Bible Commentaries
Isaiah 34

Verse 1

people = peoples.

world = the inhabited world. Hebrew. tebel.

all things, &c. = and all that is therein.

Verse 2

the LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah. App-4 .

utterly destroyed = devoted to destruction, or, placed under a Divine ban.

Verse 3

mountains shall be melted with their blood. Figure of speech Hyperbole . So Isaiah 34:4 and Isaiah 34:5 .

Verse 5

of My curse: i.e. I have devoted.

Verse 7

unicorns: or, rhinocerots. Hebrew. re'emin.

soaked = drunken. Figure of speech Hyperbole.

Verse 8

of = for.

Verse 11

confusion. See note on Isaiah 24:10 .

confusion . . . emptiness. Hebrew. tohu . . . bohu. Reference to Pentateuch (Genesis 1:2 ), "without form and void" = waste and desolate. Only there, here, and Jeremiah 4:23 beside. App-92 .

Verse 13

come up in = climb.

Verse 14

screech owl. Hebrew. Lilith. Used to-day of any being of the night, as the English "bogy" is used. Charms are used against it to-day in Palestine.

a place, &c. = a roost.

Verse 16

Seek = Search.

the book of the LORD. This proves there was a book in existence, which could be searched. See App-47 .

fail = be missing. Hebrew. 'adar. Not the same word as in Isaiah 19:5 (see note there). Occurs here in "former" portion, and Isaiah 40:26 in "latter"portion. See App-79 . Isaiah 35:0 is the sequel to this long series of Burdens (Isaiah 13:1 Isaiah 35:10 ) and Woes; it sets forth the future return of Israel.