15 As thou didst rejoice H8057 at the inheritance H5159 of the house H1004 of Israel, H3478 because it was desolate, H8074 so will I do H6213 unto thee: thou shalt be desolate, H8077 O mount H2022 Seir, H8165 and all Idumea, H123 even all of it: and they shall know H3045 that I am the LORD. H3068
For my sword H2719 shall be bathed H7301 in heaven: H8064 behold, it shall come down H3381 upon Idumea, H123 and upon the people H5971 of my curse, H2764 to judgment. H4941 The sword H2719 of the LORD H3068 is filled H4390 with blood, H1818 it is made fat H1878 with fatness, H2459 and with the blood H1818 of lambs H3733 and goats, H6260 with the fat H2459 of the kidneys H3629 of rams: H352 for the LORD H3068 hath a sacrifice H2077 in Bozrah, H1224 and a great H1419 slaughter H2874 in the land H776 of Idumea. H123
And say H559 unto it, Thus saith H559 the Lord H136 GOD; H3069 Behold, O mount H2022 Seir, H8165 I am against thee, and I will stretch out H5186 mine hand H3027 against thee, and I will make H5414 thee most H4923 desolate. H8077 I will lay H7760 thy cities H5892 waste, H2723 and thou shalt be desolate, H8077 and thou shalt know H3045 that I am the LORD. H3068
Thus saith H559 the Lord H136 GOD; H3069 Because the enemy H341 hath said H559 against you, Aha, H1889 even the ancient H5769 high places H1116 are ours in possession: H4181 Therefore prophesy H5012 and say, H559 Thus saith H559 the Lord H136 GOD; H3069 Because they have made you desolate, H8074 and swallowed you up H7602 on every side, H5439 that ye might be a possession H4181 unto the residue H7611 of the heathen, H1471 and ye are taken up H5927 in the lips H8193 of talkers, H3956 and are an infamy H1681 of the people: H5971 Therefore, ye mountains H2022 of Israel, H3478 hear H8085 the word H1697 of the Lord H136 GOD; H3069 Thus saith H559 the Lord H136 GOD H3069 to the mountains, H2022 and to the hills, H1389 to the rivers, H650 and to the valleys, H1516 to the desolate H8074 wastes, H2723 and to the cities H5892 that are forsaken, H5800 which became a prey H957 and derision H3933 to the residue H7611 of the heathen H1471 that are round about; H5439 Therefore thus saith H559 the Lord H136 GOD; H3069 Surely in the fire H784 of my jealousy H7068 have I spoken H1696 against the residue H7611 of the heathen, H1471 and against all Idumea, H123 which have appointed H5414 my land H776 into their possession H4181 with the joy H8057 of all their heart, H3824 with despiteful H7589 minds, H5315 to cast it out H4054 for a prey. H957
And I will send H7971 a fire H784 on Magog, H4031 and among them that dwell H3427 carelessly H983 in the isles: H339 and they shall know H3045 that I am the LORD. H3068 So will I make my holy H6944 name H8034 known H3045 in the midst H8432 of my people H5971 Israel; H3478 and I will not let them pollute H2490 my holy H6944 name H8034 any more: and the heathen H1471 shall know H3045 that I am the LORD, H3068 the Holy One H6918 in Israel. H3478
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Ezekiel 35
Commentary on Ezekiel 35 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 35
Eze 35:1-15. Judgment on Edom.
Another feature of Israel's prosperity; those who exulted over Israel's humiliation, shall themselves be a "prey." Already stated in Eze 25:12-14; properly repeated here in full detail, as a commentary on Eze 34:28. The Israelites "shall be no more a prey"; but Edom, the type of their most bitter foes, shall be destroyed irrecoverably.
2. Mount Seir—that is, Idumea (Ge 36:9). Singled out as badly pre-eminent in its bitterness against God's people, to represent all their enemies everywhere and in all ages. So in Isa 34:5; 63:1-4, Edom, the region of the greatest enmity towards God's people, is the ideal scene of the final judgments of all God's foes. "Seir" means "shaggy," alluding to its rugged hills and forests.
3. most desolate—literally, "desolation and desolateness" (Jer 49:17, &c.). It is only in their national character of foes to God's people, that the Edomites are to be utterly destroyed. A remnant of Edom, as of the other heathen, is to be "called by the name of God" (Am 9:12).
5. perpetual hatred—(Ps 137:7; Am 1:11; Ob 10-16). Edom perpetuated the hereditary hatred derived from Esau against Jacob.
shed the blood of, &c.—The literal translation is better. "Thou hast poured out the children of Israel"; namely, like water. So Ps 22:14; 63:10, Margin; Jer 18:21. Compare 2Sa 14:14.
by the force of the sword—literally, "by" or "upon the hands of the sword"; the sword being personified as a devourer whose "hands" were the instruments of destruction.
in the time that their iniquity had an end—that is, had its consummation (Eze 21:25, 29). Edom consummated his guilt when he exulted over Jerusalem's downfall, and helped the foe to destroy it (Ps 137:7; Ob 11).
6. I will prepare thee unto blood—I will expose thee to slaughter.
sith—old English for "seeing that" or "since."
thou hast not hated blood—The Hebrew order is, "thou hast hated not—blood"; that is, thou couldst not bear to live without bloodshed [Grotius]. There is a play on similar sounds in the Hebrew; Edom resembling dam, the Hebrew for "blood"; as "Edom" means "red," the transition to "blood" is easy. Edom, akin to blood in name, so also in nature and acts; "blood therefore shall pursue thee." The measure which Edom meted to others should be meted to himself (Ps 109:17; Mt 7:2; 26:52).
7. cut off … him that passeth—that is, every passer to and fro; "the highways shall be unoccupied" (Eze 29:11; Jud 5:6).
9. shall not return—to their former state (Eze 16:55); shall not be restored. The Hebrew text (Chetib) reads, "shall not be inhabited" (compare Eze 26:20; Mal 1:3, 4).
10. So far from being allowed to enter on Israel's vacated inheritance, as Edom hoped (Eze 36:5; Ps 83:4, 12; Ob 13), it shall be that he shall be deprived of his own; and whereas Israel's humiliation was temporary, Edom's shall be perpetual.
Lord was there—(Eze 48:35; Ps 48:1, 3; 132:13, 14). Jehovah claimed Judea as His own, even when the Chaldeans had overthrown the state; they could not remove Him, as they did the idols of heathen lands. The broken sentences express the excited feelings of the prophet at Edom's wicked presumption. The transition from the "two nations and two countries" to "it" marks that the two are regarded as one whole. The last clause, "and Jehovah was there," bursts in, like a flash of lightning, reproving the wicked presumption of Edom's thought.
11. according to thine anger—(Jas 2:13). As thou in anger and envy hast injured them, so I will injure thee.
I will make myself known among them—namely, the Israelites. I will manifest My favor to them, after I have punished thee.
12, 13. blasphemies … against … Israel … against me—God regards what is done against His people as done against Himself (Mt 25:45; Ac 9:2, 4, 5). Edom implied, if he did not express it, in his taunts against Israel, that God had not sufficient power to protect His people. A type of the spirit of all the foes of God and His people (1Sa 2:3; Re 13:6).
14. (Isa 65:13, 14). "The whole earth" refers to Judea and the nations that submit themselves to Judea's God; when these rejoice, the foes of God and His people, represented by Edom as a nation, shall be desolate. Things shall be completely reversed; Israel, that now for a time mourns, shall then rejoice and for ever. Edom, that now rejoices over fallen Israel, shall then, when elsewhere all is joy, mourn, and for ever (Isa 65:17-19; Mt 5:4; Lu 6:25). Havernick loses this striking antithesis by translating, "According to the joy of the whole land (of Edom), so I will make thee desolate"; which would make Eze 35:15 a mere repetition of this.
15. (Ob 12, 15).