The Prophets · Old Testament
Ezekiel 35
Ezekiel 35: mount Seir judged for its perpetual hatred
General context
The prophet is told to set his face against mount Seir and prophesy against it. The Lord God is against it and will make it most desolate, its cities waste. The reason given is a perpetual hatred: Seir shed the blood of the children of Israel by the sword in the time of their calamity, when their iniquity had an end. Because Seir did not hate blood, blood will pursue it; its mountains, hills, valleys and rivers will be filled with the slain, and its desolations will be perpetual. A second reason is a saying: "These two nations and these two countries shall be mine, and we will possess it", spoken although the Lord was there. He will act according to Seir's anger and envy, and will make himself known among them when he has judged Seir. He has heard its blasphemies against the mountains of Israel, "They are laid desolate, they are given us to consume", and its boasting words against himself. When the whole earth rejoices, he will make Seir desolate; as Seir rejoiced over Israel's inheritance because it was desolate, so Seir and all Idumea will be desolate, and they will know that he is the Lord.
Cited passages: Ezekiel 35:2, Ezekiel 35:3, Ezekiel 35:4, Ezekiel 35:5, Ezekiel 35:6, Ezekiel 35:8, Ezekiel 35:9, Ezekiel 35:10, Ezekiel 35:11, Ezekiel 35:12, Ezekiel 35:13, Ezekiel 35:14, Ezekiel 35:15
Ezekiel 35 (KJV)
1Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
2Son of man, set thy face against mount Seir, and prophesy against it,
3And say unto it, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, O mount Seir, I am against thee, and I will stretch out mine hand against thee, and I will make thee most desolate.
4I will lay thy cities waste, and thou shalt be desolate, and thou shalt know that I am the Lord.
5Because thou hast had a perpetual hatred, and hast shed the blood of the children of Israel by the force of the sword in the time of their calamity, in the time that their iniquity had an end:
6Therefore, as I live, saith the Lord God, I will prepare thee unto blood, and blood shall pursue thee: sith thou hast not hated blood, even blood shall pursue thee.
7Thus will I make mount Seir most desolate, and cut off from it him that passeth out and him that returneth.
8And I will fill his mountains with his slain men: in thy hills, and in thy valleys, and in all thy rivers, shall they fall that are slain with the sword.
9I will make thee perpetual desolations, and thy cities shall not return: and ye shall know that I am the Lord.
10Because thou hast said, These two nations and these two countries shall be mine, and we will possess it; whereas the Lord was there:
11Therefore, as I live, saith the Lord God, I will even do according to thine anger, and according to thine envy which thou hast used out of thy hatred against them; and I will make myself known among them, when I have judged thee.
12And thou shalt know that I am the Lord, and that I have heard all thy blasphemies which thou hast spoken against the mountains of Israel, saying, They are laid desolate, they are given us to consume.
13Thus with your mouth ye have boasted against me, and have multiplied your words against me: I have heard them.
14Thus saith the Lord God; When the whole earth rejoiceth, I will make thee desolate.
15As thou didst rejoice at the inheritance of the house of Israel, because it was desolate, so will I do unto thee: thou shalt be desolate, O mount Seir, and all Idumea, even all of it: and they shall know that I am the Lord.
This page shows the King James Version. In the app, reading opens in the Berean Standard Bible unless you have chosen another translation. The reader includes five translations: the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), the King James Version (KJV), the World English Bible (WEB), the Bible in Basic English (BBE), and the American Standard Version (ASV). Search covers three of them: Berean Standard, King James, and World English. Basic English and American Standard readers search the King James words.
Historical context
The addressee is "mount Seir", and the last verse widens it to "all Idumea". The name Edom is not used in this chapter, though Seir was paired with Moab in 25:8 and Edom was judged in 25:12 for vengeance on Judah. The offence is placed "in the time of their calamity, in the time that their iniquity had an end", that is, at Israel's downfall, but the chapter names no particular event. "These two nations and these two countries" are not identified in the text; the words are Seir's, quoted by the Lord, and the reply is only that "the Lord was there". The blasphemies are given as speech about "the mountains of Israel", which the next chapter addresses directly. There is no date heading; the word opens with "Moreover". The sentence is stated as future, and the text does not describe its fulfilment. The word rendered "sith" in verse 6 is the KJV's, meaning since.
Cited passages: Ezekiel 35:1, Ezekiel 35:2, Ezekiel 35:15, Ezekiel 25:8, Ezekiel 25:12, Ezekiel 35:5, Ezekiel 35:10, Ezekiel 36:1
Literary context
The oracle is built on words repeated until they turn back on the speaker. Seir's "perpetual hatred" is answered by "perpetual desolations". The word blood occurs four times in one verse: Seir shed blood, did not hate blood, and so blood will pursue it. "Desolate" runs through the chapter, first as what Seir called Israel's mountains and last as what Seir itself will be. The Lord twice says "I have heard", so that Seir's speech, the saying about two nations, the blasphemies and the multiplied words, is treated as the evidence against it. The measure-for-measure principle is made explicit: "according to thine anger", "As thou didst rejoice... so will I do unto thee". The refrain "know that I am the Lord" appears four times. The chapter is paired with the next: Seir is addressed as a mountain and made desolate, and the mountains of Israel are then addressed and made fruitful.
Cited passages: Ezekiel 35:5, Ezekiel 35:9, Ezekiel 35:6, Ezekiel 35:12, Ezekiel 35:15, Ezekiel 35:13, Ezekiel 35:11, Ezekiel 35:4, Ezekiel 36:8
Key moments
- Face set against mount Seir (Ezekiel 35:2). The prophet is told to prophesy against mount Seir.
- Blood in the time of calamity (Ezekiel 35:5). Seir is charged with perpetual hatred and shedding Israel's blood at its downfall.
- Blood shall pursue thee (Ezekiel 35:6). Because Seir did not hate blood, blood will pursue it.
- Two nations shall be mine (Ezekiel 35:10). Seir's claim on two nations and two countries is quoted, though the Lord was there.
- Rejoicing answered with desolation (Ezekiel 35:15). As Seir rejoiced over Israel's desolate inheritance, Seir and all Idumea will be desolate.
For reflection
Seir's charge includes words the Lord says he heard: boasts, a claim on the land, gloating over ruin. What does it mean that speech about a neighbour's disaster is counted here alongside bloodshed?
