The destruction of a once-vibrant city is captured through a chilling picture of total desolation, where bustling human spaces are reclaimed by wild animals, night birds, and demonic entities. The abandoned ruins fill with new, threatening life, transforming into a busy metropolis for desert dwellers. The sheer number of wild creatures gathering in the wasteland is so great that they constantly bump into one another [מצודת דוד]. Ironically, this movement mimics a crowded commercial center, where creatures arriving from distant regions meet and find their own kind [מלבי״ם].
The primary approach among commentators is that the ruins are overrun by small creatures native to arid regions. Their exact identities are debated, with some identifying them as mongooses, wildcats, and jackals [רש״י, שד״ל, שטיינזלץ], while others suggest they are birds of prey [אבן עזרא]. Their very names likely hint at the eerie howls and cries they echo across the wasteland [שטיינזלץ]. As these creatures gather, they call out to their companions, raising their voices together and conversing as is their nature in desolate places [מצודת דוד, שד״ל].
Regarding the specific nocturnal and hairy inhabitants of the ruins, commentators are divided between a zoological and a demonological approach. The zoological view identifies these beings simply as hairy desert animals and night birds known for their piercing cries [אבן עזרא, רד״ק, מלבי״ם, שטיינזלץ]. In contrast, the demonological approach interprets the scene through the lens of ancient beliefs, identifying them as hairy demons and a female night demon, often considered the mother of demons, who occasionally takes the form of a woman [רש״י, מצודת ציון, שד״ל]. This supernatural takeover serves as an exact punishment for the city's past sins. A place that once served idols and statues is now fittingly abandoned to the control of evil spirits [אברבנאל].
Ultimately, a deeply unsettling peace descends upon the destruction. A profound quiet takes hold, allowing the new inhabitants to finally find a resting place. This calm is only possible because no humans remain to disturb, bother, or chase away the creatures of the ruins [מצודת דוד]. For the nocturnal bird, which normally cries bitterly in populated areas because it cannot find peace, the absolute desolation finally provides true rest for both body and mind [מלבי״ם]. Similarly, in the realm of the supernatural, harmful spirits that constantly wander the world in search of rest finally claim the ruined city as their permanent, quiet home [שד״ל].