Isaiah 34:13

“And thorns shall come up in her palaces, &c.] Where their kings and princes dwelt, and kept their courts, popes and cardinals; here will be the tokens of God’s curse, as thorns are, these being the people of his curse, as in (<233405>Isaiah 34:5): nettles and brambles in the fortresses thereof; alluding to “Bozrah” which signifies a fortress; referring to the towers and fortifications of the city of Rome, and all other fortified cities within its jurisdiction: and it shall be a habitation of dragons; literally, as it figuratively had been the seat of the old dragon, the devil, and of the beast to whom the dragon gave his power, seat, and authority; and who, though he looked like a lamb,…”

“dragons--(See on Isa 13:21; Isa 13:22). court for owls--rather, "a dwelling for ostriches."”

“And thorns ... - (see the note at Isaiah 5:6) It shall be an habitation of dragons - On the meaning of the word ‘dragons,’ see the note at Isaiah 13:22. Court for owls - A place of resort, a residence of owls. The word rendered ‘court’ (חציר châtsı̂yr) means a dwelling-place, a habitation, as well as an enclosure or court. The margin is, ‘Daughters of the owl,’ or ‘ostriches’ (see the note at Isaiah 13:21). ‘I would,’ says Stephens, when standing amidst the ruins of Petra, the capital of Idumea (see the note at Isaiah 16:1), and with this passage of Isaiah in his eye, ‘I would that the sceptic could stand as I did, among the ruins of this city among the rocks, and there open the sacred…”

“thorns: Isa 32:13, Isa 32:14; Hos 9:6; Zep 2:9 an habitation: Isa 13:21, Isa 13:22, Isa 35:7; Jer 9:11, Jer 10:22, Jer 49:33, Jer 50:39, Jer 50:40, Jer 51:37; Mal 1:3; Rev 18:2, Rev 18:20-24 owls: or, ostriches, Heb. daughters of the owl Isaiah 34:14”

“The allusion to the monarchy and the lofty electoral dignity leads the prophet on to the palaces and castles of the land. Starting with these, he carries out the picture of the ruins in Isa 34:13-15. "And the palaces of Edom break out into thorns, nettles and thistles in its castles; and it becomes the abode of wild dogs, pasture for ostriches. And martens meet with jackals, and a wood-devil runs upon its fellow; yea, Liiliith dwells there, and finds rest for itself. There the arrow-snake makes its nest, and breeds and lays eggs, and broods in the shadow there; yea, there vultures gather together one to another." The feminine suffixes refer to Edom, as they did in the previous instance, as…”