Isaiah 34:11
But the hawk and the porcupine shall possess it, the owl and the raven shall dwell in it. He shall stretch the line of confusion over it, and the plumb line of emptiness.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The surprising insight here is that the "line of confusion" and "plumb line of emptiness" aren't just poetic descriptions of ruin; they're specifically drawing on the tools of builders and destroyers. This means God is meticulously measuring out Edom's desolation, applying a precise, calculated demolition rather than a random act of destruction.
The prophet Isaiah is vividly describing the complete devastation and desolation that will fall upon Edom. This passage follows God's declaration of judgment against the nations, and here the focus narrows to the specific ruin of Edom, portraying it as a place so abandoned that only wild, solitary creatures like owls and ravens will inhabit its ruins. Isaiah uses imagery of builders' tools—the line and plummet—not for construction, but to signify that God will measure out Edom's complete destruction, reducing it to a state of primeval chaos and emptiness.
Imagine a once-thriving land, now utterly abandoned. Who moves in? Not people, but creatures of the night and the wild.
This verse paints a vivid picture of total desolation using specific, unsettling imagery.
Creatures of the Wasteland
The animals mentioned – the 'cormorant' (often understood as a pelican or water bird), the 'bittern' (possibly a porcupine or hedgehog), the owl, and the raven – were all considered unclean in the Old Testament law. They are creatures that thrive in wild, uninhabited, and often unpleasant places. Their presence signifies that the land is no longer fit for human habitation, becoming a domain for things that shun light and life.
A Mark of Divine Judgment
This isn't just a random ecological shift. The choice of these specific, 'unclean' creatures is intentional. It highlights the complete reversal of the land's status. Where God's people once lived, now dwell symbols of impurity and abandonment. This is God’s judgment declared through the very environment.
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What does it mean for God to stretch out a 'line of confusion' and 'plumb line of emptiness'?
The imagery of the builder's tools – the line and the plumb line – is powerfully repurposed here.
Tools of Judgment, Not Building
Ordinarily, builders use lines and plumb lines to ensure straight walls and well-constructed buildings. But here, these same tools are used for demolition. God stretches out these implements not to construct, but to mark out the extent of destruction and to ensure its completeness. It signifies a systematic, precise, and total ruin.
The Chaos of Emptiness
The 'line of confusion' and 'plumb line of emptiness' evoke the state of the earth before creation – formless and void (Genesis 1:2). This isn't just about destruction; it's about a reversal, a return to a state of primal chaos and emptiness. The land will be so utterly devastated that it will resemble the original, unformed state, devoid of life and order.
Understand the original words
tohu · Hebrew Noun
A Hebrew term often translated as 'tohu,' referring to a state of formlessness, wasteland, or utter chaos, frequently associated with the pre-creation state or divine judgment.
bohu · Hebrew Noun
A Hebrew term often paired with 'tohu,' referring to emptiness, nothingness, or a vacuum, used to describe the result of divine judgment on nations or the earth.
This prophecy against Edom is set against a backdrop of centuries of regional conflict and imperial dominance, culminating in Edom's own destruction and eventual assimilation. The vivid imagery of desolation and emptiness reflects the complete devastation of the land, turning it into a habitat for wild creatures and a symbol of God's judgment.
c. 840 BC
Mesha Stele records Moabite revolt
The Mesha Stele, a Moabite inscription, details their successful rebellion against Israelite rule around this time, indicating a period of regional instability and shifting power dynamics.
734-732 BC
Assyrian invasions of Israel and surrounding nations
The Neo-Assyrian Empire, under Tiglath-Pileser III, begins major campaigns into the Levant, subjugating or devastating various nations, including those bordering Edom, setting a precedent for imperial destruction.
c. 701 BC
Assyrian campaign under Sennacherib
Sennacherib of Assyria campaigns through the region, conquering many Judean cities and besieging Jerusalem. Edom, though not always directly mentioned, would have experienced the effects of this imperial power.
586 BC— this verse
Babylonian conquest of Jerusalem
Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon destroys Jerusalem and exiles much of the population. Edom is noted in historical accounts and later rabbinic tradition for its complicity in aiding the Babylonians against Judah.
c. 5th-4th century BC
Edomite expansion into Southern Judah
Following the Babylonian exile, as Judah's population dwindled, Edomites began to settle and exert influence in the southern territories of Judah, a process that likely caused friction and resentment.
c. 150 BC onwards
Hasmonean conquest and forced conversion of Edom
The Hasmonean kingdom, particularly under John Hyrcanus, conquered Edom and forcibly converted its people to Judaism, erasing its distinct identity and leading to the Idumeans becoming a significant part of the Jewish population.
This passage shares a similar prophetic vision of total desolation and ruin, where wild animals and birds of prey take over abandoned cities, mirroring the imagery used for Edom's destruction.
Jeremiah 4:23-26This prophetic lament vividly describes a land reduced to chaos and emptiness, using language akin to the 'line of confusion and plumb line of emptiness' to portray complete devastation and lack of life.
Lamentations 2:8This verse directly references the 'line' and 'plumb line' being used for destruction, illustrating how God's judgment systematically marks out cities for ruin, just as builders use these tools.
Genesis 1:2The phrases 'confusion' and 'emptiness' directly echo the description of the primeval earth before creation, implying that Edom's destruction will revert it to a state of unformed, void chaos.
2 Kings 21:13This passage provides a clear parallel where God stretches out 'the line of Samaria' and 'the plummet of the house of Ahab' over Jerusalem, showing how destructive measures are applied to cities as a form of divine judgment.
clarkeIsaiah 34:11: "But the cormorant and the bittern shall possess it; the owl also and the raven shall dwell in it: and he shall stretch out upon it the line of confusion, and the stones of emptiness."
The cormorant - קאת kaath, the pelican, from the root קיא ki, to vomit, because it is said she swallows shell-fish, and when the heat of her stomach has killed the fish, she vomits the shells, takes out the dead fish, and eats them. The bittern - קפד kippod, the hedge-hog, or porcupine. The owl -…
barnesIsaiah 34:11: "But the cormorant and the bittern shall possess it; the owl also and the raven shall dwell in it: and he shall stretch out upon it the line of confusion, and the stones of emptiness."
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 a…
The surprising insight here is that the "line of confusion" and "plumb line of emptiness" aren't just poetic descriptions of ruin; they're specifically drawing on the tools of builders and destroyers. This means God is meticulously measuring out Edom's desolation, applying a precise, calculated demolition rather than a random act of destruction.
The prophet Isaiah is vividly describing the complete devastation and desolation that will fall upon Edom. This passage follows God's declaration of judgment against the nations, and here the focus narrows to the specific ruin of Edom, portraying it as a place so abandoned that only wild, solitary creatures like owls and ravens will inhabit its ruins. Isaiah uses imagery of builders' tools—the line and plummet—not for construction, but to signify that God will measure out Edom's complete destruction, reducing it to a state of primeval chaos and emptiness.
The prophet Isaiah is vividly describing the complete devastation and desolation that will fall upon Edom. This passage follows God's declaration of judgment against the nations, and here the focus narrows to the specific ruin of Edom, portraying it as a place so abandoned that only wild, solitary creatures like owls and ravens will inhabit its ruins. Isaiah uses imagery of builders' tools—the line and plummet—not for construction, but to signify that God will measure out Edom's complete destruction, reducing it to a state of primeval chaos and emptiness.
"But the hawk and the porcupine shall possess it, the owl and the raven shall dwell in it. He shall stretch the line of confusion over it, and the plumb line of emptiness." — The surprising insight here is that the "line of confusion" and "plumb line of emptiness" aren't just poetic descriptions of ruin; they're specifically drawing on the tools of builders and destroyers…
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