Yeshayah 34:13

13 And sirim (thorns) shall come up in her citadels, nettles and brambles in the strongholds thereof; and it shall become the habitation of jackals, and the abode for banot ya’anah (ostriches).

Yeshayah 34:13 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 34:13

And thorns shall come up in her palaces
Where their kings and princes dwelt, and kept their courts, popes and cardinals; here will be the tokens of God's curse, as thorns are, these being the people of his curse, as in ( Isaiah 34:5 ) : nettles and brambles in the fortresses thereof;
alluding to "Bozrah" which signifies a fortress; referring to the towers and fortifications of the city of Rome, and all other fortified cities within its jurisdiction: and it shall be a habitation of dragons;
literally, as it figuratively had been the seat of the old dragon, the devil, and of the beast to whom the dragon gave his power, seat, and authority; and who, though he looked like a lamb, spoke like a dragon, ( Revelation 12:3 ) ( Revelation 13:2 Revelation 13:11 ) : [and] a court for owls;
or, "daughters of the owl"; or "ostriches", as some render it.

Yeshayah 34:13 In-Context

11 But the desert owl and the screech owl shall possess it; even the yanshuf (great owl) and the orev (raven) shall dwell in it; and He shall stretch out upon it the measuring line of tohu, and the plumbline of vohu [See Genesis 1:2].
12 For the nobles thereof there shall be nothing to call a maluchah (kingdom) and all her sarim shall come to naught.
13 And sirim (thorns) shall come up in her citadels, nettles and brambles in the strongholds thereof; and it shall become the habitation of jackals, and the abode for banot ya’anah (ostriches).
14 The tziyyim (martens) shall also encounter iyyim (wild cats), and a sa’ir (wild goat) calls to its companion, and lilit (night creature) dwells there and finds for itself a mano’ach (place of rest).
15 There shall the kipoz (bittern) nest, and lay eggs, and hatch and care for young under her tzel; there shall the dayyot (kites, vultures) also be gathered, every one with its mate.
The Orthodox Jewish Bible fourth edition, OJB. Copyright 2002,2003,2008,2010, 2011 by Artists for Israel International. All rights reserved.