Ezekiel35

The word of the LORD came to Ezekiel, commanding him to prophesy against Mount Seir. God declared His opposition to Seir, vowing to make it utterly desolate due to its perpetual hatred and shedding of Israelite blood during their time of calamity. Furthermore, Seir's desire to possess Israel's land and its blasphemies against God would result in its complete and perpetual ruin, so that they might know the LORD.
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Prophecy Against Mount Seir

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Moreover the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying,
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Son of man, set thy face against mount Seir, and prophesy against it, ​
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and 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.
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I will lay thy cities waste, and thou shalt be desolate; and thou shalt know that I am Jehovah.

Edom's Perpetual Hatred

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Because 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; ​
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therefore, 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. ​
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Thus 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.
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And 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.
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I will make thee a perpetual desolation, and thy cities shall not be inhabited; and ye shall know that I am Jehovah. ​

Edom's Boast and Final Desolation

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Because thou hast said, These two nations and these two countries shall be mine, and we will possess it; whereas Jehovah was there: ​
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therefore, 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. ​
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And 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. ​
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And ye have magnified yourselves against me with your mouth, and have multiplied your words against me: I have heard it.
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Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: When the whole earth rejoiceth, I will make thee desolate.
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As 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. ​

Study Notes for Ezekiel 35

Verse 2

Mount Seir is the mountainous territory of Edom (descendants of Esau), located southeast of the Dead Sea. This oracle against Edom is a common feature in prophetic literature (e.g., Obadiah), symbolizing the ultimate removal of forces hostile to God’s people.

Verse 5

The core charge against Edom is 'perpetual hatred' (Hebrew: *'eybat 'olam*). This refers to their consistent hostility toward Israel, culminating when Jerusalem fell in 586 BC, the 'time of their calamity.' The phrase 'when their iniquity had an end' refers to the completion of Israel’s punishment by God.

Verse 6

This verse invokes the principle of *lex talionis* (retribution). Because Edom actively sought bloodshed against God's people, God promises that violence will be their inevitable and perpetual fate. 'Sith' means 'since' or 'seeing that.'

Verse 9

The promise of 'perpetual desolations' contrasts sharply with the future restoration promised to Israel in the subsequent chapters (Ezekiel 36-37). Edom’s judgment is final and irrevocable.

Verse 10

The 'two nations and these two countries' are Judah and Israel. Edom saw Israel’s exile as an opportunity to seize the Promised Land, completely disregarding the divine covenant. The phrase 'whereas the LORD was there' is critical, emphasizing that the land belongs to Yahweh, not to Israel or Edom.

Verse 11

God’s judgment against Edom is an act of self-revelation. By judging Edom’s hatred and envy, God makes himself known to Israel and the surrounding nations as the sovereign Lord of history.

Verse 12

Edom’s words against the 'mountains of Israel' (the land) are interpreted as blasphemy against the Lord himself. Their arrogance was not merely political but theological, challenging God’s control over his own inheritance.

Verse 15

'Idumea' is the Greek/later name for the territory of Edom. This verse confirms the scope of the judgment: the entire region will suffer the same fate they wished upon Israel, emphasizing divine justice.

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