Ezekiel35
New American Standard
1Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
2“Son of man, set your face against Mount Seir, and prophesy against it
3and say to it, ‘This is what the Lord God says: “Behold, I am against you, Mount Seir, And I will reach out with My hand against you And make you a desolation and a waste.
4I will turn your cities to ruins, And you will become a desolation. Then you will know that I am the Lord.
5Since you have had everlasting hostility and have turned over the sons of Israel to the power of the sword at the time of their disaster, at the time of the punishment of the end,
6therefore as I live,” declares the Lord God, “I will certainly doom you to bloodshed, and bloodshed will pursue you; since you have not hated bloodshed, therefore bloodshed will pursue you.
7I will make Mount Seir a waste and a desolation and I will eliminate from it one who passes through and returns.
8I will fill its mountains with its slain; those killed by the sword will fall on your hills, in your valleys, and in all your ravines.
9I will make you a permanent desolation, and your cities will not be inhabited. Then you will know that I am the Lord.
10“Since you have said, ‘These two nations and these two lands will be mine, and we will possess them,’ although the Lord was there,
11therefore as I live,” declares the Lord God, “I will deal with you according to your anger and according to your envy which you displayed because of your hatred for them; so I will make Myself known among them when I judge you.
12Then you will know that I, the Lord, have heard all your insults which you have spoken against the mountains of Israel saying, ‘They are desolate; they have been given to us as food.’
13And you have spoken arrogantly against Me and have multiplied your words against Me; I Myself have heard it.”
14This is what the Lord God says: “As all the earth rejoices, I will make you a desolation.
15As you rejoiced over the inheritance of the house of Israel because it was desolate, so I will do to you. You will be a desolation, Mount Seir, and all Edom, all of it. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”’
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Ezekiel 35.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: A prophecy against Edom. (1-15).
vv1-9
All who have God against them, have the word of God against them. Those that have a constant hatred to God and his people, as the carnal mind has, can only expect to be made desolate for ever.
vv10-15
When we see the vanity of the world in the disappointments, losses, and crosses, which others meet with, instead of showing ourselves greedy of worldly things, we should sit more loose to them. In the multitude of words, not one is unknown to God; not the most idle word; and the most daring is not above his rebuke. In the destruction of the enemies of the church, God designs his own glory; and we may be sure that he will not come short of his design. And when the fulness of the Jews and Gentiles shall come into the church, all antichristian opposers shall be destroyed.
Key Words
דָּבָר: a word; by implication, a matter (as spoken of) or thing; adverbially, a cause
אָמַר: to say (used with great latitude)
בֵּן: a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.)
אָדָם: ruddy i.e. a human being (an individual or the species, mankind, etc.)
שׂוּם: to put (used in a great variety of applications, literal, figurative, inferentially, and elliptically)
פָּנִים: the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposition (before, etc.)
עַל: above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications
הַר: a mountain or range of hills (sometimes used figuratively)
שֵׂעִיר: Seir, a mountain of Idumaea and its aboriginal occupants, also one in Palestine
נָבָא: to prophesy, i.e. speak (or sing) by inspiration (in prediction or simple discourse)
Cross References
Ezekiel 35Edom's active hostility during Jerusalem's final calamity, crying 'Rase it, rase it' at the downfall.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Edom's violence and gloating over their brother Jacob's disaster in the day of calamity.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Edom coveted Israel's land, ignoring its true owner, Jehovah, whose name is 'The Lord is there.'
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Mount Seir is explicitly identified as the physical possession and home of Esau, father of Edom.
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God laid Edom's mountains and his heritage waste for the jackals of the wilderness.
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The 'time when their iniquity had an end' links to Israel's final national chastisement.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Edom pursued his brother with the sword and kept his anger and wrath perpetually.
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As Edom loved bloodshed, poetic justice decrees that blood shall pursue him.
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Edom's vow to rebuild is countered by God's decree of perpetual, unreturned desolation.
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The primary parallel judgment on Edom for taking vengeance against the house of Judah.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
The origin of the perpetual hatred: Esau hating Jacob over the stolen blessing.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Desolation characterized by the cutting off of all travelers passing through or returning.
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Edom and confederate nations plotting to cut off Israel and take God's pastures in possession.
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God's servants will rejoice and sing for joy while His enemies are made utterly desolate.
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As Edom did to Israel, so it shall be done to him; his reward returns on him.
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