Ezekiel 35 meaning explained in AI Summary

Ezekiel chapter 35 contains a prophecy of doom against Mount Seir, a mountainous region inhabited by the Edomites. The chapter highlights God's judgment on Edom for their perpetual hatred and revenge-seeking against Israel.

• God's Judgment on Edom (vs. 1-9): God directly addresses Mount Seir, declaring his judgment against it. He accuses the Edomites of taking advantage of Judah's downfall and rejoicing in their misfortune. God vows to make Mount Seir a desolate wasteland, inhabited only by wild animals.
• Reason for Judgment: Everlasting Hatred (vs. 10-15): The core reason for God's judgment is Edom's deep and enduring hatred for Israel. They are condemned for their cruelty, gloating over Israel's suffering, and seizing their land during their time of weakness.
• Consequences of Hatred (vs. 1-15): God promises to repay Edom in kind. Just as they rejoiced in Israel's destruction, they will face a similar fate. Their land will be laid waste, their cities destroyed, and their people killed.
• God's Justice and Israel's Restoration (vs. 1-15): The chapter emphasizes God's justice. He will not tolerate the oppression of his people and will avenge them against their enemies. This judgment on Edom serves as a reminder of God's faithfulness to his covenant with Israel and foreshadows their eventual restoration.

Overall, Ezekiel 35 serves as a stark warning against harboring hatred and seeking revenge. It highlights the consequences of such actions and emphasizes God's justice and his commitment to protecting his people.

Ezekiel 35 bible study ai commentary

Ezekiel 35 pronounces God's unyielding judgment against Edom, personified as Mount Seir. The core reason for this verdict is Edom's "perpetual enmity" and its malicious opportunism, celebrating and attempting to possess Israel's land after the fall of Jerusalem. This chapter serves as a dark, necessary prelude to the glorious restoration of Israel promised in chapter 36. It demonstrates that God's covenant faithfulness includes not only restoring His people but also judging those who mock His name and harm His chosen.

Ezekiel 35 Context

Edom, a nation located southeast of the Dead Sea, descended from Esau, Jacob's (Israel's) twin brother. The relationship was marked by a deep-seated rivalry from birth (Genesis 25). This prophecy is set during the Babylonian exile (after 586 B.C.), a time when the Edomites actively participated in Jerusalem's downfall. They not only rejoiced at Judah's destruction but also looted, murdered fleeing refugees, and sought to occupy the now-vacant Judean territory. Their actions were not just against a neighboring nation but were seen as a direct assault on Yahweh, as they assumed Israel's God was defeated and His land was up for grabs.

Ezekiel 35:1-4

The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, set your face against Mount Seir; prophesy against it and say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against you, Mount Seir, and I will stretch out my hand against you and make you a desolate waste. I will turn your towns into ruins, and you will be desolate. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’”

In-depth-analysis

• "Set your face against": A divine declaration of determined judgment. It signifies an unalterable, hostile focus. This formula is used for judgment against Jerusalem (Ezek 21:2) and other nations (Ezek 25:2).
• Mount Seir: A rugged, mountainous region that defines Edom's territory. It's used here as a synonym for the nation and people of Edom, much like "Zion" can represent all of Jerusalem or Israel.
• "I am against you": A powerful declaration of divine opposition. The conflict is not merely between Israel and Edom, but between God and Edom.
• "Stretch out my hand": An anthropomorphism for God enacting His power, usually for judgment or plague, as seen in the Exodus narrative.
• "Then you will know that I am the Lord": This key phrase in Ezekiel signals that God's ultimate purpose in judgment is self-revelation. Edom will recognize Yahweh's sovereignty not through salvation, but through their own destruction.

Bible references

• Jeremiah 49:7-8: 'Concerning Edom: ... Flee, turn back, dwell in the depths, O inhabitants of Dedan! For I will bring the calamity of Esau upon him...' (Parallel prophecy of Edom's ruin).
• Obadiah 1:3-4: 'The pride of your heart has deceived you, you who dwell in the clefts of the rock... Though you soar aloft like the eagle... from there I will bring you down, declares the LORD.' (Highlights Edom's prideful location and God's promise to abase it).
• Exodus 15:12: 'You stretched out your right hand; the earth swallowed them.' (Demonstrates the same language for divine judgment against God's enemies).

Cross references

Ezek 6:14 (Desolation), Isa 34:5-17 (Lord's judgment on Edom), Ezek 25:12-14 (Vengeance on Edom), Zeph 2:8-10 (Judgment on Moab and Ammon for taunting Israel).

Ezekiel 35:5

“‘Because you harbored an ancient hostility and delivered the Israelites over to the sword at the time of their calamity, the time their punishment reached its climax..."

In-depth-analysis

• ‘eyvah ‘olam (perpetual/ancient enmity/hostility): This is the central charge. Edom's hatred was not a recent political dispute but a deep-seated, generational antagonism rooted in their very origin as a people (Esau vs. Jacob).
• "Delivered... over to the sword": Edom actively participated in the slaughter of fleeing Judeans during the Babylonian invasion. They showed no "brotherly pity."
• "Time of their calamity... punishment reached its climax": This highlights the cruel opportunism of Edom. They struck Israel at their weakest and most desperate moment, revealing the depth of their malice.

Bible references

• Amos 1:11: 'For three transgressions of Edom, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because he pursued his brother with the sword and cast off all pity...' (Explicitly links Edom's judgment to its lack of brotherly compassion).
• Genesis 27:41: 'Now Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father had blessed him, and Esau said to himself, "The days of mourning for my father are approaching; then I will kill my brother Jacob."' (The biblical root of the "ancient hostility").
• Psalm 137:7: 'Remember, O LORD, against the sons of Edom the day of Jerusalem, how they said, "Lay it bare, lay it bare, down to its foundations!"' (Records Edom's malicious celebration of Jerusalem's fall).

Cross references

Num 20:18-21 (Edom refuses Israel passage), Oba 1:10-14 (Edom's violence against Jacob), 2 Chr 28:17 (Earlier Edomite invasion).

Ezekiel 35:6

...therefore as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I will give you over to bloodshed, and bloodshed will pursue you. Since you did not hate bloodshed, bloodshed will pursue you.

In-depth-analysis

• Lex Talionis (Measure for Measure): The verse is a powerful example of divine retributive justice. The punishment mirrors the crime with poetic precision.
• Wordplay: There is a strong phonetic link between Edom (אֱדוֹם), Adam (אָדָם, "man"), and Dam (דָּם, "blood"). God declares that Edom, the "red" nation, who loved shedding blood (dam), will be pursued by blood (dam).
• "Did not hate bloodshed": An understatement implying they loved bloodshed. They relished the opportunity to participate in violence against their brother nation.

Bible references

• Matthew 26:52: 'Then Jesus said to him, "Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword."' (Jesus affirms the principle of retributive justice).
• Revelation 16:6: 'For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and you have given them blood to drink. It is what they deserve!' (The same principle applied to the persecutors of the church).
• Genesis 9:6: 'Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image.' (The foundational principle of justice for bloodshed).

Cross references

Gal 6:7 (Reap what you sow), Isa 49:26 (Oppressors eating their own flesh), Judg 1:7 (Adoni-bezek's punishment fitting his crime).

Ezekiel 35:7-9

I will make Mount Seir a desolate waste and cut off from it all who come and go. I will fill its mountains with the slain; those killed by the sword will fall on your hills and in your valleys and in all your ravines. I will make you a perpetual desolation, and your cities will not be inhabited. Then you will know that I am the Lord.

In-depth-analysis

• Totality of Judgment: The language emphasizes utter and complete destruction. Not just one city, but the hills, valleys, and ravines will be filled with the dead. The economic life ("all who come and go") will cease.
• Shemamot ‘olam (Perpetual desolation): This is the direct judicial answer to Edom’s ‘eyvah ‘olam (perpetual enmity). Their undying hatred is met with an undying ruin. This contrasts sharply with God’s promise that Israel’s exile is temporary (Jer 29:10).
• Historical Fulfillment: Today, the ancient Edomite territory, including the famous city of Petra, is a remarkable ruin, a testament to a civilization that passed away and was never rebuilt by its original inhabitants.

Bible references

• Isaiah 34:10, 13: 'Night and day it shall not be quenched... Thorns shall grow over its strongholds...' (A graphic prophecy of Edom's land becoming a wasteland for wild animals).
• Malachi 1:3-4: 'but I have hated Esau; I have laid waste his hill country and left his heritage to jackals of the desert... they may build, but I will tear down.' (Confirms God's enduring judgment on Edom long after the exile).

Cross references

Jer 49:17-18 (Desolation like Sodom), Ezek 29:11 (Desolation of Egypt), Joel 3:19 (Egypt/Edom desolation for violence).

Ezekiel 35:10

“‘Because you have said, “These two nations and these two countries will be mine and we will possess them,” although the Lord was there..."

In-depth-analysis

• The Sin of Arrogant Possession: Edom's sin escalated from hatred to covetousness. They sought to annex the lands of both the northern kingdom (Israel) and the southern kingdom (Judah).
• "Although the LORD was there": This is the theological climax of the indictment. Edom's actions were predicated on a fatal miscalculation. They believed Yahweh was a mere tribal deity who was defeated and had abandoned His land. They failed to recognize that even in judgment and exile, God’s presence and claim over His covenant land remained.
• Polemics: This is a direct polemic against the ancient Near Eastern belief that the defeat of a nation meant the defeat of its god(s). Ezekiel asserts Yahweh's absolute sovereignty, which is not tied to the political fortunes of Israel. God is using Babylon to judge His people, but He has not been vanquished by Babylonian gods, nor has He abdicated His throne.

Bible references

• Psalm 83:4, 12: '“Come,” they say, “let us destroy them as a nation... who say, “Let us take possession of the pasturelands of God.”' (The mindset of Israel's enemies who see God's land as a prize).
• Obadiah 1:13: 'You should not have entered the gate of my people in the day of their calamity... you should not have looted their goods in the day of their calamity.' (Condemns Edom for entering and plundering God's people).
• Ezekiel 48:35: '...And the name of the city from that time on shall be, The LORD Is There.' (Ezekiel's ultimate vision of restoration directly answers Edom's blasphemous assumption with a resounding declaration of God's presence).

Cross references

Psa 79:1 (Nations have invaded inheritance), Isa 14:13-14 (Pride of Babylon), 1 Ki 8:53 (Land is God's inheritance).

Ezekiel 35:11-13

...therefore as I live, says the Lord GOD, I will act with the same anger and jealousy you showed them, and I will make myself known among them when I judge you. And you shall know that I am the LORD. I have heard all the blasphemies that you have uttered against the mountains of Israel, saying, ‘They are laid desolate, they are given us to devour.’ And you have spoken arrogantly against me and multiplied your words against me; I have heard them.

In-depth-analysis

• Divine Jealousy: God's jealousy is not petty envy but righteous zeal for His own honor, His covenant, and His people. God acts with an anger and jealousy that mirrors Edom's sinful anger and jealousy, but His is righteous.
• Words as Blasphemy: Edom’s gloating and claims to the land ("they are given us to devour") are not just political trash talk. God hears them as blasphemy directly against Him. To despise God's land and people is to despise God Himself.
• "Multiplied your words against me": Their arrogant speech was an act of rebellion against the Sovereign of the universe. God personally records and responds to their words.

Bible references

• 2 Kings 19:22: 'Whom have you mocked and blasphemed? Against whom have you raised your voice and lifted your eyes to the heights? Against the Holy One of Israel!' (Sennacherib's taunts against Judah are similarly treated as blasphemy against God).
• Psalm 74:18: 'Remember this, O LORD, how the enemy scoffs, and a foolish people reviles your name.' (A plea for God to act against those who blaspheme Him).
• Jude 1:15: '...to convict all the ungodly of all their deeds of ungodliness that they have committed in their ungodliness, and of all the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against him.' (The NT principle that God holds people accountable for their arrogant words).

Cross references

Exo 20:7 (Not take Lord's name in vain), Isa 37:23 (Blasphemy against the Holy One), Psa 94:4 (Arrogant words).

Ezekiel 35:14-15

“‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: While the whole earth rejoices, I will make you desolate. Because you rejoiced when the inheritance of the house of Israel became desolate, so I will do to you. You will be desolate, Mount Seir, you and all of Edom. Then they will know that I am the Lord.’”

In-depth-analysis

• The Great Reversal: This is the final expression of lex talionis. Edom's chief sin was its schadenfreude—joy at Israel's calamity. Their punishment will be a mirror image: the whole world will rejoice at their desolation.
• "Whole earth rejoices": This likely refers to the restored world order where justice has been served. When a malicious and disruptive force like Edom is removed, it brings a sense of peace and rightness, cause for rejoicing.
• Finality: The pronouncement is absolute: "You and all of Edom." There is no remnant, no escape. The chapter ends, as it began, with the recognition formula, "Then they will know that I am the Lord," solidifying the purpose of this devastating judgment.

Bible references

• Obadiah 1:12: 'But you should not have gloated over the day of your brother in the day of his misfortune; you should not have rejoiced over the people of Judah in the day of their ruin...' (The sin of rejoicing over another's downfall is explicitly condemned).
• Proverbs 17:5: 'Whoever mocks the poor insults his Maker; he who is glad at calamity will not go unpunished.' (A wisdom principle confirming God's judgment on schadenfreude).
• Revelation 18:20: 'Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets, for God has given judgment for you against her!' (Heaven rejoices at the downfall of "Babylon the great," a type of all anti-God systems).

Cross references

Pro 24:17-18 (Don't rejoice when enemy falls), Lam 4:21 (Rejoice and be glad... but the cup will pass to you), Isa 14:7-8 (Whole earth at rest after Babylon's fall).

Ezekiel chapter 35 analysis

• Literary Foil: The chapter's primary function is to serve as the dark, negative counterpart to the radiant hope of chapter 36. God must first deal with the evil that preys upon His people before He can fully implement their restoration. Justice paves the way for grace.
• Perpetual vs. Perpetual: A key literary device in the chapter is the divine response to Edom's sin. Their ‘eyvah ‘olam (perpetual enmity, v. 5) is met with God’s sentence of shemamot ‘olam (perpetual desolations, v. 9). God's judgment is the final and everlasting answer to their unrelenting hatred.
• Theology of Land: The chapter underscores that the land of Israel belongs to Yahweh. Any claim on it by another nation, especially one based on the assumption of God's defeat, is blasphemy. The land is intrinsically linked to God's covenant and His honor.
• Typology of Edom: In later biblical and theological interpretation, Edom (Esau) often becomes a type of the "flesh" or the carnal world that is in perpetual enmity with the "spirit" or the people of God (Jacob/Israel). This prophecy demonstrates the ultimate end of all opposition to God and His redemptive plan.

Ezekiel 35 summary

Ezekiel 35 is a divine oracle of total and permanent desolation against Edom (Mount Seir). God judges them for their ancient, deep-seated hatred of Israel, their violent opportunism during Judah's collapse, and their blasphemous arrogance in trying to seize God's covenant land. The punishment perfectly fits the crime: their love for bloodshed will be met with a deluge of blood, and their joy at Israel's ruin will be answered by the world's joy at their own. This judgment vindicates God's sovereignty and clears the stage for the promised restoration of Israel.