9 Its streams will be turned into pitch , And its loose earth into brimstone , And its land will become burning pitch . 10 It will not be quenched night or day ; Its smoke will go up forever . From generation to generation it will be desolate ; None will pass through it forever and ever . 11 But pelican and hedgehog will possess it, And owl and raven will dwell in it; And He will stretch over it the line of desolation And the plumb line of emptiness . 12 Its nobles -there is no one there Whom they may proclaim king - And all its princes will be nothing . 13 Thorns will come up in its fortified towers , Nettles and thistles in its fortified cities ; It will also be a haunt of jackals And an abode of ostriches . 14 The desert creatures will meet with the wolves , The hairy goat also will cry to its kind ; Yes , the night monster will settle there And will find herself a resting place . 15 The tree snake will make its nest and lay eggs there , And it will hatch and gather them under its protection . Yes , the hawks will be gathered there , Every one with its kind . 16 Seek from the book of the Lord , and read : Not one of these will be missing ; None e will lack its mate . For His mouth has commanded , And His Spirit has gathered them. 17 He has cast the lot for them, And His hand has divided it to them by line . They shall possess it forever e ; From generation to generation they will dwell in it.

Matthew Henry's Commentary on Isaiah 34:9-17

Commentary on Isaiah 34:9-17

(Read Isaiah 34:9-17)

Those who aim to ruin the church, can never do that, but will ruin themselves. What dismal changes sin can make! It turns a fruitful land into barrenness, a crowded city into a wilderness. Let us compare all we discover in the book of the Lord, with the dealings of providence around us, that we may be more diligent in seeking the kingdom of God and his righteousness. What the mouth of the Lord has commanded, his Spirit will perform. And let us observe how the evidences of the truth continually increase, as one prophecy after another is fulfilled, until these awful scenes bring in more happy days. As Israel was a figure of the Christian church, so the Edomites, their bitter enemies, represent the enemies of the kingdom of Christ. God's Jerusalem may be laid in ruins for a time, but the enemies of the church shall be desolate for ever.