Lexical Summary qippoz: Darting serpent, arrow-snake Original Word: קִפוֹז Strong's Exhaustive Concordance great owl From an unused root meaning to contract, i.e. Spring forward; an arrow-snake (as darting on its prey) -- great owl. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom an unused word Definition perhaps arrow snake NASB Translation tree snake (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs קִמּוֺז noun feminine arrow-snake (Arabic  , so BoHieroz. Pars post. iii. Cap. 11 (citing Avicennaii. 139, 16, compare Thes LagBN 89), and most moderns; compare Dozyii. 383 PS1375ad. Fin.; = ἀκοντίας AelianHist. Anim. Vi. 18, viii. 13, called ׳ק as leaping from trees on passers-by; but against this see HoughtonAcad. Apr. 24, 1886, 292 f. (arrow-snake does not incubate) PostHast. DB iii. 637 who conjectures an owl (as AV)); — Isaiah 34:15, token of desolation. Topical Lexicon Scriptural Setting In Isaiah 34, the prophet portrays the utter desolation that falls upon Edom as a representative of all the nations that exalt themselves against the Lord. Verse 15 names קִפוֹז amid a catalogue of desert-dwellers that will occupy the ruined land. The Berean Standard Bible records: “The arrow snake will nest there and lay eggs; she will hatch them and gather them under her shadow” (Isaiah 34:15). The presence of such creatures testifies that human life and ordered society have vanished, leaving only the wild. Symbolic Significance in Isaiah’s Oracle 1. Marker of Complete Desolation ‑ The prophet’s list—night creatures, hyenas, goat-demons, kites, and קִפוֹז—underscores how thoroughly God’s judgment overturns the proud cities of men (Isaiah 34:8–15). Ancient hearers would understand that where once there were bustling markets and fortified walls, now only elusive wilderness animals remain. ‑ Isaiah’s broader message is not random doom but covenant recompense: “For the LORD has a day of vengeance, a year of recompense for the cause of Zion” (Isaiah 34:8). קִפוֹז therefore becomes a living signpost announcing that God’s verdict, when it falls, is both righteous and irrevocable. ‑ Immediately following the wasteland scene, Isaiah 35 depicts a blooming wilderness. The alternation between desolation (where קִפוֹז dwells) and restoration (where the ransomed walk) magnifies the Lord’s power both to devastate and to redeem. Historical and Cultural Background - Ancient Near Eastern listeners associated certain desert creatures with cursed or forsaken places. By naming them, Isaiah speaks a language his audience intuitively grasps: the land has become uninhabitable for covenant people. - Edom, long hostile to Israel (Obadiah 10–14), serves as a template for every nation that disregards the Lord’s sovereignty. The inclusion of קִפוֹז localizes the prophecy while simultaneously universalizing the warning. Theological Themes 1. Sovereignty Over Creation ‑ Even obscure wildlife obeys the divine decree, moving into regions God empties. This affirms that the Lord’s rule extends to the furthest ecological niches (Job 12:7–10). ‑ Scripture frequently mirrors moral realities in the physical realm (Romans 8:20–22). Once sin’s cup is full, the land itself is altered to reflect the breach between God and unrepentant humanity. ‑ Isaiah’s imagery foreshadows end-time judgments where Babylon the Great becomes “a haunt for every unclean and detestable bird” (Revelation 18:2). קִפוֹז thus anticipates the final reckoning awaiting all rebellion. Application for Preaching and Ministry - Warnings to Nations and Individuals: Isaiah 34 invites modern readers to consider national policies and personal lifestyles that oppose divine standards. Where God’s voice is resisted, His verdict will eventually empty the proud stronghold. - Assurance of Vindication: Believers enduring injustice gain confidence that God will act decisively on behalf of His people, just as He promised concerning Zion. - Call to Environmental Stewardship: The passage implicitly reminds the church that creation itself is drawn into the drama of redemption and judgment; honoring God involves caring for the world He rules. Intertextual Echoes - Jeremiah 50:39 and 51:37 describe the downfall of Babylon with similar lists of creatures, reinforcing the prophetic motif. - Revelation 18 draws directly from these Old Testament oracles, showing that the fate of Edom and Babylon converges in a unified biblical theology of judgment. Devotional Reflection When Isaiah envisions קִפוֹז nesting amid Edom’s ruins, he invites readers to measure human ambition against divine holiness. Cities rise and fall, but the word of the Lord endures forever. The same God who can depopulate a land can later cause “the desert to blossom like a rose” (Isaiah 35:1). Therefore, the presence of קִפוֹז in Scripture is not a trivial zoological note; it is a quiet yet potent witness to the unfailing certainty of God’s promises—both of judgment and of restoration. Forms and Transliterations קִפּוֹז֙ קפוז kippOz qip·pō·wz qippōwzLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Isaiah 34:15 HEB: שָׁ֣מָּה קִנְּנָ֤ה קִפּוֹז֙ וַתְּמַלֵּ֔ט וּבָקְעָ֖ה NAS: The tree snake will make its nest KJV: There shall the great owl make her nest, INT: there will make the tree and lay will hatch 1 Occurrence |
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