Isaiah 34

King James Version

Full text for Isaiah Chapter 34

1¶ Come near, ye nations, to hear; and hearken, ye people: let the earth hear, and all that is therein; the world, and all things that come forth of it.

2For the indignation of the LORD [is] upon all nations, and [his] fury upon all their armies: he hath utterly destroyed them, he hath delivered them to the slaughter.

3Their slain also shall be cast out, and their stink shall come up out of their carcases, and the mountains shall be melted with their blood.

4And all the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll: and all their host shall fall down, as the leaf falleth off from the vine, and as a falling [fig] from the fig tree.

5For my sword shall be bathed in heaven: behold, it shall come down upon Idumea, and upon the people of my curse, to judgment.

6The sword of the LORD is filled with blood, it is made fat with fatness, [and] with the blood of lambs and goats, with the fat of the kidneys of rams: for the LORD hath a sacrifice in Bozrah, and a great slaughter in the land of Idumea.

7And the unicorns shall come down with them, and the bullocks with the bulls; and their land shall be soaked with blood, and their dust made fat with fatness.

8For [it is] the day of the LORD'S vengeance, [and] the year of recompences for the controversy of Zion.

9¶ And the streams thereof shall be turned into pitch, and the dust thereof into brimstone, and the land thereof shall become burning pitch.

10It shall not be quenched night nor day; the smoke thereof shall go up for ever: from generation to generation it shall lie waste; none shall pass through it for ever and ever.

11But 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.

12They shall call the nobles thereof to the kingdom, but none [shall be] there, and all her princes shall be nothing.

13And thorns shall come up in her palaces, nettles and brambles in the fortresses thereof: and it shall be an habitation of dragons, [and] a court for owls.

14The wild beasts of the desert shall also meet with the wild beasts of the island, and the satyr shall cry to his fellow; the screech owl also shall rest there, and find for herself a place of rest.

15There shall the great owl make her nest, and lay, and hatch, and gather under her shadow: there shall the vultures also be gathered, every one with her mate.

16Seek ye out of the book of the LORD, and read: no one of these shall fail, none shall want her mate: for my mouth it hath commanded, and his spirit it hath gathered them.

17And he hath cast the lot for them, and his hand hath divided it unto them by line: they shall possess it for ever, from generation to generation shall they dwell therein.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Isaiah 34 proclaims a universal judgment from the Lord upon all nations, marked by immense slaughter and cosmic dissolution. Specifically, the Lord's vengeance is directed against Idumea, whose land will be utterly devastated and transformed into burning pitch. This desolation will be eternal, becoming a perpetual habitation for wild beasts and birds of prey. The prophecy emphasizes the unwavering certainty of God's decree.

Medium Summary

The prophet Isaiah calls all nations and the entire earth to witness the Lord's fierce indignation and fury. A great slaughter is foretold, where armies are destroyed, and their slain bodies cause mountains to melt with blood. The very heavens will be dissolved, and celestial bodies will fall. The divine judgment is particularly focused on Idumea, described as a "sacrifice" and "great slaughter" in Bozrah, fulfilling the Lord's vengeance for Zion. Idumea's land will be turned into unquenchable burning pitch and brimstone, remaining waste forever. It will become a desolate habitation for various wild creatures, signifying its complete and irreversible ruin. This prophecy is declared with absolute certainty, commanded by the Lord's mouth and spirit.

Long Summary

Isaiah 34 opens with a solemn call for all nations and the entire world to draw near and hear the Lord's pronouncement of judgment. The chapter declares the Lord's indignation and fury upon all nations and their armies, leading to their utter destruction and a vast slaughter, with their carcasses polluting the land and mountains melting with blood. This judgment extends to the cosmos, as the host of heaven will be dissolved, and the heavens rolled together like a scroll, with stars falling like leaves. The divine "sword," bathed in heaven, is specifically directed towards Idumea, identified as the "people of my curse," destined for judgment. The Lord is depicted as having a great "sacrifice" and "slaughter" in Bozrah, where the land of Idumea will be soaked with the blood and fatness of both animals and men, signifying the "day of the LORD'S vengeance" and recompense for Zion. Following this destruction, Idumea's streams will turn to pitch, its dust to brimstone, and the land will become an unquenchable, perpetually burning waste. It is prophesied that none shall pass through it forever, and it will be possessed by creatures of desolation such as the cormorant, bittern, owl, and raven. The "line of confusion" and "stones of emptiness" will be stretched over it, symbolizing complete chaos and void. Its nobles will vanish, and its palaces will be overrun by thorns, nettles, and brambles, becoming a dwelling for dragons, satyrs, and various owls and vultures. The chapter concludes with an exhortation to consult "the book of the LORD" to confirm the certainty of these prophecies, emphasizing that none of these divinely commanded events will fail. The Lord's hand has cast lots and divided the desolate land among these creatures, ensuring their perpetual habitation from generation to generation.

Core Concepts

  • Universal JudgmentThe Lord's indignation and fury are declared upon all nations and their armies, leading to widespread destruction and slaughter across the earth.
  • Divine VengeanceThe chapter explicitly states that the judgment on Idumea is "the day of the LORD'S vengeance" and "the year of recompences for the controversy of Zion."
  • Desolation of IdumeaIdumea (Edom) is singled out as the primary target of the Lord's wrath, facing a "great slaughter" and a transformation into burning pitch and brimstone.
  • Cosmic UpheavalThe judgment is so severe that it involves the dissolution of the host of heaven and the heavens being rolled together like a scroll, with celestial bodies falling.
  • Perpetual RuinThe land of Idumea is prophesied to become an unquenchable, eternally waste place, uninhabitable by humans and destined to remain desolate for all generations.
  • Inhabitation by Wild BeastsThe ruined land will be taken over by various wild animals and birds of prey, such as cormorants, owls, ravens, and satyrs, who will possess it forever.
  • Prophetic CertaintyThe chapter concludes by urging readers to consult "the book of the LORD," affirming that these prophecies are divinely commanded and will unfailingly come to pass.