Ezekiel35
New International Version
1The word of the Lord came to me:
2“Son of man, set your face against Mount Seir; prophesy against it
3and say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against you, Mount Seir, and I will stretch out my hand against you and make you a desolate waste.
4I will turn your towns into ruins and you will be desolate. Then you will know that I am the Lord.
5“‘Because you harbored an ancient hostility and delivered the Israelites over to the sword at the time of their calamity, the time their punishment reached its climax,
6therefore as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I will give you over to bloodshed and it will pursue you. Since you did not hate bloodshed, bloodshed will pursue you.
7I will make Mount Seir a desolate waste and cut off from it all who come and go.
8I will fill your mountains with the slain; those killed by the sword will fall on your hills and in your valleys and in all your ravines.
9I will make you desolate forever; your towns will not be inhabited. Then you will know that I am the Lord.
10“‘Because you have said, “These two nations and countries will be ours and we will take possession of them,” even though I the Lord was there,
11therefore as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I will treat you in accordance with the anger and jealousy you showed in your hatred of them and I will make myself known among them when I judge you.
12Then you will know that I the Lord have heard all the contemptible things you have said against the mountains of Israel. You said, “They have been laid waste and have been given over to us to devour.”
13You boasted against me and spoke against me without restraint, and I heard it.
14This is what the Sovereign Lord says: While the whole earth rejoices, I will make you desolate.
15Because you rejoiced when the inheritance of Israel became desolate, that is how I will treat you. You will be desolate, Mount Seir, you and all of Edom. 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.
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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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