Ezekiel 35:2

2 1"Son of man, 2set your face 3against 4Mount Seir, and prophesy against it,

Ezekiel 35:2 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 35:2

Son of man set thy face against Mount Seir
Which had its name from Seir the Horite, who first possessed it; and was succeeded in it by Esau and his posterity, the Edomites; see ( Genesis 36:8 Genesis 36:9 Genesis 36:20 ) ( 14:6 ) ( Deuteronomy 2:12 ) , so that the country of Edom or Idumea is here intended, and the inhabitants of it; who are put for the enemies of the church and people of God in general, as these were the enemies of Israel and Judah; and particularly for Rome, which, as it was spiritually called Egypt and Sodom, so it may be called Edom, as it often is by the Jews: now the prophet is bid to turn his face towards this mountain or country, and look sternly at it, and severely threaten it. The Targum is,

``take up a prophecy against it;''
which is expressed in the next clause: and prophesy against it;
foretell things contrary to it, which relate to its destruction, as follows:

Ezekiel 35:2 In-Context

1 The word of the LORD came to me:
2 "Son of man, set your face against Mount Seir, and prophesy against it,
3 and say to it, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I am against you, Mount Seir, and I will stretch out my hand against you, and I will make you a desolation and a waste.
4 I will lay your cities waste, and you shall become a desolation, and you shall know that I am the LORD.
5 Because you cherished perpetual enmity and gave over the people of Israel to the power of the sword at the time of their calamity, at the time of their final punishment,

Cross References 4

  • 1. See Ezekiel 2:1
  • 2. See Ezekiel 6:2
  • 3. Ezekiel 25:12; Isaiah 21:11, 12; Amos 1:11; Malachi 1:4
  • 4. Ezekiel 25:8; Genesis 32:3
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.