Ezekiel35
World English Bible · Public Domain
1Moreover Yahweh’s word came to me, saying,
2“Son of man, set your face against Mount Seir, and prophesy against it,
3and tell it, ‘The Lord Yahweh says: “Behold, I am against you, Mount Seir, and I will stretch out my hand against you. I will make you a desolation and an astonishment.
4I will lay your cities waste, and you will be desolate. Then you will know that I am Yahweh.
5“‘“Because you have had a perpetual hostility, and have given over the children of Israel to the power of the sword in the time of their calamity, in the time of the iniquity of the end,
6therefore, as I live,” says the Lord Yahweh, “I will prepare you for blood, and blood will pursue you. Since you have not hated blood, therefore blood will pursue you.
7Thus I will make Mount Seir an astonishment and a desolation. I will cut off from it him who passes through and him who returns.
8I will fill its mountains with its slain. The slain with the sword will fall in your hills and in your valleys and in all your watercourses.
9I will make you a perpetual desolation, and your cities will not be inhabited. Then you will know that I am Yahweh.
10“‘“Because you have said, ‘These two nations and these two countries will be mine, and we will possess it,’ although Yahweh was there,
11therefore, as I live,” says the Lord Yahweh, “I will do according to your anger, and according to your envy which you have shown out of your hatred against them; and I will make myself known among them when I judge you.
12You will know that I, Yahweh, have heard all your insults which you have spoken against the mountains of Israel, saying, ‘They have been laid desolate. They have been given to us to devour.’
13You have magnified yourselves against me with your mouth, and have multiplied your words against me. I have heard it.”
14The Lord Yahweh says: “When the whole earth rejoices, I will make you desolate.
15As you rejoiced over the inheritance of the house of Israel because it was desolate, so I will do to you. You will be desolate, Mount Seir, and all Edom, even all of it. Then they will know that I am Yahweh.’”
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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