This verse reveals the inevitability of God’s judgment on arrogant nations, symbolized by a devastated city inhospitable to humanity but left to wild creatures.
“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” (v.21). These words portray an unsettling vision of emptiness where once a proud city thrived. In the broader context of Isaiah 13, the prophet Isaiah—who ministered from around 739 BC to 681 BC—foretells the downfall of Babylon, a city located near the Euphrates River in what is now modern-day Iraq. This verse underscores that Babylon’s grand structures will stand abandoned, haunted by wild animals rather than bustling with human activity. The deserted state speaks to the completeness of God’s judgment when a society’s arrogance and rebellion lead to its downfall.
When Isaiah prophesies, “Ostriches also will live there” (v.21), he highlights the idea that even creatures rarely found in city centers will occupy Babylon. Owls and goats, mentioned as inhabitants of these ruins, represent the utter transformation of an advanced metropolis into a barren wasteland. Such language also appears in passages like Revelation 18:2, where a fallen infrastructure is compared to a haunt of every unclean bird. The vivid details serve to emphasize the drastic nature of a judgment that replaces human progress with emptiness and ruin, illustrating God’s supreme authority over even the most powerful kingdoms.
“And shaggy goats will frolic there” (v.21) further accentuates the idea that the grandeur of a mighty empire is fleeting under divine sovereignty. Historically, Babylon had been a center of wealth and influence—most notable around the reign of King Nebuchadnezzar II in the 6th century BC—but even such resplendent heights do not shield a nation from the inevitable consequences of prideful disobedience. By describing a city once famous for its imposing walls and Hanging Gardens as a haven for wild beasts, Isaiah signals that no earthly power remains impervious to God’s ultimate justice and plan.
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Isaiah 13:21 meaning
“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” (v.21). These words portray an unsettling vision of emptiness where once a proud city thrived. In the broader context of Isaiah 13, the prophet Isaiah—who ministered from around 739 BC to 681 BC—foretells the downfall of Babylon, a city located near the Euphrates River in what is now modern-day Iraq. This verse underscores that Babylon’s grand structures will stand abandoned, haunted by wild animals rather than bustling with human activity. The deserted state speaks to the completeness of God’s judgment when a society’s arrogance and rebellion lead to its downfall.
When Isaiah prophesies, “Ostriches also will live there” (v.21), he highlights the idea that even creatures rarely found in city centers will occupy Babylon. Owls and goats, mentioned as inhabitants of these ruins, represent the utter transformation of an advanced metropolis into a barren wasteland. Such language also appears in passages like Revelation 18:2, where a fallen infrastructure is compared to a haunt of every unclean bird. The vivid details serve to emphasize the drastic nature of a judgment that replaces human progress with emptiness and ruin, illustrating God’s supreme authority over even the most powerful kingdoms.
“And shaggy goats will frolic there” (v.21) further accentuates the idea that the grandeur of a mighty empire is fleeting under divine sovereignty. Historically, Babylon had been a center of wealth and influence—most notable around the reign of King Nebuchadnezzar II in the 6th century BC—but even such resplendent heights do not shield a nation from the inevitable consequences of prideful disobedience. By describing a city once famous for its imposing walls and Hanging Gardens as a haven for wild beasts, Isaiah signals that no earthly power remains impervious to God’s ultimate justice and plan.