Ezekiel 35:4

4 I will turn your cities into ruins,^[a] and you will become a desolation.^[b] Then you will know that I am the Lord.

Ezekiel 35:4 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 35:4

I will lay thy cities waste
Such as Dedan, Teman, Bozrah, and other cities of Idumea mentioned in Scripture; and figuratively may design all within the jurisdiction of Rome, the several cities of the antichristian states, called "the cities of the nations"; which will fall at the pouring out of the vials, ( Revelation 16:19 ) : and thou shalt be desolate;
thoroughly and entirely, and remain so: and thou shalt know that I am the Lord;
that has done all this; that the hand of God was in it; and that this is a punishment inflicted by him, for their sins after mentioned; but not that they should know the Lord spiritually and savingly, and so as to yield obedience to him, and own and acknowledge him to be their God; though this may be the case of a remnant among them; see ( Revelation 11:13 ) ( 18:4 ) .

Ezekiel 35:4 In-Context

2 "Son of man, turn your face toward Mount Seir and prophesy against it.

3 Say to it: This is what the Lord God says: Look! I am against you, Mount Seir. I will stretch out My hand against you and make you a desolate waste.

4 I will turn your cities into ruins, and you will become a desolation. Then you will know that I am the Lord.

5 "Because you maintained an ancient hatred and handed over the Israelites to the power of the sword in the time of their disaster, the time of final punishment,

6 therefore, as I live"-[this is] the declaration of the Lord God -"I will destine you for bloodshed, and it will pursue you. Since you did not hate bloodshed, it will pursue you.

Footnotes

• [a] Ezk 25:13
• [b] Ezk 29:9