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Isaiah 34:7

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And 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.

And the unicorns {H7214} shall come down {H3381} with them, and the bullocks {H6499} with the bulls {H47}; and their land {H776} shall be soaked {H7301} with blood {H1818}, and their dust {H6083} made fat {H1878} with fatness {H2459}.

The wild oxen will fall with them, the young bulls with the strong, mature ones. Their land will be drunk with blood and their dust made greasy with fat.

And the wild oxen will fall with them, the young bulls with the strong ones. Their land will be drenched with blood, and their soil will be soaked with fat.

And the wild-oxen shall come down with them, and the bullocks with the bulls: and their land shall be drunken with blood, and their dust made fat with fatness.

Commentary

Commentary on Isaiah 34:7 (KJV)

Isaiah 34:7 is part of a powerful prophetic oracle concerning God's judgment on the nations, particularly Edom, which often symbolizes all those hostile to God's people. This verse vividly portrays the severity and totality of divine wrath, using striking imagery of a great slaughter.

Context

Chapter 34 of Isaiah describes a day of the Lord's vengeance, a time when God will execute His righteous judgment against all wickedness on the earth. The passage uses graphic language to emphasize the devastating scale of this judgment, likening it to a great sacrifice or slaughter. This particular verse deepens the picture of widespread destruction, where even the mightiest and most robust elements of the land are consumed by the divine fury. It serves as a stark contrast to the glorious restoration promised to God's people in the subsequent chapter 35 of Isaiah.

Key Themes

  • Divine Judgment and Wrath: The primary theme is God's absolute sovereignty and His unyielding justice against sin and rebellion. The imagery of animals being "brought down" and the land "soaked with blood" underscores the fierce and inescapable nature of this judgment.
  • Total Destruction: The inclusion of powerful animals like "unicorns" (wild oxen) and "bulls" suggests that no creature, however strong or wild, will escape the decreed destruction. The land itself is saturated with blood, signifying a complete and utter devastation.
  • Sacrificial Language: The language evokes the scene of a massive sacrifice or slaughter, emphasizing that this judgment is a divinely appointed act, an offering of vengeance to God Himself.

Linguistic Insights

The KJV term "unicorns" (Hebrew: re'em) in this verse does not refer to the mythical one-horned creature. Biblical scholars widely agree that re'em likely refers to a powerful, wild bovine animal, such as the auroch (a large, now extinct wild ox). This translation choice emphasizes the strength, ferocity, and untamable nature of the creatures, making their downfall in judgment all the more impactful.

The phrase "their land shall be soaked with blood, and their dust made fat with fatness" paints a gruesome, yet powerful, picture of the extent of the slaughter. "Made fat with fatness" implies the richness of the soil from the blood and bodily fluids, signifying a complete and gruesome destruction, leaving the land fertile with the remnants of the fallen.

Practical Application

Isaiah 34:7 serves as a solemn reminder of the serious consequences of defying God and His righteous standards. It highlights that God is not only a God of love and mercy but also a God of justice who will ultimately judge all unrighteousness. For us today, it underscores the importance of repentance and living in obedience to God's commands.

While the immediate prophecy concerned historical nations, its broader message speaks to the certainty of God's judgment against all forms of wickedness. For believers, it reinforces the wisdom of seeking God's grace and living in accordance with His will, understanding that God's justice will prevail, culminating in the righteous judgment of Christ at His return. It also magnifies the profound grace found in God's provision of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, offering an escape from such divine wrath.

Note: If the commentary doesn’t appear instantly, please allow 2–5 seconds for it to load. It is generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash (May 20, 2025) using a prompt focused on Biblical fidelity over bias. While the insights have been consistently reliable, we encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit.

Please note that only the commentary section is AI-generated — the main Scripture and cross-references are stored on the site and are from trusted and verified sources.

Cross-References

  • Numbers 23:22 (4 votes)

    God brought them out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn.

  • Psalms 68:30 (4 votes)

    Rebuke the company of spearmen, the multitude of the bulls, with the calves of the people, [till every one] submit himself with pieces of silver: scatter thou the people [that] delight in war.

  • Jeremiah 50:27 (3 votes)

    Slay all her bullocks; let them go down to the slaughter: woe unto them! for their day is come, the time of their visitation.

  • Jeremiah 50:11 (2 votes)

    Because ye were glad, because ye rejoiced, O ye destroyers of mine heritage, because ye are grown fat as the heifer at grass, and bellow as bulls;

  • Deuteronomy 33:17 (2 votes)

    His glory [is like] the firstling of his bullock, and his horns [are like] the horns of unicorns: with them he shall push the people together to the ends of the earth: and they [are] the ten thousands of Ephraim, and they [are] the thousands of Manasseh.

  • Job 39:9 (2 votes)

    Will the unicorn be willing to serve thee, or abide by thy crib?

  • Job 39:10 (2 votes)

    Canst thou bind the unicorn with his band in the furrow? or will he harrow the valleys after thee?