Ezekiel 35

1 Again a message came to me from the LORD :

2 “Son of man, turn and face Mount Seir, and prophesy against its people.

3 Give them this message from the Sovereign LORD : “I am your enemy, O Mount Seir, and I will raise my fist against you to destroy you completely.

4 I will demolish your cities and make you desolate. Then you will know that I am the LORD .

5 “Your eternal hatred for the people of Israel led you to butcher them when they were helpless, when I had already punished them for all their sins.

6 As surely as I live, says the Sovereign LORD, since you show no distaste for blood, I will give you a bloodbath of your own. Your turn has come!

7 I will make Mount Seir utterly desolate, killing off all who try to escape and any who return.

8 I will fill your mountains with the dead. Your hills, your valleys, and your ravines will be filled with people slaughtered by the sword.

9 I will make you desolate forever. Your cities will never be rebuilt. Then you will know that I am the LORD .

10 “For you said, ‘The lands of Israel and Judah will be ours. We will take possession of them. What do we care that the LORD is there!’

11 Therefore, as surely as I live, says the Sovereign LORD, I will pay back your angry deeds with my own. I will punish you for all your acts of anger, envy, and hatred. And I will make myself known to Israel by what I do to you.

12 Then you will know that I, the LORD, have heard every contemptuous word you spoke against the mountains of Israel. For you said, ‘They are desolate; they have been given to us as food to eat!’

13 In saying that, you boasted proudly against me, and I have heard it all!

14 “This is what the Sovereign LORD says: The whole world will rejoice when I make you desolate.

15 You rejoiced at the desolation of Israel’s territory. Now I will rejoice at yours! You will be wiped out, you people of Mount Seir and all who live in Edom! Then you 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.

Footnotes

• [a]. Hebrew to them; Greek version reads to you.

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.