Ezekiel 35:1-12 Meaning: God’s Judgment on Those Who Hate His People
1Moreover Yahweh’s word came to me, saying,
2“Son of man, set your face against Mount Seir, and prophesy against it,
3and tell it, ‘The Lord Yahweh says: “Behold, I am against you, Mount Seir, and I will stretch out my hand against you. I will make you a desolation and an astonishment.
4I will lay your cities waste, and you will be desolate. Then you will know that I am Yahweh.
5“‘“Because you have had a perpetual hostility, and have given over the children of Israel to the power of the sword in the time of their calamity, in the time of the iniquity of the end,
6therefore, as I live,” says the Lord Yahweh, “I will prepare you for blood, and blood will pursue you. Since you have not hated blood, therefore blood will pursue you.
7Thus I will make Mount Seir an astonishment and a desolation. I will cut off from it him who passes through and him who returns.
8I will fill its mountains with its slain. The slain with the sword will fall in your hills and in your valleys and in all your watercourses.
9I will make you a perpetual desolation, and your cities will not be inhabited. Then you will know that I am Yahweh.
10“‘“Because you have said, ‘These two nations and these two countries will be mine, and we will possess it,’ although Yahweh was there,
11therefore, as I live,” says the Lord Yahweh, “I will do according to your anger, and according to your envy which you have shown out of your hatred against them; and I will make myself known among them when I judge you.
12You will know that I, Yahweh, have heard all your insults which you have spoken against the mountains of Israel, saying, ‘They have been laid desolate. They have been given to us to devour.’
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.
1Moreover the word of Jehovah 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 Jehovah: Behold, I am against thee, O mount Seir, and I will stretch out my hand against thee, and I will make thee a desolation and an astonishment.
4I will lay thy cities waste, and thou shalt be desolate; and thou shalt know that I am Jehovah.
5Because thou hast had a perpetual enmity, and hast given over the children of Israel to the power of the sword in the time of their calamity, in the time of the iniquity of the end;
6therefore, as I live, saith the Lord Jehovah, I will prepare thee unto blood, and blood shall pursue thee: since thou hast not hated blood, therefore blood shall pursue thee.
7Thus will I make mount Seir an astonishment and a desolation; and I will cut off from it him that passeth through and him that returneth.
8And I will fill its mountains with its slain: in thy hills and in thy valleys and in all thy watercourses shall they fall that are slain with the sword.
9I will make thee a perpetual desolation, and thy cities shall not be inhabited; and ye shall know that I am Jehovah.
10Because thou hast said, These two nations and these two countries shall be mine, and we will possess it; whereas Jehovah was there:
11therefore, as I live, saith the Lord Jehovah, I will do according to thine anger, and according to thine envy which thou hast showed out of thy hatred against them; and I will make myself known among them, when I shall judge thee.
12And thou shalt know that I, Jehovah, have heard all thy revilings which thou hast spoken against the mountains of Israel, saying, They are laid desolate, they are given us to devour.
1And there is a word of Jehovah unto me, saying:
2`Son of man, set thy face against mount Seir, and prophesy against it,
3and thou hast said to it: Thus said the Lord Jehovah: Lo, I am against thee, O mount Seir, And have stretched out My hand against thee, And made thee a desolation and an astonishment.
4Thy cities a waste I make, and thou art a desolation, And thou hast known that I am Jehovah.
5Because of thy having an enmity age-during, And thou dost saw the sons of Israel, By the hands of the sword, In the time of their calamity, In the time of the iniquity of the end:
6Therefore, I live--an affirmation of the Lord Jehovah, Surely for blood I do appoint thee, And blood doth pursue thee, If blood thou hast not hated, Blood also doth pursue thee.
7And I have given mount Seir for a desolation and an astonishment, And have cut off from it him who is passing over and him who is returning,
8And filled his mountains with his wounded, Thy hills, and thy valleys, and all thy streams, The pierced of the sword fall into them.
9Desolations age-during I make thee, And thy cities do not return, And ye have known that I am Jehovah.
10Because of thy saying: The two nations and the two lands are mine, and we have possessed it, And Jehovah hath been there;
11Therefore, I live--an affirmation of the Lord Jehovah, And I have done according to thine anger, And according to thine envy, With which thou hast wrought, Because of thy hatred against them, And I have been known among them when I judge thee.
12And thou hast known that I--Jehovah, I have heard all thy despisings that thou hast spoken Against mountains of Israel, saying: A desolation, to us they were given for food.
1And the word of Jehovah 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 Jehovah: Behold, I am against thee, mount Seir, and I will stretch out my hand upon thee, and I will make thee a desolation and an astonishment.
4I will lay thy cities waste, and thou shalt be a desolation: and thou shalt know that I [am] Jehovah.
5Because thou hast had a perpetual hatred, and hast given over the children of Israel to the power of the sword, in the time of their calamity, in the time of the iniquity of the end;
6therefore, [as] I live, saith the Lord Jehovah, I will certainly appoint thee unto blood, and blood shall pursue thee; since thou hast not hated blood, blood shall pursue thee.
7And I will make mount Seir a desolation and an astonishment, and cut off from it him that passeth out and him that returneth;
8and I will fill his mountains with his slain. In thy hills, and in thy valleys, and in all thy water-courses shall they fall that are slain with the sword.
9I will make thee perpetual desolations, and thy cities shall not be inhabited: and ye shall know that I [am] Jehovah.
10Because thou hast said, These two nations and these two countries shall be mine, and we will possess it, whereas Jehovah was there:
11therefore, [as] I live, saith the Lord Jehovah, I will even do according to thine anger and according to thine envy, as thou hast done out of thy hatred against them; and I will make myself known among them, when I shall judge thee.
12And thou shalt know that I Jehovah have heard all thy reproaches, which thou hast uttered against the mountains of Israel, saying, They are laid desolate, they are given us to devour.
Meaning in one sentence
God judges Edom for its perpetual hatred against Israel, showing He defends His people and will restore them. A contrast to the hope ahead.
Context
Ezekiel 35 is not about something that happened long ago with no connection to us. It stands right before the great promise of Israel’s restoration in chapter 36. The prophet turns his face toward Mount Seir, the hill country of Edom, the nation descended from Esau. For generations Edom had nursed an old grudge against Israel. When Babylon crushed Jerusalem, Edom did not help its brother. It cheered, looted, and even blocked refugees from escaping. This chapter is God’s response to that cruelty. But it is more than a verdict on one nation. Edom represents every power that sets itself against God’s people, confident that it can seize what belongs to the Lord. By judging Edom, God clears the way for Israel’s restoration and shows that He alone holds the land and the future.
Key Words
Three English phrases carry the weight of this passage. The first is “perpetual hatred.” The word “perpetual” goes beyond a long grudge. It means an enmity that has never stopped, passed down through generations. The Edomites did not just dislike Israel in the moment of their fall. They had kept the wound open for centuries, and now they saw their chance to finish what they started. God calls it what it is: hatred, not just rivalry.
The second is “blood.” God says, “I will prepare you for blood, and blood will pursue you.” The commentators note that the Edomites loved bloodshed, so blood would be their portion. They sowed violence, and violence would harvest them.
The third is “desolation.” It appears six times in the passage. The Hebrew idea is a place stripped of life and hope. God promises Edom the very emptiness they wished on Israel. Words matter. Hatred spoken and acted upon brings consequences.
How Christians Read This Verse
Readers from different traditions all see this passage as a sobering picture of divine justice, but they emphasize different angles. Protestant commentators such as Jamieson-Fausset-Brown focus on Edom as a type of all enemies of God’s people, a warning that what you sow you reap. The Cambridge Bible notes that Edom’s three specific sins, perpetual hatred, malicious joy, and land-grabbing, are each answered in kind. Wesley and Clarke underline God’s faithfulness to His covenant: He defends Israel because they are His, not because they deserve it. Catholic and Orthodox readings might highlight the communal dimension, that a nation’s sin carries corporate guilt and reaps corporate judgment. All agree on the main point: God hears every insult against His people because He is present with them.
A common misunderstanding
A common misreading is that God is simply vengeful, punishing Edom in an emotional outburst. In fact, the passage repeatedly gives the specific reasons for the judgment: perpetual hatred, violence against the weak, and claiming land that belongs to the Lord (verse 10: “although Yahweh was there”). God is not capricious. He holds nations accountable for what they have done, and He defends His people because they bear His name.
Living This Out
This passage asks us to examine our own hearts. Is there someone we have held a grudge against for years? Maybe a family member, a coworker, a church member who wronged us long ago. Hatred left unchecked grows into a habit of the soul, and it blinds us to God’s presence. The Edomites saw the land of Israel as empty and available. But “Yahweh was there,” and they missed Him. This week, before you speak a cutting word or rehearse an old wound, ask yourself: Am I treating this person as someone God is present with? That question could change everything.
Main takeaway: God sees every hateful word and action against His people, and He will act to defend them and make Himself known.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
Do you have a brother or sister you sometimes fight with? The Edomites were like that to God’s people. God was not happy. He wants us to love, not keep being mean.
For ages 9, 12
The Edomites were relatives of Israel, but they hated them for hundreds of years. When Israel was in trouble, Edom laughed and took their stuff. God said: I heard that, and I will not let it stand. This shows that God cares when people are hurt, and He will bring justice. It also reminds us not to enjoy seeing others fail, because God sees our hearts too.
Questions People Ask
What is Mount Seir?
Mount Seir is the mountainous region of Edom, the nation descended from Esau, Jacob’s brother. It is used as a name for the whole country of Edom in this prophecy.
Why does God judge Edom so harshly?
The passage gives clear reasons: Edom harbored a perpetual hatred against Israel, took advantage of Israel’s fall, and claimed the land of Judah and Israel for themselves, even though the Lord was present there. God judges them for their cruelty and arrogance.
Is this only about ancient Edom, or does it apply today?
Historic Christian teaching sees Edom as a symbol of all powers that oppose God and His people. The principles of justice and accountability apply to every nation and person. God still defends the weak and holds the proud accountable.
How does this chapter connect to the next one?
Ezekiel 35 is the dark background to the bright promise of chapter 36, where God restores Israel. By removing Edom, God demonstrates that He is sovereign over the land and that He will rebuild His people. The judgment on the enemy clears the way for renewal.
What does “then you will know that I am Yahweh” mean?
This phrase appears throughout Ezekiel. It means that God acts in history to display His identity and power. When judgment or salvation happens, people recognize that the Lord is real, sovereign and faithful to His covenant.
For pastors & researchers
Hebrew interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study