Jeremiah 50:39-40
“Therefore wild beasts shall dwell with hyenas in Babylon, and ostriches shall dwell in her. She shall never again have people, nor be inhabited for all generations. As when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighboring cities, declares the LORD, so no man shall dwell there, and no son of man shall sojourn in her.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The ESV's "wild beasts" and "ostriches" are good translations, but the original Hebrew paints a picture of noisy, howling creatures like wild cats and jackals, emphasizing the utter desolation and the complete absence of human voices in once-bustling Babylon. This choice of animals underscores that the city's ruin wouldn't just be empty, but filled with the sounds of the wild, a stark contrast to its former glory.
Jeremiah has just described the impending downfall and utter destruction of Babylon, God's instrument of judgment against His people but also a symbol of oppressive power. This passage vividly paints the picture of a once-great city reduced to desolate ruins, uninhabitable for humans and instead claimed by wild creatures like jackals and ostriches, symbolizing its complete and permanent abandonment.
Imagine the grandest city you can think of. Now, imagine it completely empty, with only wild animals calling it home. Jeremiah paints a stark picture of Babylon's end.
Jeremiah 50:39 declares that Babylon, once a bustling center of power and culture, will become a desolate wasteland. The verse names specific wild animals – hyenas (or jackals) and ostriches – that will inhabit its ruins.
This isn't just a poetic flourish; it's a prophetic declaration of utter destruction and abandonment. The imagery of wild beasts taking over signifies a complete reversal: what was once a place of human dominion will become a refuge for creatures of the wild, a symbol of its complete desolation.
Why would God decree such a complete end for a city? Jeremiah's words point to a deeper truth about human power and arrogance.
The prophecy against Babylon isn't just about a historical event; it serves as a timeless warning against the dangers of pride and defiance against God. Babylon, in the biblical narrative, often represents human systems and empires that exalt themselves above God.
Its eventual desolation, as described here, is the ultimate consequence of such arrogance. The verse emphasizes that this judgment is permanent: 'She shall never again have people, nor be inhabited for all generations.' This speaks to the futility of building kingdoms and legacies that do not honor God. True, lasting security and habitation are found in Him, not in human might.
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Understand the original words
YHWH · Hebrew Proper Noun
The covenant name of God, indicating His self-existence, eternal nature, and His faithfulness to His people as the Redeemer and Judge of history.
Sedom ve'Amorah · Hebrew Proper Noun
The cities destroyed by God due to their extreme wickedness and moral corruption; they stand as the biblical archetype of total and irreversible divine judgment.
gur · Hebrew Verb
To reside temporarily in a place not one's own. It emphasizes the transient nature of human occupation, especially under the decree of God.
Jeremiah's prophecy describes Babylon's utter desolation and abandonment, a fate that wasn't immediate but unfolded gradually over centuries as the city lost its political importance, population, and defenses, eventually becoming a haunt for wild creatures.
c. 550 BC
Cyrus the Great conquers Babylon
Cyrus the Great of Persia conquers Babylon, ending the Neo-Babylonian Empire and making Babylon a tributary city. This marked the beginning of Babylon's decline as a major world power.
c. 520 BC
Darius I demolishes Babylon's walls
After a rebellion against Persian rule, Darius I orders the destruction of Babylon's defensive walls, significantly weakening the city and making it more vulnerable.
c. 300 BC— this verse
Seleucus I founds Seleucia
Seleucus I Nicator, one of Alexander the Great's successors, founds a new capital city, Seleucia on the Tigris, and relocates much of Babylon's population and wealth to it.
c. AD 120
Hadrian notes Babylon's ruins
The Roman Emperor Hadrian visits the site of Babylon and observes that only the ancient walls remain, with the city itself long abandoned and uninhabited.
c. AD 375
Jerome describes Babylon as a hunting park
Jerome, a church father, notes that Babylon has become a hunting park for the Persian kings, a desolate place inhabited only by wild animals, fulfilling the prophecy.
This passage provides a similar vivid description of the desolation of Babylon, detailing the kinds of wild animals that will inhabit its ruins, directly echoing Jeremiah's prophecy.
Isaiah 34:11-15This passage describes the complete ruin of Edom, also mentioning the habitation of wild animals and birds in its desolate palaces, reinforcing the theme of utter destruction and abandonment.
Revelation 18:2This New Testament passage uses identical imagery to describe the fall of mystical Babylon, stating it will become a 'haunt of demons, a haunt of every foul spirit, and a haunt of every unclean and hateful bird,' drawing a spiritual parallel to the physical desolation prophesied for ancient Babylon.
Jeremiah 51:43In the same prophecy against Babylon, Jeremiah explicitly states that its waters will be dried up and it will become a habitation for wild animals and a place of wonder, reinforcing the specific fate described in chapter 50.
pulpitJeremiah 50:39: "Therefore the wild beasts of the desert with the wild beasts of the islands shall dwell there, and the owls shall dwell therein: and it shall be no more inhabited for ever; neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation."
Verse 39. - Parallel passages: Isaiah 34:14; Isaiah 13:20-22. The wild beasts of the desert; rather, wild cats (so Bochart, 'Hierozoicon,' p. 862). Wild beasts of the islands; rather, jackals. Owls; rather, ostriches.
barnesJeremiah 50:39: "Therefore the wild beasts of the desert with the wild beasts of the islands shall dwell there, and the owls shall dwell therein: and it shall be no more inhabited for ever; neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation."
Wild beasts of the islands - Jackals. Owls - Ostriches (marginal reference note).
The ESV's "wild beasts" and "ostriches" are good translations, but the original Hebrew paints a picture of noisy, howling creatures like wild cats and jackals, emphasizing the utter desolation and the complete absence of human voices in once-bustling Babylon. This choice of animals underscores that the city's ruin wouldn't just be empty, but filled with the sounds of the wild, a stark contrast to its former glory.
Jeremiah has just described the impending downfall and utter destruction of Babylon, God's instrument of judgment against His people but also a symbol of oppressive power. This passage vividly paints the picture of a once-great city reduced to desolate ruins, uninhabitable for humans and instead claimed by wild creatures like jackals and ostriches, symbolizing its complete and permanent abandonment.
Jeremiah has just described the impending downfall and utter destruction of Babylon, God's instrument of judgment against His people but also a symbol of oppressive power. This passage vividly paints the picture of a once-great city reduced to desolate ruins, uninhabitable for humans and instead claimed by wild creatures like jackals and ostriches, symbolizing its complete and permanent abandonment.
"“Therefore wild beasts shall dwell with hyenas in Babylon, and ostriches shall dwell in her. She shall never again have people, nor be inhabited for all generations. As when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighboring cities, de…" — The ESV's "wild beasts" and "ostriches" are good translations, but the original Hebrew paints a picture of noisy, howling creatures like wild cats and jackals, emphasizing the utter desolation and th…
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