John Calvin Commentary Jeremiah 50:39

"Therefore the wild beasts of the desert with the wolves shall dwell there, and the ostriches shall dwell therein: and it shall be no more inhabited for ever; neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation." — Jeremiah 50:39 (ASV)

The birds of the forest with the beasts of the forest is rendered by some, “the satyrs with the fairies”; but איים, aiim, as well as ציים, tsiim, are, on the contrary, birds or beasts of the forest. Some render איים, aiim, “cats”. I will not dispute these words—let everyone judge freely. But, as we have seen elsewhere, the Prophet means birds and beasts of the forest, rather than satyrs and fairies.

Then he adds the daughters of the ostriches, rendered by some “of the owls”; but I will not contend about this name either. Some then render יענה, ione, “owl”, and ingeniously explain that “daughters” are mentioned because these birds supposedly forsake their young when they howl from need or famine; but this is fictitious. Therefore, I understand the daughters of the ostriches or of the owls, according to the common usage of the language, to mean the birds themselves.

The Prophets usually speak in this way when they offer no hope. We have said before that Babylon was not so devastated at that time; in fact, people lived there who afterwards lived in great luxury. For the city, under Cyrus and his son, was always populous. Then, after its revolt, it was inhabited again. When Alexander subdued Asia, Babylon was full of people and flourished in luxury and wealth; and when he died there, he left the city very opulent. Therefore, we conclude that what Jeremiah declares here was not immediately fulfilled.

But just as the light or moderate punishments that the unbelieving suffer now are certain preludes to final and eternal destruction, so the Prophets, when speaking of God’s vengeance, always extend what they say to the final overthrow. This also appears more clearly from the next verse, where it says:—