Notes for Isa 34:1LEB
"the world and its offspring"; NASB "the world and all that springs from it."
Notes for Isa 34:3LEB
"will be cast aside"; NASB, NIV "thrown out."
"[as for] their corpses, their stench will arise."
"hills will dissolve from their blood."
Notes for Isa 34:4LEB
"and all the host of heaven will rot." The Qumran scroll 1QIsa inserts "and the valleys will be split open," but this reading may be influenced by Mic 1:4LEB. On the other hand, the statement, if original, could have been omitted by homoioarcton, a scribe’s eye jumping from the conjunction prefixed to "the valleys" to the conjunction prefixed to the verb "rot."
"like the withering of a leaf from a vine, and like the withering from a fig tree."
Notes for Isa 34:5LEB
The words "he says" are supplied in the translation for clarification. The Yahweh speaks at this point.
"indeed [or "for"] my sword is drenched in the heavens." The Qumran scroll 1QIsa has תראה ("[my sword] appeared [in the heavens]"), but this is apparently an attempt to make sense out of a difficult metaphor. Cf. NIV "My sword has drunk its fill in the heavens."
In v. 4 the "host of the heaven" refers to the heavenly luminaries (stars and planets, see, among others, Deut 4:19LEB; Deut 17:3LEB; 2 Kgs 17:16LEB; 2 Kgs 21:3-5LEB; 2 Kgs 23:4–5LEB; 2 Chr 33:3-5LEB) that populate the divine/heavenly assembly in mythological and prescientific Israelite thought (see Job 38:7LEB; Isa 14:13LEB). As in Isa 24:21LEB, they are viewed here as opposing Yahweh and being defeated in battle.
Edom is mentioned here as epitomizing the hostile nations that oppose Yahweh.
Notes for Isa 34:6LEB
The verb is a rare Hotpaal passive form. See GKC 150 §54.h.
The words "it drips" are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
The words "and is covered" are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
"for there is a sacrifice to the Yahweh."
The Yahweh’s judgment of Edom is compared to a bloody sacrificial scene.
"great" (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
Notes for Isa 34:7LEB
"will go down"; NAB "shall be struck down."
"and bulls along with strong ones." Perhaps this refers to the leaders.
Notes for Isa 34:8LEB
"for a day of vengeance [is] for the Yahweh."
"a year of repayment for the strife of Zion." The translation assumes that רִיב (riv) refers to Edom’s hostility toward Zion. Another option is to understand רִיב (riv) as referring to the Yahweh’s taking up Zion’s cause. In this case one might translate, "a time when he will repay Edom and vindicate Zion."
Notes for Isa 34:9LEB
"her"; the referent (Edom) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Notes for Isa 34:10LEB
"it will not be extinguished."
Notes for Isa 34:11LEB
קָאַת (qa’at) refers to some type of bird (cf. Lev 11:18LEB; Deut 14:17LEB) that was typically found near ruins (see Zeph 2:14LEB). קִפּוֹד (qippod) may also refer to a type of bird (NAB "hoot owl"; NIV "screech owl"; TEV "ravens"), but some have suggested a rodent may be in view (cf. NCV "small animals"; ASV "porcupine"; NASB, NRSV "hedgehog").
"will possess it" (so NIV).
The Hebrew text has יַנְשׁוֹף וְעֹרֵב (yanshof vé’orev). Both the יַנְשׁוֹף ("owl"; see Lev 11:17LEB; Deut 14:16LEB) and עֹרֵב ("raven"; Lev 11:15LEB; Deut 14:14LEB) were types of wild birds.
"he"; the referent (Yahweh) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
"stones," i.e., the stones used in a plumb bob.
The metaphor in v. 11b emphasizes that Yahweh has carefully planned Edom’s demise.
Notes for Isa 34:12LEB
"will be nothing"; NCV, TEV, NLT "will all be gone."
Notes for Isa 34:13LEB
The words "will grow" are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
"and she will be a settlement for wild dogs, a dwelling place for ostriches." The translation assumes an emendation of חָצִיר (khatsir, "grass") to חָצֵר (khatser, "settlement"). One of the Qumran scrolls of Isaiah (1QIsa) supports this emendation (cf. HALOT 344 s.v. II חָצִיר)
Notes for Isa 34:14LEB
"will meet" (so NIV); NLT "will mingle there."
"and a goat will call to its neighbor."
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."
"and will find for themselves a resting place."
Notes for Isa 34:15LEB
Hebrew קִפּוֹז (qippoz) occurs only here; the precise meaning of the word is uncertain.
For this proposed meaning for Hebrew מָלַט (malat), see HALOT 589 s.v. I מלט.
"and brood [over them] in her shadow."
The precise meaning of דַּיָּה (dayyah) is uncertain, though the term appears to refer to some type of bird of prey, perhaps a vulture.
Notes for Isa 34:16LEB
"Seek from upon the scroll of Yahweh and read."
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.
"one from these will not be missing." הֵנָּה (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).
"each its mate they will not lack."
The Hebrew text reads literally, "for a mouth, it has commanded." The Qumran scroll 1QIsa and a few medieval mss have פִּיהוּ (pihu, "his mouth [has commanded]"), while a few other medieval mss read פִּי יְהוָה (pi yéhvah, "the mouth of Yahweh [has commanded]").
"and his spirit, he gathers them." The pronominal suffix ("them") is feminine plural, referring to the birds mentioned in v. 15b or to all of the creatures listed in vv. 14b–15 (all of which are identified with feminine nouns).
Notes for Isa 34:17LEB
"and he causes the lot to fall for them." Once again the pronominal suffix ("them") is feminine plural, referring to the birds mentioned in v. 15b or to all of the creatures listed in vv. 14b–15 (all of which are identified with feminine nouns).
"and his hand divides for them with a measuring line." The pronominal suffix ("them") now switches to masculine plural, referring to all the animals and birds mentioned in vv. 11–15, some of which were identified with masculine nouns. This signals closure for this portion of the speech, which began in v. 11. The following couplet (v. 17b) forms an inclusio with v. 11a through verbal repetition.
"will possess it" (so NIV); NCV "they will own that land forever."