Bible/Isaiah/34

Isaiah 34:11

34:10 It shall not be quenched night nor day; the smoke thereof shall go up for ever: from generation to generation it shall lie waste; none shall pass through it for ever and ever.
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. cormorant: or, pelican

KJV

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But the pelican and the porcupine will possess it. The owl and the raven will dwell in it. He will stretch the line of confusion over it, and the plumb line of emptiness.

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.

But the cormorant and the bittern shall possess it; the owl also and the raven shall dwell in it: and he shall stretch out on it the line of confusion, and the stones of emptiness.

34:12 They shall call the nobles thereof to the kingdom, but none shall be there, and all her princes shall be nothing.

What does Isaiah 34:11 mean?

Isaiah 34:11 is a verse in the book of Isaiah, in the Old Testament. In the original Hebrew, key words include קָאַת (qâʼath), קִפּוֹד (qippôwd), יָרַשׁ (yârash). It connects to 19 cross-referenced passages elsewhere in Scripture.

Hebrew interlinear

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But
the
cormorantקָאַתqâʼath/kaw-ath'/H6893probably the pelican (from vomiting)
and
the
bitternקִפּוֹדqippôwd/kip-pode'/H7090a species of bird, perhaps the bittern (from its contracted form)
shall
possessיָרַשׁyârash/yaw-rash'/H3423to occupy (by driving out previous tenants, and possessing in their place); by implication, to seize, to rob, to inherit; also to expel, to impoverish, to ruin
it;
the
owlיַנְשׁוּףyanshûwph/yan-shoof'/H3244an unclean (acquatic) bird; probably the heron (perhaps from its blowing cry, or because the nightheron is meant ))
also
and
the
ravenעֹרֵבʻôrêb/o-rabe'/H6158a raven (from its dusky hue)
shall
dwellשָׁכַןshâkan/shaw-kan'/H7931to reside or permanently stay (literally or figuratively)
in
it:
and
he
shall
stretch
outנָטָהnâṭâh/naw-taw'/H5186to stretch or spread out; by implication, to bend away (including moral deflection); used in a great variety of application
upon
it
the
lineקַוqav/kav/H6957a cord (as connecting), especially formeasuring; figuratively, a rule; also a rim, a musical string or accord
of
confusion,תֹּהוּtôhûw/to'-hoo/H8414a desolation (of surface), i.e. desert; figuratively, a worthless thing; adverbially, in vain
and
the
stonesאֶבֶןʼeben/eh'-ben/H68a stone
of
emptiness.בֹּהוּbôhûw/bo'-hoo/H922a vacuity, i.e. (superficially) an undistinguishable ruin
cormorant:
or,
pelican

Commentary on Isaiah 34:11

HENRY_FULL · Isaiah 34:11
in wait for blood: but the mouth of the upright shall deliver them. In the foregoing verse the thoughts of the wicked and righteous were compared; here their words, and those are as the abundance of the heart is. 1. Wicked people speak mischief to their neighbours; and wicked indeed those are whose words are to lie in wait for blood; their tongues are swords to those that stand in their way, to good men whom they hate and persecute. See an instance, Luke xx. 20, 21 . 2. Good men speak help to their neighbours: The mouth of the upright is ready to be opened in the cause of those that are oppressed ( ch. xxxi. 8 ), to plead for them, to witness for them, and so to deliver them, particularly those whom the wicked lie in wait for. A man may sometimes do a very good work with one good word. 7 The wicked are overthrown, and are

Cross-references

Related passages from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

Genesis 41:39

And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art:

1 Samuel 13:13

And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the LORD thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the LORD have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever.

1 Samuel 16:18

Then answered one of the servants, and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, that is cunning in playing, and a mighty valiant man, and a man of war, and prudent in matters, and a comely person, and the LORD is with him. matters: or, speech

1 Samuel 18:30

Then the princes of the Philistines went forth: and it came to pass, after they went forth, that David behaved himself more wisely than all the servants of Saul; so that his name was much set by. set by: Heb. precious

1 Samuel 25:17

Now therefore know and consider what thou wilt do; for evil is determined against our master, and against all his household: for he is such a son of Belial, that a man cannot speak to him.

Ecclesiastes 8:1

Who is as the wise man? and who knoweth the interpretation of a thing? a man's wisdom maketh his face to shine, and the boldness of his face shall be changed. the boldness: Heb. the strength

Isaiah 1:26

And I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counsellors as at the beginning: afterward thou shalt be called, The city of righteousness, the faithful city.

Isaiah 5:23

Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him!

Daniel 12:2

And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

Malachi 2:8

But ye are departed out of the way; ye have caused many to stumble at the law; ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi, saith the LORD of hosts. stumble at: or, fall in

Malachi 2:9

Therefore have I also made you contemptible and base before all the people, according as ye have not kept my ways, but have been partial in the law. have been: or, lifted up the face against: Heb. accepted faces

Matthew 27:4

Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that.

Matthew 27:5

And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.

Luke 12:42

And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season?

Luke 16:8

And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.

Acts 12:231 Corinthians 3:101 Corinthians 4:52 Corinthians 10:18

Topics

Edomites, theOwlOwl, theRaven, theWar

Verses like this

Other verses that share key original-language words with Isaiah 34:11.

Zephaniah 2:14

And flocks shall lie down in the midst of her, all the beasts of the nations: both the cormorant and the bittern shall lodge in the upper lintels of it; their voice shall sing in the windows; desolation shall be in the thresholds: for he shall uncover the cedar work. cormorant: or, pelican upper: or, knops, or, chapiters for: or, when he hath uncovered

Frequently asked questions

What does Isaiah 34:11 say?

Isaiah 34:11 (King James Version) reads: "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. cormorant: or, pelican"

Is Isaiah 34:11 in the Old or New Testament?

Isaiah 34:11 is in the Old Testament of the Bible, in the book of Isaiah.

Reflect

As you read Isaiah 34:11, what is one truth here you can carry into today?

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