Isaiah 34:11

“But the cormorant and the bittern shall possess it, &c.] The word for “cormorant” is rendered a “pelican”, in (<19A206>Psalm 102:6) they were both unclean fowls according to the law, of which (see <031117>Leviticus 11:17,18) and (see Gill on “<231423>Isaiah 14:23”): the owl also and the raven shall dwell in it; which were likewise unclean creatures; and these, with the former, and other creatures after mentioned, delight to dwell in desolate and ruinous places; and so Babylon or Rome being destroyed, will become a cage of every unclean and hateful bird, (<661802>Revelation 18:2): and he shall stretch out upon it the line of confusion and the stones of emptiness; “he”, that is, God, as Kimchi…”

“cormorant--The Hebrew is rendered, in Psa 102:6, "pelican," which is a seafowl, and cannot be meant here: some waterfowl (katta, according to BURCKHARDT) that tenants desert places is intended. bittern--rather, "the hedgehog," or "porcupine" [GESENIUS] (Isa 14:23). owl--from its being enumerated among water birds in Lev 11:17; Deu 14:16. MAURER thinks rather the heron or crane is meant; from a Hebrew root, "to blow," as it utters a sound like the blowing of a horn (Rev 18:2). confusion--devastation. line . . . stones--metaphor from an architect with line and plummet-stone (see on Isa 18:2; Isa 28:17); God will render to it the exact measure of justice without mercy (Jam 2:13; Kg2 21:13; Lam…”

“But the cormorant - This and the following verses contain a description of the desolations of Edom in language remarkably similar to that employed in the account of the destruction of Babylon Isaiah 13:20-22; Isaiah 14:23. The word here translated ‘cormorant’ (קאת qâ'ath), occurs in this place and in Zephaniah 2:14, where it is rendered ‘cormorant,’ and in Leviticus 11:18; Deuteronomy 14:17; Psalms 102:6, where it is rendered ‘pelican.’ Bochart supposes it is the ardea stellaris, or bitourn, which frequents watery places in deserts, and makes a horrible noise. The pelican is a sea-fowl, and cannot be intended here. The cormorant or water raven is a large fowl of the pelican kind, which…”

“Dwell - It shall be entirely possessed by those creatures which delight in deserts and waste places. Stretch - He shall use the line, or the stone or plummet joined to it, not to build them, but to mark them out to destruction, as workmen commonly use them to mark what they are to pull down. Isaiah 34:12”

“34:11-14 Wild animals, night birds, and hostile plants with thorns and nettles created an eerie environment. 34:11 The identification of some of these birds is uncertain, but they inhabited wild and deserted places and many were considered unclean (Deut 14:11-18).”

“cormorant: or, pelican, Isa 13:20-22, Isa 14:23; Zep 2:14; Rev 18:2, Rev 18:21-23 stretch: Sa2 8:2; Kg2 21:13; Lam 2:8; Mal 1:3, Mal 1:4 Isaiah 34:12”

“The land of Edom, in this geographical and also emblematical sense, would become a wilderness; the kingdom of Edom would be for ever destroyed. "And pelican and hedgehog take possession of it, and eared-owl and raven dwell there; and he stretches over it the measure of Tohu and the level of Bohu. Its nobles - there is no longer a monarchy which they elected; and all its princes come to nought." The description of the ruin, which commences in Isa 34:11 with a list of animals that frequent marshy and solitary regions, is similar to the one in Isa 13:20-22; Isa 14:23 (compare Zep 2:14, which is founded upon this). Isaiah's was the original of all such pictures of ruin which we meet with in the…”