11:8 A baby 1 will play
over the hole of a snake; 2
over the nest 3 of a serpent
an infant 4 will put his hand. 5
16:2 At the fords of the Arnon 6
the Moabite women are like a bird
that flies about when forced from its nest. 7
34:14 Wild animals and wild dogs will congregate there; 8
wild goats will bleat to one another. 9
Yes, nocturnal animals 10 will rest there
and make for themselves a nest. 11
1 tn Heb “one sucking,” i.e., still being nursed by his mother.
2 tn Or perhaps, “cobra” (cf. NAB, NASB, NIV, NCV); KJV, ASV, NRSV “asp.”
3 tc The Hebrew text has the otherwise unattested מְאוּרַת (mÿ’urat, “place of light”), i.e., opening of a hole. Some prefer to emend to מְעָרַת (mÿ’arat, “cave, den”).
4 tn Heb “one who is weaned” (cf. KJV, ASV, NASB, NRSV).
5 sn The transformation of the animal kingdom depicted here typifies what will occur in human society under the just rule of the ideal king (see vv. 3-5). The categories “predator-prey” (i.e., oppressor-oppressed) will no longer exist.
6 tn The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.
7 tn Heb “like a bird fleeing, thrust away [from] a nest, the daughters of Moab are [at] the fords of Arnon.”
8 tn Heb “will meet” (so NIV); NLT “will mingle there.”
9 tn Heb “and a goat will call to its neighbor.”
10 tn The precise meaning of לִּילִית (lilit) is unclear, though in this context the word certainly refers to some type of wild animal or bird. The word appears to be related to לַיְלָה (laylah, “night”). Some interpret it as the name of a female night demon, on the basis of an apparent Akkadian cognate used as the name of a demon. Later Jewish legends also identified Lilith as a demon. Cf. NRSV “Lilith.”
11 tn Heb “and will find for themselves a resting place.”