Lexical Summary liyliyth: Night creature, night monster, screech owl Original Word: לִיִלית Strong's Exhaustive Concordance screech owl From layil; a night spectre -- screech owl. see HEBREW layil Brown-Driver-Briggs לִילִית noun feminine Lilith (Milton Che night-hag), name of a female night-demon haunting desolate Edom; probably borrowed from Babylonian, Isaiah 34:14 (Late Hebrew id.; Assyrian lilîtu, DlHWB 377; Syriac  PS1951; on the development of legends of Lilith in later Judaism, see BuxLex. Talmud., under the word Cheon the passage GrünbaumZMG xxxi.1877, 250 f. — Connexion with לילה perhaps only apparent, a popular etymology). לִין see לון. Topical Lexicon Scriptural Occurrence Isaiah 34:14 is the sole biblical passage in which לִיִלית appears: “The desert creatures will meet with hyenas, and one wild goat will call to another; indeed, the night creature will settle there and find her place of rest” (Berean Standard Bible). The term is rendered “night creature,” “night monster,” or transliterated “Lilith,” depending on the translation. Context within Isaiah 34 The verse lies in a judgement oracle against Edom that expands into a panorama of the final day of the Lord. The prophet describes a land laid waste—its rulers fallen, its soil drenched with blood, and its cities reduced to burning pitch (Isaiah 34:2–10). Into that desolation come a catalogue of untamed animals and ominous beings. לִיִלית is listed alongside desert beasts, jackals, owls, and serpents to underscore total abandonment. The presence of nocturnal and predatory life dramatizes how completely human society has vanished; only “the night creature” feels at home. Thus לִיִלית serves the passage by heightening a picture of irreversible, God-ordained ruin. Historical Background and Ancient Near Eastern Parallels Outside Scripture, cognate languages employ similar sound patterns for female night-demons reputed to endanger infants or violate moral order. Isaiah’s audience would recognize the popular folklore yet perceive the prophet’s higher intent: even the most feared nighttime presence will inhabit Edom’s corpse of a kingdom. Isaiah does not endorse myth; he subordinates every terror, real or imagined, to the sovereignty of the Holy One of Israel. What pagan culture dreads becomes an instrument illustrating divine justice. Theological Themes and Symbolism 1. Divine Reversal: Lands once proud (Genesis 36:15–43) become dens for unchecked creatures. Human pride collapses into uninhabitable night. Practical and Ministry Implications • Warning against Presumption: Edom’s fate reminds believers that persistent hostility toward God leads to desolation where even sinister forces are at ease (Obadiah 10–15). Christological and Eschatological Considerations Isaiah 34 precedes Isaiah 35, where the desert blossoms and the ransomed return. The terrifying night creature of judgement contrasts sharply with the redeemed highway of holiness (Isaiah 35:8-10). The movement from darkness to light anticipates Jesus Christ, who said, “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12). Final fulfilment arrives in the new creation where “night will be no more” (Revelation 22:5), rendering לִיִלית permanently homeless. Key Questions for Study and Reflection • How does Isaiah’s use of fearful folklore serve rather than subvert biblical theology? לִיִלית stands as a single-verse witness to the completeness of divine judgement and the unchallenged reach of God’s rule—even over the darkest powers imagined by man. Forms and Transliterations לִּילִ֔ית לילית lî·lîṯ liLit lîlîṯLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Isaiah 34:14 HEB: שָׁם֙ הִרְגִּ֣יעָה לִּילִ֔ית וּמָצְאָ֥ה לָ֖הּ NAS: Yes, the night monster will settle KJV: to his fellow; the screech owl also shall rest INT: there will settle the night and will find A resting |
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