Edom's Ancient Hatred
Study note
Mount Seir was the mountainous homeland of the Edomites, descendants of Esau. The Edomites had maintained an ancient grudge against Israel going back to the rivalry between Esau and Jacob. When Jerusalem fell, Edom helped the enemy and killed Israelites who tried to escape. God would turn Edom into a permanent wasteland, filling its mountains, hills, and valleys with the dead.
1 The Lord spoke to me. Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
2 "Son of man, face Mount Seir and prophesy against it." Son of man, set thy face against mount Seir, and prophesy against it,
3 Tell it the Lord God says: "I am coming against you, Mount Seir! I will raise my hand against you and leave you utterly desolate." And 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.
4 "I will reduce your cities to rubble. You will become a wasteland. Then you will recognize that I am the Lord." I will lay thy cities waste, and thou shalt be desolate, and thou shalt know that I am the LORD.
5 "You held on to an old grudge. You handed the Israelites over to be killed at the worst possible moment. Their time of final punishment had come." Because 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:
6 "So I swear on my life, says the Lord God: I will give you over to bloodshed, and bloodshed will pursue you wherever you go. Since you did not shrink from violence, violence will chase you down." Therefore, 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.
7 "I will make Mount Seir a total wasteland. I will eliminate everyone who tries to come or go." Thus will I make mount Seir most desolate, and cut off from it him that passeth out and him that returneth.
8 "I will fill your mountains with corpses. Bodies of the slain will cover your hills, valleys, and ravines." And 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.
9 "I will make you permanently desolate. Your cities will never be inhabited again. Then you will know that I am the Lord." I will make thee perpetual desolations, and thy cities shall not return: and ye shall know that I am the LORD.
Edom Claimed God's Land
Study note
Edom had said, 'These two nations and lands (Israel and Judah) will be ours, and we will take them over,' even though the Lord was there. God heard all of Edom's insults and boasts against him. When the whole earth rejoiced at Israel's future restoration, Edom would become desolate. Just as Edom had rejoiced over Israel's ruin, the entire world would rejoice over Edom's desolation.
10 "Because you bragged, 'Both of these nations and their lands will be mine, and we will take them over' -- even though the Lord himself was there --" Because thou hast said, These two nations and these two countries shall be mine, and we will possess it; whereas the LORD was there:
11 "I swear on my life, says the Lord God: I will pay you back with the same anger and jealousy you showed through your hatred of them. I will make myself known among them when I judge you." Therefore, 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.
12 "Then you will discover that I, the Lord, heard every insult you hurled at the mountains of Israel. You taunted, 'They are deserted. They have been handed to us as prey.'" And 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.
13 "You bragged defiantly against me and piled up insults against me. I heard every one." Thus with your mouth ye have boasted against me, and have multiplied your words against me: I have heard them.
14 The Lord God says: "While the whole earth celebrates, I will turn you into a wasteland." Thus saith the Lord GOD; When the whole earth rejoiceth, I will make thee desolate.
15 "You celebrated when Israel's inheritance was destroyed, so I will do the same to you. You will become a wasteland, Mount Seir -- you and all of Edom. Then everyone will know that I am the Lord." As 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.