Malachi 1:3

for the dragons Rather, jackals. The unusual form of the word here (fem. instead of masc. as elsewhere) has led many to render, dwellings(LXX. δώματα ἐρήμου; and Syr.). But the derivation and meaning are not satisfactory. Rather, with R.V., I made his mountains a desolation, and gave his heritage to the jackals of the wilderness. Unless indeed we neglect the accents and adopt a third rendering, which seems still better to preserve the parallelism, I made his mountains a desolation, and his heritage a wilderness for jackals.

The desolation of Edom here referred to was in all probability caused by Nebuchadnezzar, in fulfilment of the prophecy of Jeremiah (Jeremiah 49:17-22. Comp. Jeremiah 27:3-6). See Obadiah, Introd. pp. 20, 22, in this Series.