And 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.

ISAIAH 34:13KJV
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Isaiah 34:13 (KJV)

What does Isaiah 34:13 mean?

Isaiah 34:13 describes how once-grand places—palaces and fortresses—will be overtaken by wild plants like thorns, nettles, and brambles, and become homes for wild creatures such as "dragons" and "owls." The verse paints a picture of total desolation, where human civilization has vanished and nature has reclaimed the land.

The prophet Isaiah is speaking to the people of Edom, warning them of coming judgment. In this context, the verse uses vivid imagery to show the complete ruin that will follow God’s judgment: places of power and security will be abandoned, and only wild plants and animals will remain. This is part of a larger passage describing the fate of nations that oppose God.

The Hebrew behind Isaiah 34:13

  • "Thorns" (סִירִים, sirim): This word refers to thorny plants that often grow in neglected or abandoned places, highlighting the idea of ruin and neglect.
  • "Dragons" (תַּנִּין, tannin): Often understood as a kind of wild, possibly reptilian creature—sometimes translated as "jackals" or "serpents." The word suggests a place so deserted that only wild, dangerous animals live there.
  • "Owls" (בַּת יַעֲנָה, bat ya'anah): Literally "daughter of the owl" or "ostrich," this phrase points to nocturnal or desert-dwelling birds, reinforcing the sense of loneliness and abandonment.

Why Isaiah 34:13 matters

  • Isaiah 34:13 clarifies that the judgment is not just about military defeat but about a deep, lasting desolation where human life cannot thrive.
  • The verse emphasizes the reversal of fortune: places once associated with power and safety become symbols of abandonment and wildness.
  • This imagery connects to the broader chapter, which warns all nations that turning against God leads to utter ruin, not just temporary hardship.

Where else these words appear

“nettles” Hebrew H7057 · used in 2 verses

  • Hosea 9:6 For, lo, they are gone because of destruction: Egypt shall gather them up, Memphis shall bury them: the pleasant places for their silver, nettles shall possess them: thorns shall be in their tabernacles.

“owls” Hebrew H3284 · used in 8 verses

  • Leviticus 11:16 And the owl, and the night hawk, and the cuckow, and the hawk after his kind,
  • Job 30:29 I am a brother to dragons, and a companion to owls.
  • Isaiah 43:20 The beast of the field shall honour me, the dragons and the owls: because I give waters in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, my chosen.

“brambles” Hebrew H2336 · used in 9 verses

  • 2 Kings 14:9 And Jehoash the king of Israel sent to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, The thistle that was in Lebanon sent to the cedar that was in Lebanon, saying, Give thy daughter to my son to wife: and there passed by a wild beast that was in Lebanon, and trode down the thistle.
  • 2 Chronicles 33:11 Wherefore the LORD brought upon them the captains of the host of the king of Assyria, which took Manasseh among the thorns, and bound him with fetters, and carried him to Babylon.
  • Proverbs 26:9 As a thorn goeth up into the hand of a drunkard, so is a parable in the mouth of fools.

“dragons” Hebrew H8577 · used in 28 verses

  • Genesis 1:21 And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
  • Psalms 74:13 Thou didst divide the sea by thy strength: thou brakest the heads of the dragons in the waters.
  • Jeremiah 10:22 Behold, the noise of the bruit is come, and a great commotion out of the north country, to make the cities of Judah desolate, and a den of dragons.