Chapter 35
Themes, discussion questions, Christ connections, and denomination lenses.
Just read this chapter →Scripture
KJV1Moreover 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.
“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.”
Overview
God pronounces judgment against Mount Seir (Edom) for its perpetual hatred against Israel and its eagerness to possess Israel's land during its desolation. Because Edom said 'These two nations and these two countries shall be mine,' God will make Edom a perpetual desolation. As Edom rejoiced over Israel's inheritance being desolate, so God will make Edom desolate, and all the world shall know that He is the LORD.
Key Themes
Perpetual Hatred Judged
Edom's ancient, unrelenting hatred toward Israel — from Esau's enmity to active betrayal during Jerusalem's fall — finally brings down God's full judgment.
The Sin of Opportunistic Land-Grabbing
Edom's attempt to seize Israel's land during her desolation — saying 'It shall be mine' — is condemned as an offense against God, who owns the land.
Measure for Measure
As Edom rejoiced over Israel's desolation, so Edom will become desolate — God's justice mirrors back to nations exactly what they inflicted on others.
Study Questions
Why is Edom singled out for such severe judgment among Israel's enemies?
What does Edom's claim over Israel's land (v. 10) reveal about the spiritual dimension of territorial conflict?
How does the principle of 'measure for measure' (v. 15) operate in God's justice?
What does God's response to Edom's words against Israel (v. 13) teach about the power of hostile speech?
How does this chapter serve as a transition to the restoration promises that follow in chapter 36?
Connection to Christ
The perpetual hatred of Edom against God's people finds its ultimate expression in the hostility of the world toward Christ and His Church. Christ conquers this hatred not with retaliatory destruction but with the triumph of the cross, where love overcomes enmity (Ephesians 2:14-16).
Personal Reflection
Take time to journal or meditate on what God is teaching you through Ezekiel 35. How can these truths transform your thinking and actions today?