Isaiah 34

8. recompenses for the controversy of Zion--that is, the year when God will retaliate on those who have contended with Zion. Her controversy is His. Edom had thought to extend its borders by laying hold of its neighbor's lands and has instigated Babylon to cruelty towards fallen Judah ( Psalms 137:7 , Ezekiel 36:5 ); therefore Edom shall suffer the same herself ( Lamentations 4:21 Lamentations 4:22 ). The final winding up of the controversy between God and all enemies of Him and His people is also foreshadowed ( Isaiah 61:2 , 63:4 , 66:14-16 , Malachi 4:1 Malachi 4:3 , 2 Thessalonians 1:7 2 Thessalonians 1:8 2 Thessalonians 1:9 , Revelation 11:18 , 18:20 , 19:2 ).

9. Images from the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah ( Genesis 19:24-28 ; so Deuteronomy 29:23 , Jeremiah 49:17 Jeremiah 49:18 ).

10. It--The burning pitch, &c. ( Isaiah 34:9 ).
smoke . . . for ever--( Revelation 14:11 , 18:18:19:3 ).
generation to generation--( Malachi 1:4 ).
none . . . pass through--Edom's original offense was: they would not let Israel pass through their land in peace to Canaan: God recompenses them in kind, no traveller shall pass through Edom. VOLNEY, the infidel, was forced to confirm the truth of this prophecy: "From the reports of the Arabs, southeast of the Dead Sea, within three days' journey are upwards of thirty ruined towns, absolutely deserted."

11. cormorant--The Hebrew is rendered, in Psalms 102:6 , "pelican," which is a seafowl, and cannot be meant here: some waterfowl (katta, according to BURCKHARDT) that tenants desert places is intended.
bittern--rather, "the hedgehog," or "porcupine" [GESENIUS] ( Isaiah 14:23 ).
owl--from its being enumerated among water birds in Leviticus 11:17 , Deuteronomy 14:16 . MAURER thinks rather the heron or crane is meant; from a Hebrew root, "to blow," as it utters a sound like the blowing of a horn ( Revelation 18:2 ).
confusion--devastation.
line . . . stones--metaphor from an architect with line and exact measure of justice without mercy ( 2:13 , 2 Kings 21:13 , Lamentations 2:8 , Amos 7:7 Amos 7:8 ).
emptiness--desolation. Edom is now a waste of "stones."

12. Rather, "As to her nobles, there shall be none there who shall declare a kingdom," that is, a king [MAURER]; Or else, "There shall be no one there whom they shall call to the kingdom" [ROSENMULLER] ( Isaiah 3:6 , &c.). Idumea was at first governed by dukes ( Genesis 36:15 ); out of them the king wan chosen when the constitution became a monarchy.

14. wild beasts of the desert . . . island--rather, "wild cats . . . jackals" ( Isaiah 13:21 ).
screech owl--rather, "the night specter"; in Jewish superstition a female, elegantly dressed, that carried off children by night. The text does not assert the existence of such objects of superstition, but describes the place as one which superstition would people with such beings.

15. great owl--rather, "the arrow snake," so called from its darting on its prey [GESENIUS].
lay--namely, eggs.
gather under her shadow--rather, "cherishes" her young under, &c. ( Jeremiah 17:11 ).

16. book of the Lord--the volume in which the various prophecies and other parts of Scripture began henceforward to be collected together ( Isaiah 30:8 , Daniel 9:2 ).
Seek--(so Isaiah 8:16 Isaiah 8:20 , John 5:39 , 7:52 ).
no one . . . fail--of these prophecies ( Matthew 5:18 ).
none shall want . . . mate--image from pairing of animals mentioned, Isaiah 34:15 ("mate"); no prediction shall want a fulfilment as its companion. Or rather, "none of these wild animals (just spoken of) shall be wanting: none shall be without its mate" to pair and breed with, in desolate Idumea.
my . . . his--Such changes of person are frequent in Hebrew poetry.
them--the wild beasts.

17. cast . . . lot--As conquerors apportion lands by lot, so Jehovah has appointed and marked out ("divided") Edom for the wild beasts ( Numbers 26:55 Numbers 26:56 , Joshua 18:4-6 ).