Ezekiel 35

Moreover the LORD’s word came to me, saying,

“Son of man, set your face against Mount Seir, and prophesy against it,

and tell it, ‘The Lord GOD 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.

I will lay your cities waste, and you will be desolate. Then you will know that I am the LORD.

“‘“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,

therefore, as I live,” says the Lord GOD, “I will prepare you for blood, and blood will pursue you. Since you have not hated blood, therefore blood will pursue you.

Thus I will make Mount Seir an astonishment and a desolation. I will cut off from it him who passes through and him who returns.

I 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.

I will make you a perpetual desolation, and your cities will not be inhabited. Then you will know that I am the LORD.

“‘“Because you have said, ‘These two nations and these two countries will be mine, and we will possess it,’ although the LORD was there,

therefore, as I live,” says the Lord GOD, “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.

You will know that I, the LORD, 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.’

You have magnified yourselves against me with your mouth, and have multiplied your words against me. I have heard it.”

The Lord GOD says: “When the whole earth rejoices, I will make you desolate.

As you rejoiced over the inheritance of the house of Israel because it was desolate, so I will do to you. You will be desolate, Mount Seir, and all Edom, even all of it. Then they will know that I am the LORD.’”

Chapter overviewAI-generated

Overview.
This chapter contains a divine oracle of judgment directed against Mount Seir, representing Edom, a people descended from Esau and long-standing enemies of Israel. The Lord declares His opposition to Edom for its enduring hostility toward His people, particularly for rejoicing in Israel’s downfall and arrogantly claiming the land of Judah for itself, disregarding the Lord’s presence and sovereignty. The prophecy emphasizes that Edom’s pride and violent intentions will be met with total desolation and divine retribution, ultimately serving to make known the holiness and justice of God.

Flow.

The Lord commands Ezekiel to set his face against Mount Seir and deliver a message of judgment.
The reason for judgment is Edom’s perpetual enmity and its eager participation in Israel’s destruction during their time of calamity.
Edom’s arrogance—claiming Israel’s land as its own despite the LORD’s presence—is condemned as an affront to divine authority.
The sentence is total desolation: Edom will become a perpetual waste, filled with the slain, so that both Israel and Edom will know that the LORD is God.

Connections.
Following chapter 34, which contrasts the false shepherds of Israel with the Lord’s promise to shepherd His flock Himself and vindicate His people, chapter 35 turns to the fate of the nations who mistreat God’s flock. While chapter 34 ends with promises of restoration for Israel, chapter 35 underscores that this restoration includes divine judgment on those who sought to destroy or displace God’s people. The contrast sets the stage for chapter 36, which expands on the future renewal of Israel’s land and heart, showing that God’s justice against the nations and His mercy toward His people are two sides of His sovereign faithfulness to His name and covenant.

What it teaches.
God is zealous for His people and will not let their oppressors escape judgment, even if their hostility is rooted in ancient enmity or opportunistic pride. Edom’s sin was not merely political rivalry but a spiritual rebellion against God’s presence among Israel (WCF 7.3). The repetition of “Then you will know that I am the LORD” (e.g., vv. 4, 9, 15) underscores the universal revelation of God’s justice, echoing the purpose seen throughout Ezekiel (cf. WLC Q. 17). The Lord will defend the honor of His land and His people not for their sake alone, but that His name may be acknowledged among the nations (), a theme reflected in the broader confessional understanding of God’s glory in judgment and mercy (HC LD 10).

Apply.
When pride seeks to inherit what belongs to God’s people by promise, the Lord will answer with justice that reveals His ownership of history and land.

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