Why does the Lord ask if his heritage has become like a hyena’s lair with birds of prey all around her?
The Hebrew in Jeremiah 12:9 is difficult to translate but it seems that Judah is described as a carcass lying in a hyena’s lair, and there are birds of prey waiting to pounce on the carcass. Eventually all the wild beasts are invited by the Lord to come and devour what is left.1 This is no doubt a reference to the destruction Judah will experience with the foreign invasion that is coming. The nation will be left to the mercy of these foreign forces as the Lord pours out his judgment. The fact that this description of Judah is expressed in the form of two questions asked by the Lord highlights his sadness at what is coming. Is this really what Judah has been reduced to because of her stubborn rebellion?
9 Is my heritage to me like a hyena’s lair? Are the birds of prey against her all around? Go, assemble all the wild beasts; bring them to devour.