Isaiah 13:21
But wild animals will lie down there, and their houses will be full of howling creatures; there ostriches will dwell, and there wild goats will dance.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The verse describes a desolation so complete that even "wild animals" and "howling creatures" will inhabit the ruins, but the surprising element is the inclusion of "ostriches" and "wild goats." This isn't just about any wildness; it's about creatures associated with emptiness and chaotic revelry, highlighting Babylon's utter abandonment by God and its transformation into a place of unnatural, even demonic, activity.
This passage describes the utter desolation that will come upon Babylon as a consequence of God's judgment. Following the powerful pronouncements of Babylon's destruction and the scattering of its people, the focus shifts to the complete emptiness of the city itself. This verse paints a vivid picture of its fate, portraying it not as a place of human habitation but as a dwelling for wild, untamed creatures.
Imagine the grandest city you know falling silent, not with peace, but with an eerie, unsettling chorus. What does this chilling soundscape reveal about divine justice?
This verse paints a stark picture of Babylon's future: utter desolation. The prophet Isaiah doesn't just say the city will be empty; he describes it being filled with the sounds of wild, untamed creatures.
A Symphony of Silence
This isn't just about animals moving in; it's a profound statement about the complete reversal of fortunes. The grandeur of Babylon will be replaced by the sounds of its own destruction and the wildness that encroaches when human dominion ceases.
Are these really just owls and goats, or is the prophet using a more powerful language to describe the fate of a city that defied God?
While the words point to actual wild animals inhabiting the ruins, the primary power of this imagery lies in its symbolic weight. The prophet Isaiah is using the most extreme form of desolation to convey the totality of God's judgment against Babylon.
The Meaning Behind the Monsters
Understand the original words
tsiyim · Hebrew Noun
Refers to beasts of the wilderness that inhabit desolate or ruined places, often used in prophetic literature to symbolize divine judgment and the reversal of human civilization.
bayith · Hebrew Noun
Refers to the place of abode or the ruinous state of a dwelling place left abandoned, representing the complete collapse of human society or city structures under divine judgment.
ochim · Hebrew Noun
A term used for desert creatures or owls, often evoking the sound of mourning or wailing, symbolizing the desolation of a place once full of human life.
ya'anah · Hebrew Noun
A large bird of the desert, associated in biblical literature with the wasteland and places abandoned by God's people due to judgment.
Isaiah's vivid prophecy of Babylon's desolation, filled with descriptions of wild animals, underscores the utter and permanent ruin awaiting the proud empire. It emphasizes that God's judgment transforms once-great cities into desolate wastelands, serving as a stark reminder of His sovereignty.
c. 740 BC
Isaiah's Prophetic Ministry Begins
Isaiah begins his prophetic ministry in Judah during a time of relative peace but growing Assyrian power. He delivers prophecies against various nations, including Babylon.
722 BC
Fall of Samaria
The northern Kingdom of Israel falls to the Assyrian Empire, leading to the exile of its people. This event serves as a stark warning of God's judgment.
c. 701 BC
Assyrian Invasion of Judah
Assyrian king Sennacherib invades Judah and besieges Jerusalem. Though Jerusalem is not captured, many cities are destroyed, highlighting Judah's vulnerability.
612 BC
Fall of Nineveh
The Neo-Babylonian Empire, in alliance with the Medes, conquers the Assyrian capital, Nineveh. This marks the rise of Babylon as a dominant world power.
This verse echoes Isaiah's prophecy, describing Babylon becoming a desolate habitat for wild animals, emphasizing the thoroughness of its destruction and abandonment.
Revelation 18:2This New Testament passage directly links Babylon's fall to becoming a 'haunt of demons' and a cage for every unclean bird, directly paralleling the imagery of wild and fearful creatures taking over abandoned human dwellings.
Isaiah 34:14This passage from Isaiah, speaking about the judgment on Edom, uses very similar language to describe a desolate place filled with wild animals and creatures, reinforcing the theme of divine judgment leading to the complete abandonment of human civilization to the wild.
Psalm 107:33-34This psalm describes God turning rivers into a desert and the spring into a pool of water, leading to a land that yields no fruit and becomes a dwelling place for wild animals, showing a consistent biblical theme of God's judgment transforming fertile lands into desolate habitats.
barnesIsaiah 13:21: "But wild beasts of the desert shall lie there; and their houses shall be full of doleful creatures; and owls shall dwell there, and satyrs shall dance there."
But wild beasts of the desert shall lie there - Hebrew, (ציים tsı̂yı̂ym). This word denotes properly those animals that dwell in dry and desolate places, from צי tsı̂y "a waste, a desert." The ancient versions have differed considerably in the interpretation. The Septuagint in different places renders it, Θηριά Thēria…
gillIsaiah 13:21: "But wild beasts of the desert shall lie there; and their houses shall be full of doleful creatures; and owls shall dwell there, and satyrs shall dance there."
But wild beasts of the desert shall lie there,.... What sort of creatures are meant is not certain. The Targum renders it by a word which signifies monstrous, astonishing creatures; the Latin interpreter of it calls them apes. Jarchi and Kimchi say such are intended as are called martens or sables, a creature of the weasel…
The verse describes a desolation so complete that even "wild animals" and "howling creatures" will inhabit the ruins, but the surprising element is the inclusion of "ostriches" and "wild goats." This isn't just about any wildness; it's about creatures associated with emptiness and chaotic revelry, highlighting Babylon's utter abandonment by God and its transformation into a place of unnatural, even demonic, activity.
This passage describes the utter desolation that will come upon Babylon as a consequence of God's judgment. Following the powerful pronouncements of Babylon's destruction and the scattering of its people, the focus shifts to the complete emptiness of the city itself. This verse paints a vivid picture of its fate, portraying it not as a place of human habitation but as a dwelling for wild, untamed creatures.
This passage describes the utter desolation that will come upon Babylon as a consequence of God's judgment. Following the powerful pronouncements of Babylon's destruction and the scattering of its people, the focus shifts to the complete emptiness of the city itself. This verse paints a vivid picture of its fate, portraying it not as a place of human habitation but as a dwelling for wild, untamed creatures.
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The prophet's vivid language ensures that the reader understands that Babylon's fall is not merely a political event, but a profound spiritual and cosmic declaration of God's judgment.
sa'ir · Hebrew Noun
A term denoting 'hairy ones' or satyrs, often associated in biblical imagery with demonic entities or wild, unkempt desert creatures that inhabit ruins.
586 BC
Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple
Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar II destroys Jerusalem and its Temple, exiling many of the remaining Judeans. This fulfills prophecies of judgment against Judah.
539 BC— this verse
Conquest of Babylon by Persia
Cyrus the Great of Persia conquers Babylon, ending the Neo-Babylonian Empire. This event directly fulfills Isaiah's prophecy of Babylon's desolation.
Post-exilic Period
Desolation of Babylon
After its conquest, Babylon gradually declines and falls into ruin, becoming largely uninhabited and a haunt for wild animals, as Isaiah foretold.
"But wild animals will lie down there, and their houses will be full of howling creatures; there ostriches will dwell, and there wild goats will dance." — The verse describes a desolation so complete that even "wild animals" and "howling creatures" will inhabit the ruins, but the surprising element is the inclusion of "ostriches" and "wild goats." This…
