Ezekiel 25:14

14 I will use my people Israel to pay Edom back. They will punish Edom because my anger burns against it. They will know how I pay my enemies back," announces the LORD and King.

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.

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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 and King says, "Edom got even with the people of Judah. That made them very guilty."

13 He continues, "I will reach out my hand against Edom. I will kill its people and their animals. I will completely destroy it. They will be killed with swords from Teman all the way to Dedan.

14 I will use my people Israel to pay Edom back. They will punish Edom because my anger burns against it. They will know how I pay my enemies back," announces the LORD and King.

15 The LORD and King says, "The Philistines hated Judah deep down inside them. So they tried to get even with them. They had been Judah's enemies for many years. So they tried to destroy them."

16 He continues, "I am about to reach out my hand against the Philistines. I will cut off the Kerethites. I will destroy those who remain along the coast.