Seeing ghosts

Originally posted on 08 February, 2008 – by Andre Piet

During a Bible evening this week I was asked about Isaiah 34:14.

Hyenas encounter wild dogs there, field spirits meet one another; indeed, there the night ghost will dwell and find a resting place for itself. (NBG– translation)

Field spirits? Night ghosts? In the Bible?

The word rendered here by the NBG translators as “field spirits” is in Hebrew the plural of seʿir, which literally means “hairy” (see Gen. 27:11, 23: hairy). Apart from the rendering “field spirits” (here and a few other times), it is translated all other times as “goat” (he-goat). For example in Leviticus 16:7

He shall take the two goats and present them before the LORD at the entrance of the tent of meeting…

There is no reason whatsoever to deviate from this reading in Isa. 34:14 and to think of field spirits instead of he-goats. Whoever does so misses a … yes indeed.

With the so-called night ghost it is no different. The word used in Hebrew occurs only once in the OT (lilith; Str. 3917) and is derived from the word for “night” (lailah). The Statenvertaling speaks of “night creature” (the Concordant Version of “night owl”). Quite rightly so.

Isaiah 34:14 speaks of hyenas, wild dogs, goats and night creatures (owls?). A very realistic depiction. That the territory of Edom will look eerie and desolate after its devastation is certainly true. One should read the entire chapter.
But that is no reason yet to see ghosts…

Delen: