Kingdoms around Israel 830 BCE. *Oldtidens_Israel_&_Judea.svg: FinnWikiNoderivative work: Richardprins (talk)derivative work: Richardprins (talk) – Kingdoms_of_Israel_and_Judah_map_830.svg, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10876701

 Ezekiel 35

¹ The word of the LORD came to me: ² Mortal, set your face against Mount Seir, and prophesy against it, ³ and say to it, Thus says the Lord GOD:

I am against you, Mount Seir; I stretch out my hand against you to make you a desolation and a waste.

⁴ I lay your towns in ruins; you shall become a desolation, and you shall know that I am the LORD.

⁵ Because you cherished an ancient enmity, and gave over the people of Israel to the power of the sword at the time of their calamity, at the time of their final punishment; ⁶ therefore, as I live, says the Lord GOD, I will prepare you for blood, and blood shall pursue you; since you did not hate bloodshed, bloodshed shall pursue you. ⁷ I will make Mount Seir a waste and a desolation; and I will cut off from it all who come and go. ⁸ I will fill its mountains with the slain; on your hills and in your valleys and in all your watercourses those killed with the sword shall fall. ⁹ I will make you a perpetual desolation, and your cities shall never be inhabited. Then you shall know that I am the LORD.

¹⁰ Because you said, “These two nations and these two countries shall be mine, and we will take possession of them,” — although the LORD was there — ¹¹ therefore, as I live, says the Lord GOD, I will deal with you according to the anger and envy that you showed because of your hatred against them; and I will make myself known among you, when I judge you. ¹² You shall know that I, the LORD, have heard all the abusive speech that you uttered against the mountains of Israel, saying, “They are laid desolate, they are given us to devour.” ¹³ And you magnified yourselves against me with your mouth, and multiplied your words against me; I heard it. ¹⁴ Thus says the Lord GOD: As the whole earth rejoices, I will make you desolate. ¹⁵ As you rejoiced over the inheritance of the house of Israel, because it was desolate, so I will deal with you; you shall be desolate, Mount Seir, and all Edom, all of it. Then they shall know that I am the LORD.

Mount Seir is a geographical linkage to the people of Edom. This reference to Mount Seir will parallel the references to the mountains of Israel in the following chapter. Chapter 35 and Chapter 36:1-15 function together to link the condemnation of Edom with the hope for the mountains of Israel. Edom received a short but harsh condemnation among the nations in Ezekiel 25: 12-14 and its frequent references in the prophets, Psalms, and Lamentations[1] illustrate a long-lasting struggle between the people of Israel/Judah and Edom. Verse five indicates that Mount Seir/Edom cherished an ancient enmity (literally an enmity of eternity in Hebrew) and this may go back to the origin narrative in scripture of Jacob and Esau (the biblical origins of Edom) where the twins struggled in Rebekah’s womb and throughout their lives.[2]

In the previous chapter Ezekiel pointed to a vision of a new shepherd or king (or more properly for Ezekiel prince) who is David. Now Ezekiel begins the process of a renewed relationship with the land, but before the people can have their relationship with the land renewed the intrusions of the Edomites must be dealt with by God. In the vacuum left by the depopulation of the land by Babylon (and earlier Assyria for the northern kingdom) the Edomites have viewed this as a time to stake their claim on this fertile land. The Hebrew root behind ‘desolation’ or ‘desolate’ occurs ten times in this short section and set the theme for this judgment of Mount Seir. The abusive speech and actions of the people of Edom have been heard by the LORD and will be dealt with by God’s actions. The removal of the people by Nebuchadrezzar (acting as God’s agent of judgment) does not remove the land from God’s protection. This is a message of hope for the people of Judah. Those who have rejoiced and profited from the desolation of the people of Israel and may be participating in hunting down the survivors still remaining in the land will now experience their own judgment and desolation. This turn by God against the nations who are plundering the land of Israel will lead in the following chapter to a renewal of the land for the people of Israel.

[1] Amos 1: 11-12, Isaiah 34: 5-17, Jeremiah 49: 7-22, Malachi 1: 2-5, Obadiah 11-14, Psalm 137:7, and Lamentations 4: 21-22.

[2] Genesis 25: 22-34 and the continuing narrative which runs through Genesis 33.