Isaiah 13:21
New International Version
But desert creatures will lie there, jackals will fill her houses; there the owls will dwell, and there the wild goats will leap about.

New Living Translation
Desert animals will move into the ruined city, and the houses will be haunted by howling creatures. Owls will live among the ruins, and wild goats will go there to dance.

English Standard Version
But wild animals will lie down there, and their houses will be full of howling creatures; there ostriches will dwell, and there wild goats will dance.

Berean Standard Bible
But desert creatures will lie down there, and howling creatures will fill her houses. Ostriches will dwell there, and wild goats will leap about.

King James Bible
But wild beasts of the desert shall lie there; and their houses shall be full of doleful creatures; and owls shall dwell there, and satyrs shall dance there.

New King James Version
But wild beasts of the desert will lie there, And their houses will be full of owls; Ostriches will dwell there, And wild goats will caper there.

New American Standard Bible
But desert creatures will lie down there, And their houses will be full of owls; Ostriches also will live there, and shaggy goats will frolic there.

NASB 1995
But desert creatures will lie down there, And their houses will be full of owls; Ostriches also will live there, and shaggy goats will frolic there.

NASB 1977
But desert creatures will lie down there, And their houses will be full of owls, Ostriches also will live there, and shaggy goats will frolic there.

Legacy Standard Bible
But desert creatures will lie down there, And their houses will be full of owls; Ostriches also will dwell there, and shaggy goats will leap there.

Amplified Bible
But desert creatures will lie down there, And their houses will be full of owls; Ostriches also will live there, and wild goats will dance there.

Christian Standard Bible
But desert creatures will lie down there, and owls will fill the houses. Ostriches will dwell there, and wild goats will leap about.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
But desert creatures will lie down there, and owls will fill the houses. Ostriches will dwell there, and wild goats will leap about.

American Standard Version
But wild beasts of the desert shall lie there; and their houses shall be full of doleful creatures; and ostriches shall dwell there, and wild goats shall dance there.

Contemporary English Version
Only desert creatures, hoot owls, and ostriches will live in its ruins, and goats will leap about.

English Revised Version
But wild beasts of the desert shall lie there; and their houses shall be full of doleful creatures; and ostriches shall dwell there, and satyrs shall dance there.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Desert animals will lie down there. Their homes will be full of owls. Ostriches will live there, and wild goats will skip about.

Good News Translation
It will be a place where desert animals live and where owls build their nests. Ostriches will live there, and wild goats will prance through the ruins.

International Standard Version
But desert beasts will lie down there, and their houses will be full of howling creatures; there owls will dwell, and goat-demons will dance there.

Majority Standard Bible
But desert creatures will lie down there, and howling creatures will fill her houses. Ostriches will dwell there, and wild goats will leap about.

NET Bible
Wild animals will rest there, the ruined houses will be full of hyenas. Ostriches will live there, wild goats will skip among the ruins.

New Heart English Bible
But wild animals of the desert will lie there, and their houses will be full of jackals. Ostriches will dwell there, and wild goats will frolic there.

Webster's Bible Translation
But wild beasts of the desert shall lie there; and their houses shall be full of doleful creatures; and owls shall dwell there, and satyrs shall dance there.

World English Bible
But wild animals of the desert will lie there, and their houses will be full of jackals. Ostriches will dwell there, and wild goats will frolic there.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And desert-dwellers have lain down there, "" And their houses have been full of howlers, "" And daughters of an ostrich have dwelt there, "" And goats skip there.

Young's Literal Translation
And Ziim have lain down there, And full have been their houses of howlings, And dwelt there have daughters of an ostrich, And goats do skip there.

Smith's Literal Translation
And inhabitants of the desert reclined there, and their houses were filled with howlings, and the daughters of the ostrich dwelt there, and he goats shall leap there.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
But wild beasts shall rest there, and their houses shall be filled with serpents, and ostriches shall dwell there, and the hairy ones shall dance there:

Catholic Public Domain Version
Instead, the wild beasts will rest there, and their houses will be filled with serpents, and ostriches will live there, and the hairy ones will leap about there.

New American Bible
But desert demons shall rest there and owls shall fill the houses; There ostriches shall dwell, and satyrs shall dance.

New Revised Standard Version
But wild animals will lie down there, and its houses will be full of howling creatures; there ostriches will live, and there goat-demons will dance.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
But wild beasts shall lie there; and their houses shall be full of doleful creatures; and ostriches shall dwell there, and satyrs shall dance there.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
But animals shall lie down there, and their houses shall be filled with echoes, and the daughters of ostriches shall dwell there, and evil spirits shall dance there
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
But wild-cats shall lie there; And their houses shall be full of ferrets; And ostriches shall dwell there, And satyrs shall dance there.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
But wild beasts shall rest there; and the houses shall be filled with howling; and monsters shall rest there, and devils shall dance there,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
An Oracle Concerning Babylon
20She will never be inhabited or settled from generation to generation; no nomad will pitch his tent there, no shepherd will rest his flock there. 21But desert creatures will lie down there, and howling creatures will fill her houses. Ostriches will dwell there, and wild goats will leap about. 22Hyenas will howl in her fortresses and jackals in her luxurious palaces. Babylon’s time is at hand, and her days will not be prolonged.…

Cross References
Revelation 18:2
And he cried out in a mighty voice: “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a lair for demons and a haunt for every unclean spirit, every unclean bird, and every detestable beast.

Jeremiah 50:39
So the desert creatures and hyenas will live there and ostriches will dwell there. It will never again be inhabited or lived in from generation to generation.

Jeremiah 51:37
Babylon will become a heap of rubble, a haunt for jackals, an object of horror and scorn, without inhabitant.

Zephaniah 2:14
Herds will lie down in her midst, creatures of every kind. Both the desert owl and screech owl will roost atop her pillars. Their calls will sound from the window, but desolation will lie on the threshold, for He will expose the beams of cedar.

Revelation 18:21-22
Then a mighty angel picked up a stone the size of a great millstone and cast it into the sea, saying: “With such violence the great city of Babylon will be cast down, never to be seen again. / And the sound of harpists and musicians, of flute players and trumpeters, will never ring out in you again. Nor will any craftsmen of any trade be found in you again, nor the sound of a millstone be heard in you again.

Isaiah 34:11-15
The desert owl and screech owl will possess it, and the great owl and raven will dwell in it. The LORD will stretch out over Edom a measuring line of chaos and a plumb line of destruction. / No nobles will be left to proclaim a king, and all her princes will come to nothing. / Her towers will be overgrown with thorns, her fortresses with thistles and briers. She will become a haunt for jackals, an abode for ostriches. ...

Malachi 1:3
but Esau I have hated, and I have made his mountains a wasteland and left his inheritance to the desert jackals.”

Revelation 19:17-18
Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out in a loud voice to all the birds flying overhead, “Come, gather together for the great supper of God, / so that you may eat the flesh of kings and commanders and mighty men, of horses and riders, of everyone slave and free, small and great.”

Jeremiah 9:11
“And I will make Jerusalem a heap of rubble, a haunt for jackals; and I will make the cities of Judah a desolation, without inhabitant.”

Jeremiah 10:22
Listen! The sound of a report is coming—a great commotion from the land to the north. It will make the cities of Judah a desolation, a haunt for jackals.

Revelation 14:8
Then a second angel followed, saying, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, who has made all the nations drink the wine of the passion of her immorality.”

Revelation 16:19
The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations collapsed. And God remembered Babylon the great and gave her the cup of the wine of the fury of His wrath.

Revelation 17:5
And on her forehead a mysterious name was written: BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.

Revelation 17:16
And the ten horns and the beast that you saw will hate the prostitute. They will leave her desolate and naked, and they will eat her flesh and burn her with fire.

Revelation 18:10
In fear of her torment, they will stand at a distance and cry out: “Woe, woe to the great city, the mighty city of Babylon! For in a single hour your judgment has come.”


Treasury of Scripture

But wild beasts of the desert shall lie there; and their houses shall be full of doleful creatures; and owls shall dwell there, and satyrs shall dance there.

but

Isaiah 34:11-15
But the cormorant and the bittern shall possess it; the owl also and the raven shall dwell in it: and he shall stretch out upon it the line of confusion, and the stones of emptiness…

Revelation 18:2
And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.

wild beasts.

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Animals Beasts Creatures Crying Dance Dancing Daughters Desert Doleful Dwell Dwelt Evil Fill Frolic Full Goats Holes Houses Howling Howlings Jackals Lie Ostrich Ostriches Owls Satyrs Shaggy Spirits Waste Wild Wild-Cats Ziim
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Animals Beasts Creatures Crying Dance Dancing Daughters Desert Doleful Dwell Dwelt Evil Fill Frolic Full Goats Holes Houses Howling Howlings Jackals Lie Ostrich Ostriches Owls Satyrs Shaggy Spirits Waste Wild Wild-Cats Ziim
Isaiah 13
1. God musters the armies of his wrath
6. He threatens to destroy Babylon by the Medes
19. The desolation of Babylon














But desert creatures will lie there
The phrase "desert creatures" in Hebrew is "tziyyim," which refers to wild animals that inhabit desolate places. This imagery evokes a sense of desolation and abandonment, highlighting the complete destruction and desolation of Babylon as prophesied by Isaiah. In a broader spiritual context, it serves as a reminder of the consequences of turning away from God, leading to spiritual barrenness and isolation.

their houses will be full of owls
The "owls" mentioned here are often associated with desolation and ruin in biblical literature. The Hebrew word "yênšûp" can refer to various types of unclean birds, symbolizing the uninhabitable state of what was once a thriving city. This serves as a powerful metaphor for the emptiness that follows when a society or individual turns away from divine principles, leaving behind only remnants of what once was.

ostriches will dwell there
"Ostriches" in this context are creatures known for inhabiting desolate and barren landscapes. The Hebrew word "bat ya'anah" suggests a creature that thrives in isolation, further emphasizing the theme of desolation. Spiritually, this can be seen as a warning against pride and self-reliance, which can lead to spiritual desolation and separation from God.

and wild goats will leap about
The "wild goats" or "sâ'îr" in Hebrew, often associated with desolate places, are depicted as leaping about, suggesting a sense of freedom in the absence of human habitation. This imagery underscores the complete reversal of Babylon's fortunes—from a bustling city to a wilderness inhabited by wild animals. It serves as a cautionary tale of the fleeting nature of earthly power and the enduring sovereignty of God, who alone determines the rise and fall of nations.

(21) Wild beasts of the desert . . .--The Hebrew term, which in Psalm 72:9, and perhaps in Isaiah 23:13, is used of men, has been rendered by "wild cats," but is probably generic, the fer? natur? that haunt such desolate regions. The "doleful creatures" (literally groaners) are probably "horned owls;" while the word rendered "owls (literally, daughters of screaming) may be taken as ostriches (Job 39:13-18). In the "satyrs" (literally, hairy or shaggy ones) we may find either "goats (as in Leviticus 4:24; Leviticus 16:9), or, as the English version suggests, a mythical form of grotesque animal life (the "demons" or "devils" of Leviticus 17:7; 2Chronicles 11:15, a goat-shaped form, like that of the Greek Pan), or more probably (with Tristram), the species of baboon (Macacus Arabicus) still found in Babylonia. . . . Verse 21. - Wild beasts of the desert shall lie there. It is not quite clear what particular wild beasts are intended. Those actually noted on the site of Babylon are lions, jackals, and porcupines. These sometimes make their lairs in the ruins (Rich, 'First Memoir,' p. 69; Ker Porter, 'Travels,' vol. 2. p. 342). Doleful creatures; in the original, okhim. What animal is meant we cannot say, as the word occurs only in this passage. Mr. Cheyne translates it by "hyenas." Owls shall dwell there; literally, daughters of the owl (as in Leviticus 11:16; Deuteronomy 14:15; Job 30:29; Jeremiah 50:39; Micah 1:8; and infra, Isaiah 34:13; Isaiah 43:20). Mr. Rich says, "In most of the cavities of the Babil Mound there are numbers of owls and bats." Sir A. Layard," A large grey owl is found in great numbers, frequently in flocks of nearly a hundred, in the low shrubs among the ruins of Babylon" ('Nin. and Bab.,' p. 484, note). Satyrs shall dance there. The word translated "satyr" is, etymologically, "hairy one," and ordinarily means "a goat." Some have supposed "wild goats" to be here intended, but they are not found in Babylonia. The translation "satyr" is defended by many, who think Isaiah might draw upon current beliefs for some features of his description. Dr. Kay gives "baboons," since the Moko - a kind of baboon - is known in Babylonia.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
But desert creatures
צִיִּ֔ים (ṣî·yîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 6728: Wild beast of the desert, that dwell in inhabiting the wilderness

will lie down
וְרָבְצוּ־ (wə·rā·ḇə·ṣū-)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 7257: To crouch, be implication, to recline, repose, brood, lurk, imbed

there,
שָׁ֣ם (šām)
Adverb
Strong's 8033: There, then, thither

and howling creatures
אֹחִ֑ים (’ō·ḥîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 255: A howler, lonesome wild animal

will fill
וּמָלְא֥וּ (ū·mā·lə·’ū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 4390: To fill, be full of

her houses.
בָתֵּיהֶ֖ם (ḇāt·tê·hem)
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 1004: A house

The owls
בְּנ֣וֹת (bə·nō·wṯ)
Noun - feminine plural construct
Strong's 1323: A daughter

will dwell
וְשָׁ֤כְנוּ (wə·šā·ḵə·nū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 7931: To settle down, abide, dwell

there,
שָׁם֙ (šām)
Adverb
Strong's 8033: There, then, thither

and wild goats
וּשְׂעִירִ֖ים (ū·śə·‘î·rîm)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 8163: Shaggy, a he-goat, a faun

will leap about.
יְרַקְּדוּ־ (yə·raq·qə·ḏū-)
Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 7540: To stamp, to spring about


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OT Prophets: Isaiah 13:21 But wild animals of the desert will (Isa Isi Is)
Isaiah 13:20
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