Discovery BoxIsaiah 28:17 
Context28:17 I will make justice the measuring line,
fairness the plumb line;
hail will sweep away the unreliable refuge, 1
the floodwaters will overwhelm the hiding place.
Isaiah 34:11
Context34:11 Owls and wild animals 2 will live there, 3
all kinds of wild birds 4 will settle in it.
The Lord 5 will stretch out over her
the measuring line of ruin
1 tn Heb “[the] refuge, [the] lie.” See v. 15.
2 tn קָאַת (qa’at) refers to some type of bird (cf. Lev 11:18; Deut 14:17) that was typically found near ruins (see Zeph 2:14). קִפּוֹד (qippod) may also refer to a type of bird (NAB “hoot owl”; NIV “screech owl”; TEV “ravens”), but some have suggested a rodent may be in view (cf. NCV “small animals”; ASV “porcupine”; NASB, NRSV “hedgehog”).
3 tn Heb “will possess it” (so NIV).
4 tn The Hebrew text has יַנְשׁוֹף וְעֹרֵב (yanshof vÿ’orev). Both the יַנְשׁוֹף (“owl”; see Lev 11:17; Deut 14:16) and עֹרֵב (“raven”; Lev 11:15; Deut 14:14) were types of wild birds.
5 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
6 tn Heb “stones,” i.e., the stones used in a plumb bob.
7 sn The metaphor in v. 11b emphasizes that God has carefully planned Edom’s demise.
