin. Humans reap what they sow (see full list of biblical texts at my exegetical commentary on Gal. 6:7-10). SPECIAL TOPIC: JUDGE, JUDGMENT, JUSTICE IN ISAIAH ▣ "Zion" See SPECIAL TOPIC: ZION 34:9 "pitch. . .brimstone. . .burning pitch" These (BDB 278, 172, 278/128) are allusions to the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah in Gen. 19:24. Also, see the significant parallel of Jer. 49:17-18. Sodom and Gomorrah are in the northern area of Edom (i.e. southern end of the Dead Sea). 34:10 This is hyperbolic language which denotes a complete destruction that lasts into the indefinite future (cf. Isa. 1:31; 13:20; 66:24). There are two terms for "forever" used. line 2, עולם (BDB 761, see SPECIAL TOPIC: FOREVER ['olam]) line 4, נצח (BDB 664, cf. 2 Sam. 2:26; Isa. 13:20; 25:8; 28:28; 33:20; 57:16) The phrase "its smoke shall go up forever" is used in Rev. 14:11 and 19:3. It seems probable that "Moab" in Isa. 25:10-12 "Edom" in this context "Babylon" in Revelation all stand for "human society organized and functioning apart from God or even in rebellion against God." For a good discussion of the semantic field involving the biblical uses of the concept of "forever," see D. Brent Sandy, Plowshares and Pruning Hooks, pp. 98-101. SPECIAL TOPIC: ETERNAL PUNISHMENT 34:11-15 There are many animals (mostly birds) mentioned in this section. All of them are unclean according to Leviticus 11. These same unclean animals are seen in the ruins of the city of Babylon (cf. Isa. 13:19-22). There are two possible interpretations for this: these ruins are symbolic of fallen human efforts judged and destroyed by God so that nothing but the animals lived there (i.e. Gen. 10-11) these cities are now inhabited by the demonic (cf. Matt. 12:43) Modern translations such as the NEB have shown clear archaeological evidence that these animals may refer to the demonic (cf. particularly Isa. 34:14). NASB "hairy goat" NKJV "wild goat" NRSV, JPSOA "goat-demons" TEV "demons" NJB "satyr" REB "he-goats" This term "hairy goat" (BDB 972 III) refers to idols (cf. 2 Chr. 11:15) demons (cf. Lev. 17:7) wild animals (cf. Isa. 13:21) NASB, TEV "night monster" NKJV "night creature" NRSV, NJB "Lilith" REB "nightjar" This term (BDB 535) in later Judaism became the name for a female night tempter. The origin of the term and concept may be the three night demons of Akkadian mythology (KB 528). The Peshitta identifies it as a "screech owl." The night with all its "nature-sounds" was terrifying to ancient people. SPECIAL TOPIC: THE DEMONIC IN THE OT SPECIAL TOPIC: DEMONS (fallen angels) 34:11 The terms translated "desolation" (BDB 1062, cf. Isa. 24:10) and "emptiness" (BDB 96) are used in Gen. 1:2 to describe the initial chaos of the planet. Edom (i.e. all rebellious nations) will be reduced to original chaos (i.e. Isa. 13:9-11; Jer. 4:23-26). SPECIAL TOPIC: ANGELS AND DEMONS 34:15 "tree snake" NKJV, JPSOA "arrow snake" NRSV, TEV "owl" "snake" "sand-partridge" "great owl" "hedgehog" This NOUN (BDB 891, KB 1118) is found only here. It is obviously an animal of some kind that lays eggs and stays to protect the young.
Isaías 34:16-17
34:16 "Seek from the book of the Lord, and read" Except for Isa. 34:1, there are no IMPERATIVES in this chapter before this verse. YHWH's calling them to approach and to listen in Isa. 34:1 (two IMPERATIVES) is matched by the two IMPERATIVES which close the chapter (a common Semitic literary technique). seek, BDB 205, KB 233, Qal IMPERATIVE read, BDB 894, KB 1128, Qal IMPERATIVE The nations have abrogated the dominion given to mankind in Genesis 2, so the animals are divinely allotted the land! There have been many opinions about this book (The Book of the Lord, BDB 706). Some see it as the judgment scroll (cf. Isa. 29:11,12; 30:8). Others see it as an allusion to the two books mentioned in Dan. 7:10; 12:1 and Rev. 20:4-15, which are imagery for the memory of God. "the book of life" Exod. 32:32 Ps. 69:28 Isa. 4:3 Dan. 7:10; 12:1 Luke 10:20 Phil. 4:3 Heb. 12:23 Rev. 3:5; 13:8; 17:8; 20:12,15; 21:27 "the book of deeds/remembrances" Ps. 56:8; 139:16 Isa. 65:6 Dan. 7:10 Mal. 3:16 Rev. 20:12-13 SPECIAL TOPIC: THE TWO BOOKS OF GOD ▣ "Not one of these will be missing; None will lack its mate. For His mouth has commanded" Here we have two images that refer to the power of God's word. The first is military, while the second is domestic. When God speaks, His word can be counted on (cf. Isa. 24:3; 25:8; 55:10-11). ▣ "His Spirit has gathered them" See the notes at Isa. 11:2 God gathers the animals/demons listed in Isa. 34:11-15. SPECIAL TOPIC: SPIRIT IN THE BIBLE SPECIAL TOPIC: PERSONHOOD OF THE SPIRIT 34:17 This is an allusion to the dividing of the land by lot (i.e. Urim and Thummim; see SPECIAL TOPIC: URIM AND THUMMIM) in Joshua 12-19. But, in this context, it is the animal kingdom that possesses the earth, not sinful mankind!