Ezekiel 35

1 The Lord spoke to me. ¹

2 "Mortal man," he said, "denounce the country of Edom.

3 Tell the people what I, the Sovereign Lord, am saying: "I am your enemy, mountains of Edom! I will make you a desolate wasteland.

4 I will leave your cities in ruins And your land desolate; Then you will know that I am the Lord.

5 "You were Israel's constant enemy and let her people be slaughtered in the time of her disaster, the time of final punishment for her sins.

6 So then - as surely as I, the Sovereign Lord, am the living God - death is your fate, and you cannot escape it. You are guilty of murder, and murder will follow you.

7 I will make the hill country of Edom a wasteland and kill everyone who travels through it.

8 I will cover the mountains with corpses, and the bodies of those who are killed in battle will cover the hills and valleys.

9 I will make you desolate forever, and no one will live in your cities again. Then you will know that I am the Lord.

10 "You said that the two nations, Judah and Israel, together with their lands, belonged to you and that you would possess them, even though I, the Lord, was their God.

11 So then, as surely as I, the Sovereign Lord, am the living God, I will pay you back for your anger, your jealousy, and your hate toward my people. They will know that I am punishing you for what you did to them.

12 Then you will know that I, the Lord, heard you say with contempt that the mountains of Israel were desolate and that they were yours to devour.

13 I have heard the wild, boastful way you have talked against me."

14 The Sovereign Lord says, "I will make you so desolate that the whole world will rejoice at your downfall,

15 just as you rejoiced at the devastation of Israel, my own possession. The mountains of Seir, yes, all the land of Edom, will be desolate. Then everyone will know that I am the Lord."

Ezekiel 35 Commentary

Chapter 35

A prophecy against Edom.

Verses 1-9 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.

Verses 10-15 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.

Cross References

• 1. 35.1-15; Is 34.5-17; 63.1-6; Jr 49.7-22; Ez 25.12-14; Am 1.11, 12; Ob 1-14; Ml 1.2-5.

Footnotes

• [a]. [One ancient translation] are guilty of; [Hebrew] hate.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO EZEKIEL 35

This chapter is a prophecy of the destruction of Edom, which is threatened, Eze 35:1-4, the cause of it, their hatred and slaughter of the Israelites, Eze 35:5-9, their claim of the lands of Israel and Judah for possession, Eze 35:10,11, their blasphemies against the people of God, and the Lord himself, Eze 35:12,13, the aggravation of their ruin, which was irretrievable; that when it was well with others, it should go ill with them; by way of just retaliation, Eze 35:14,15.