Ezekiel — Chapter 35
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1Moreover, the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
2“Son of man, set your face against Mount Seir and prophesy against it,
3and declare that this is what the Lord GOD says: Behold, I am against you, O Mount Seir. I will stretch out My hand against you and make you a desolate waste.
4I will turn your cities into ruins, and you will become a desolation. Then you will know that I am the LORD.
5Because you harbored an ancient hatred and delivered the Israelites over to the sword in the time of their disaster at the final stage of their punishment,
6therefore as surely as I live, declares the Lord GOD, I will give you over to bloodshed and it will pursue you. Since you did not hate bloodshed, it will pursue you.
7I will make Mount Seir a desolate waste and will cut off from it those who come and go.
8I will fill its mountains with the slain; those killed by the sword will fall on your hills, in your valleys, and in all your ravines.
9I will make you a perpetual desolation, and your cities will not be inhabited. Then you will know that I am the LORD.
10Because you have said, ‘These two nations and countries will be ours, and we will possess them,’ even though the LORD was there,
11therefore as surely as I live, declares the Lord GOD, I will treat you according to the anger and jealousy you showed in your hatred against them, and I will make Myself known among them when I judge you.
12Then you will know that I, the LORD, have heard every contemptuous word you uttered against the mountains of Israel when you said, ‘They are desolate; they are given to us to devour!’
13You boasted against Me with your mouth and multiplied your words against Me. I heard it Myself!
14This is what the Lord GOD says: While the whole earth rejoices, I will make you desolate.
15As you rejoiced when the inheritance of the house of Israel became desolate, so will I do to you. You will become a desolation, O Mount Seir, and so will all of Edom. Then they will know that I am the LORD.
1Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
2Son of man, set thy face against mount Seir, and prophesy against it,
3And say unto it, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, O mount Seir, I am against thee, and I will stretch out mine hand against thee, and I will make thee most desolate.
4I will lay thy cities waste, and thou shalt be desolate, and thou shalt know that I am the LORD.
5Because thou hast had a perpetual hatred, and hast shed the blood of the children of Israel by the force of the sword in the time of their calamity, in the time that their iniquity had an end:
6Therefore, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, I will prepare thee unto blood, and blood shall pursue thee: sith thou hast not hated blood, even blood shall pursue thee.
7Thus will I make mount Seir most desolate, and cut off from it him that passeth out and him that returneth.
8And I will fill his mountains with his slain men: in thy hills, and in thy valleys, and in all thy rivers, shall they fall that are slain with the sword.
9I will make thee perpetual desolations, and thy cities shall not return: and ye shall know that I am the LORD.
10Because thou hast said, These two nations and these two countries shall be mine, and we will possess it; whereas the LORD was there:
11Therefore, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, I will even do according to thine anger, and according to thine envy which thou hast used out of thy hatred against them; and I will make myself known among them, when I have judged thee.
12And thou shalt know that I am the LORD, and that I have heard all thy blasphemies which thou hast spoken against the mountains of Israel, saying, They are laid desolate, they are given us to consume.
13Thus with your mouth ye have boasted against me, and have multiplied your words against me: I have heard them.
14Thus saith the Lord GOD; When the whole earth rejoiceth, I will make thee desolate.
15As thou didst rejoice at the inheritance of the house of Israel, because it was desolate, so will I do unto thee: thou shalt be desolate, O mount Seir, and all Idumea, even all of it: and they shall know that I am the LORD.
1Moreover the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying,
2Son of man, set thy face against mount Seir, and prophesy against it,
3and say unto it, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Behold, I am against thee, O mount Seir, and I will stretch out my hand against thee, and I will make thee a desolation and an astonishment.
4I will lay thy cities waste, and thou shalt be desolate; and thou shalt know that I am Jehovah.
5Because thou hast had a perpetual enmity, and hast 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, saith the Lord Jehovah, I will prepare thee unto blood, and blood shall pursue thee: since thou hast not hated blood, therefore blood shall pursue thee.
7Thus will I make mount Seir an astonishment and a desolation; and I will cut off from it him that passeth through and him that returneth.
8And I will fill its mountains with its slain: in thy hills and in thy valleys and in all thy watercourses shall they fall that are slain with the sword.
9I will make thee a perpetual desolation, and thy cities shall not be inhabited; and ye shall know that I am Jehovah.
10Because thou hast said, These two nations and these two countries shall be mine, and we will possess it; whereas Jehovah was there:
11therefore, as I live, saith the Lord Jehovah, I will do according to thine anger, and according to thine envy which thou hast showed out of thy hatred against them; and I will make myself known among them, when I shall judge thee.
12And thou shalt know that I, Jehovah, have heard all thy revilings which thou hast spoken against the mountains of Israel, saying, They are laid desolate, they are given us to devour.
13And ye have magnified yourselves against me with your mouth, and have multiplied your words against me: I have heard it.
14Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: When the whole earth rejoiceth, I will make thee desolate.
15As thou didst rejoice over the inheritance of the house of Israel, because it was desolate, so will I do unto thee: thou shalt be desolate, O mount Seir, and all Edom, even all of it; and they shall know that I am Jehovah.
1The Lord’s message came to me:
2“Son of man, turn toward Mount Seir and prophesy against it.
3Say to it, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: “‘Look, I am against you, Mount Seir; I will stretch out my hand against you and turn you into a desolate ruin.
4I will lay waste your cities, and you will become desolate. Then you will know that I am the Lord!
5“‘You have shown unrelenting hostility and poured the people of Israel onto the blades of a sword at the time of their calamity, at the time of their final punishment.
6Therefore, as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I will subject you to bloodshed, and bloodshed will pursue you. Since you did not hate bloodshed, bloodshed will pursue you.
7I will turn Mount Seir into a desolate ruin; I will cut off from it the one who passes through or returns.
8I will fill its mountains with its dead; on your hills and in your valleys and in all your ravines, those killed by the sword will fall.
9I will turn you into a perpetual desolation, and your cities will not be inhabited. Then you will know that I am the Lord.
10“‘You said, “These two nations, these two lands will be mine, and we will possess them,” (although the Lord was there);
11therefore, as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I will deal with you according to your anger and your envy, by which you acted spitefully against them. I will reveal myself to them when I judge you.
12Then you will know that I, the Lord, have heard all the insults you spoke against the mountains of Israel, saying, “They are desolate; they have been given to us for food.”
13You exalted yourselves against me with your speech and hurled many insults against me—I have heard them all!
14This is what the Sovereign Lord says: While the whole earth rejoices, I will turn you into a desolation.
15As you rejoiced over the inheritance of the house of Israel because it was desolate, so will I deal with you—you will be desolate, Mount Seir, and all Edom—all of it! Then they will know that I am the Lord.’”
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, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “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 will I 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;’ whereas 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 us to devour.’
13You have magnified yourselves against me with your mouth, and have multiplied your words against me. I have heard it.”
14Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “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 will I do to you. You will be desolate, Mount Seir, and all Edom, even all of it. Then they will know that I am Yahweh.’”
Summary
Ezekiel delivers an oracle against Mount Seir, the territory of Edom, declaring judgment because of Edom's perpetual hatred toward Israel and Judah and her violence against them in their time of calamity (vv. 1-9). Edom is condemned for claiming Israel and Judah's land as her own to possess, and for gloating that their desolation left the land hers to consume (vv. 10-13). Because Edom rejoiced over Israel's emptiness, God will make Edom herself a permanent desolation — the mountain that celebrated another's ruin will itself become ruined (vv. 14-15).
Authorship & Background
Commentary
- Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown (1871): blueletterbible.org A critical and explanatory commentary on the whole Bible, more concise than Matthew Henry and closer to the Hebrew and Greek, with attention to historical and geographical detail. Public domain.
- Matthew Henry's Exposition (1710): blueletterbible.org A devotional verse-by-verse commentary in the Puritan tradition, still among the most widely read three centuries on. Public domain.
Videos
Articles
- GotQuestions.org: gotquestions.org On the whole book: an overview of the book of Ezekiel -- who wrote it, when, why, and how it fits the rest of Scripture.
Links open on the publisher's own site. Nothing here is reproduced on this page.
Reflection
- Perpetual Hatred Becomes a Death Sentence (v.5) — Edom's ancient, ongoing hatred toward Israel is the specific charge God brings against her, a grudge carried so long it defines her. What long-held grudge are you carrying that has quietly become part of your identity?
- Trying to Seize What God Gave to Another (v.10) — Edom claims that Israel's land will now belong to her, attempting to inherit a promise God made to someone else. Where are you coveting a calling, position, or blessing that God assigned to another person rather than pursuing what He has for you?
- God Hears What You Say About His People (v.13) — Edom's boastful words against Israel are recorded as words spoken against God Himself, since His people belong to Him. What comments have you made about a believer's failure or a church's struggle that you'd think differently about if you remembered God was listening?
- Don't Rejoice Over Deserved Discipline (v.15) — Because Edom rejoiced when Israel's inheritance became desolate, God promises to do the same to her. When someone else faces consequences they arguably deserve, is your instinct to gloat or to grieve alongside them?