“jackals.” The Hebrew word for “fox” and “jackal” is the same, so the versions are divided, some saying foxes and some saying jackals. The context and known behavior of the animals is the determining factor in the translation. Foxes are solitary, not really dangerous to people, and tend to avoid human contact. In contrast, jackals are pack animals, dangerous to humans, and become very bold in their packs. Jerusalem was destroyed by the Babylonians and by the time Jeremiah was writing it had become abandoned so completely that jackals roamed there, making the holiest sight on earth, the singular place where God decided to put His house, the Temple, unsafe for humans.

“prowl.” The Hebrew is the intensive form of the verb for “to walk.”