Ezekiel 25:14

14 And I shall give my vengeance on Idumea, by the hand of my people Israel (And I shall take vengeance upon Edom, through my people Israel); and they shall do in Edom by my wrath, and by my strong vengeance; and they shall know my vengeance, saith the Lord God.

Ezekiel 25:14 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 25:14

And I will lay my vengeance upon Edom by fie hand of my people
Israel
This was fulfilled in the times of the Maccabees, when Judas Maccabins overthrew and conquered them, ``Then Judas fought against the children of Esau in Idumea at Arabattine, because they besieged Gael: and he gave them a great overthrow, and abated their courage, and took their spoils.'' (1 Maccabees 5:3) and when Hyrcanus took their cities, and subdued them, and they became Jews, as Josephus ^F24 relates; though Kimchi thinks this refers to future time, and is yet to be accomplished; and it is, by the ancient Jews ^F25, understood of the times of the Messiah: some choose to understand the phrase, by the hand of my people Israel,
the same hand by which judgment was inflicted upon Israel; suggesting that by the same hand vengeance would be inflicted on the Edomites, namely, by the Babylonians: and they shall do in Edom according to mine anger and according to my
fury;
that is, shall execute all the anger and fury, or all that punishment in anger and fury, which the Lord in righteous judgment has appointed them to, and has determined shall be performed upon them, by the children of Israel or the Babylonians, as his instruments: and they shall know my vengeance,
saith the Lord God; the meaning is, they shall feel it, and be sensible of it, and know that it comes from the Lord himself; full of resentment against them, and highly displeased at their behaviour towards his people Israel.

---

FOOTNOTES:

F24 Antiqu. l. 13. c. 9. sect. 1.
F25 In Bemidbar Rabba, sect. 2. fol. 179. 3.

Ezekiel 25:14 In-Context

12 The Lord God saith these things, For that that Idumea did vengeance, that it avenged itself of the sons of Judah, and sinned doing trespass, and asked greatly vengeance of them; (The Lord God saith these things, Because Edom did vengeance, and avenged itself upon the sons of Judah, and sinned doing trespass, and took great vengeance upon them;)

13 therefore the Lord God saith these things, I shall stretch forth mine hand on Idumea, and I shall take away from it man and beast, and I shall make it desert of the south; and they that be in Dedan shall fall by sword. (and so the Lord God saith these things, I shall stretch forth my hand upon Edom, and I shall take away man and beast from it, and I shall make it into a wasteland, from Teman unto Dedan; and they shall all fall by the sword.)

14 And I shall give my vengeance on Idumea, by the hand of my people Israel (And I shall take vengeance upon Edom, through my people Israel); and they shall do in Edom by my wrath, and by my strong vengeance; and they shall know my vengeance, saith the Lord God.

15 The Lord God saith these things, For that that Palestines did vengeance, and avenged themselves, with all will slaying, and filling old enmities; (The Lord God saith these things, Because the Philistines did vengeance, and avenged themselves, killing with all their will, and fulfilling old enmities;)

16 therefore the Lord God saith these things, Lo! I shall stretch forth mine hand on Palestines, and I shall slay [the] slayers, and I shall lose the remnants of the sea coast; (and so the Lord God saith these things, Lo! I shall stretch forth my hand upon the Philistines, and I shall kill the killers, and I shall destroy the rest of those who live on the sea coast;)