Isaiah 13:21-22
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The prophet uses vivid imagery of desert creatures to emphasize the utter desolation of Babylon, moving beyond mere human absence to highlight the complete reversal of its former glory, where even the wild and howling animals will reclaim the once magnificent palaces.
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. Hyenas will cry in its towers, and jackals in the pleasant palaces; its time is close at hand and its days will not be prolonged.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This passage follows the prophecies of Babylon's impending doom, detailing the destruction brought by the Medes and emphasizing the complete desolation that will follow. The prophet has just described how the city will be utterly overthrown, becoming like Sodom and Gomorrah, and will never again be inhabited by people.
Imagine the most magnificent palace, the heart of an empire. Now, picture it utterly abandoned, not even a whisper of its former glory remains. This verse paints a stark picture of that transformation.
A City's Fate
Isaiah 13:21 describes the ultimate fate of a once-great city: complete abandonment and desolation. The prophet uses vivid imagery to show that the bustling halls and opulent homes of Babylon will be overtaken by the wild and the strange.
What do 'howling creatures' and 'dancing satyrs' tell us about God's judgment on a city?
More Than Just Animals
The specific creatures mentioned in Isaiah 13:21 are not just random animals. They represent the sounds and sights of utter ruin and the absence of God's order.
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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.
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.
iyim · Hebrew Noun
Wild canines or scavenging animals that dwell in abandoned ruins, serving as a sign of the total abandonment and degradation of a city or nation.
almanah · Hebrew Noun
A structure associated with city defenses, which, when empty and inhabited by wild beasts, signals the complete failure of human protection and the triumph of God's sovereign judgment.
tannim · Hebrew Noun
A scavenger animal often found in deserted or ruined places, representing the final state of destruction and the removal of human glory.
hekhal · Hebrew Noun
Magnificent residences or palaces, which in prophetic judgment represent the pride and worldly power of a nation that will be reduced to ruin.
eth · Hebrew Noun
The ordained moment or season determined by God for judgment to occur, emphasizing that historical events are under His sovereign control.
Isaiah's prophecy vividly depicts Babylon's future desolation, not just as a political downfall but as an ecological and spiritual ruin. The imagery of wild animals and howling creatures highlights the stark contrast between the city's former glory and its eventual abandonment, serving as a powerful testament to divine judgment on arrogant empires.
745 BC
Assyrian Conquest of Babylon
Assyrian king Tiglath-Pileser III conquers Babylon, ending a period of Chaldean independence and beginning a new era of Assyrian dominance. This signifies a shift in regional power that would foreshadow future empires.
689 BC
Destruction of Babylon by Sennacherib
The Assyrian king Sennacherib, in a brutal campaign, destroys Babylon, razing it to the ground and diverting the Euphrates River through its ruins. This event serves as a stark example of imperial devastation and the city's vulnerability.
626 BC
Neo-Babylonian Empire Rises
Nabopolassar, a Chaldean leader, revolts against Assyria and establishes the Neo-Babylonian Empire, making Babylon its capital. This marks the beginning of Babylon's final, great imperial period.
605 BC
Nebuchadnezzar II Ascends Throne
Nebuchadnezzar II becomes king of Babylon, ushering in the empire's golden age. Under his rule, Babylon becomes a magnificent metropolis, famed for its architecture and power.
587-586 BC— this verse
Fall of Jerusalem and Babylonian Exile
Nebuchadnezzar II conquers Jerusalem, destroys the First Temple, and deports a significant portion of the Jewish population to Babylon. This event is a pivotal moment for ancient Israel and directly influences the context of Isaiah's prophecies concerning Babylon's eventual downfall.
539 BC
Fall of Babylon to Persia
Cyrus the Great of Persia conquers Babylon, ending the Neo-Babylonian Empire. This event fulfills prophecies of Babylon's destruction and marks the beginning of Persian rule.
This passage echoes Isaiah's imagery by describing the desolation of Babylon, stating it will become a dwelling place for wild animals and creatures, further emphasizing the complete ruin of the city.
Zephaniah 2:14This verse describes the judgment on Nineveh, depicting it as a desolate place where wild animals will lie down in its ruins, mirroring the fate of Babylon and highlighting the theme of cities becoming habitats for beasts after judgment.
Revelation 18:2This New Testament passage directly references Babylon's fall, describing it as a 'haunt of demons' and a place for every unclean spirit and bird, connecting the Old Testament imagery of wild animals to a spiritual desolation.
Psalm 107:33-34This psalm speaks of God turning rivers into a desert and the springs of water into a barren land, causing it to become a place where wild animals dwell, illustrating how divine action leads to the transformation of once-fertile areas into desolate habitats for creatures.
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 prophet uses vivid imagery of desert creatures to emphasize the utter desolation of Babylon, moving beyond mere human absence to highlight the complete reversal of its former glory, where even the wild and howling animals will reclaim the once magnificent palaces.
This passage follows the prophecies of Babylon's impending doom, detailing the destruction brought by the Medes and emphasizing the complete desolation that will follow. The prophet has just described how the city will be utterly overthrown, becoming like Sodom and Gomorrah, and will never again be inhabited by people.
This passage follows the prophecies of Babylon's impending doom, detailing the destruction brought by the Medes and emphasizing the complete desolation that will follow. The prophet has just described how the city will be utterly overthrown, becoming like Sodom and Gomorrah, and will never again be inhabited by people.
"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. Hyenas will cry in its towers, and jackals in the pleasant p…" — The prophet uses vivid imagery of desert creatures to emphasize the utter desolation of Babylon, moving beyond mere human absence to highlight the complete reversal of its former glory, where even th…
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Last reviewed October 2026
