In Hebrew there is a play on words between wild beasts and hyenas. Moreover, the word rendered wild beasts is more literally “desert creatures” (New International Version), and most likely means “demons” (Good News Translation). Elsewhere it occurs only in Psa 74.14 (Revised Standard Version “creatures of the wilderness”); Isa 13.21; 23.13; 34.14. A similar problem exists with the word rendered hyenas, which may mean something like “goblin.” Elsewhere in the Old Testament this word is found only in Isa 13.22; 34.14. Good News Translation renders the two words as “demons and evil spirits,” while Bright attempts to reflect the alliteration with “goblins and ghouls.” One German commentator has Fuchs und Luchs for the wordplay (that is, “foxes and wildcats”). Translators really have two choices. They can either follow the Revised Standard Version, with “wild animals and hyenas” or “wild demons and hyenas”; or they can follow the lead of Good News Translation and have “demons and evil spirits.” In either case, the image is of an abandoned, desolate city in ruins. Hyenas (see 12.9) can also be “jackals” (see 9.11; 14.6; 49.33).

Ostriches is the traditional rendering of the Hebrew word; but most think it probably refers to some kind of owl (New International Version “the owl,” Revised English Bible “desert-owls”). Good News Translation and Contemporary English Version both use a more general expression, “unclean birds.”

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on Jeremiah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2003. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .