Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary
Ezekiel 35:15

Clarke's Commentary

Verse Ezekiel 35:15. So will I do unto thee — Others shall rejoice in thy downfall as thou hast rejoiced at their downfall.

This whole chapter strongly inculcates this maxim: Do as thou wouldst be done by; and what thou wouldst not have done to thee, do not to others. And from it we learn that every man may, in some sort, be said to make his own temporal good or evil; for as he does to others, God will take care to do to him, whether it be evil or good, weal or wo. Would you not be slandered or backbitten? Then do not slander nor backbite. Wouldst thou wish to live in peace? Then do not disturb the peace of others. Be merciful, and thou shalt obtain mercy.

Bridgeway Bible Commentary

Edom punished (35:1-15)

Since the Jews were to inherit their land again, any foreign nation that attempted to occupy that land for itself had to be overcome. One such nation was Edom, symbolized here by its distinctive landmark, Mt Seir (35:1-4). Edom had a long record of bitter hatred of Israel, and with wicked vindictiveness had gladly helped Babylon crush Jerusalem in 587 BC. Therefore, Edom itself will be crushed. It will suffer the slaughter it made Jerusalem suffer. Its people will be wiped out and its land left uninhabited (5-9; see notes on 25:12-14).

Edom was determined to take over the territory of Judah for itself, but God saw Edom’s action as an attack upon him. Since Judah was God’s people and their land was his territory, Edom’s curses against Judah were really blasphemies against God (10-13). Far from taking over Judah’s land, Edom will be destroyed and its land left a desolation (14-15).

Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible

"And ye have magnified yourself against me with your mouth, and have multiplied your words against me: I have heard it. Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: when the whole earth rejoiceth, I will make thee desolate. As thou didst rejoice over 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 Edom, even all of it; and thou shalt know that I am Jehovah."

"And have multiplied your words against me" The words that men speak have an importance far beyond what many suppose. Words are by no means unimportant or inconsequential. The Son of God Himself has warned us all that, "By thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned" (Matthew 12:37).

"When the whole earth rejoiceth, I will make thee desolate" This gives the time when desolation shall come to Edom. It shall be when "the whole earth rejoiceth," a reference to the times of the New Covenant, the present dispensation of God's grace. The present state of the ancient land of Edom is an eloquent fulfillment of what is here foretold.

Any good encyclopedia, travel magazine, or travelers' guide will afford all the proof that is needed that the prophecies in this chapter against Edom have received the most literal fulfillment. Plumptre noted that:

"This land, once so rich in flocks and herds, so mighty in its rock-hewn cities, so extensive in its commercial activities, so renowned for the architectural splendor of its palaces, is now a desolated and deserted wilderness. Its whole population consists of three or four miserable tiny villages. No merchant would now dare to enter it; its highways are unused; its cities are in ruins."E. H. Plumptre in the Pulpit Commentary, p. 227.

No ghost town of Arizona or California is any more forlorn or deserted than is Petra.

Feinberg has a statement which is true enough, but which is also the basis of a great deal of popular misunderstanding. He said:

"When a nation gives itself over to the perpetual hatred of Israel, then there is no other alternative than perpetual desolation from God. Nation after nation has experienced this in the past, and some have done so in modern times."Charles Lee Feinberg in Ezekiel (Moody Press), p. 204.

This is true enough as long as one understands which Israel of God is meant. The only Israel God has in our generation is the spiritual body of Jesus Christ, his church; and it has no connection whatever with any racial group of people who ever lived on earth.

Our generation needs to get that fact in focus.

The old racial Israel lost their status when their official leaders cried, "Let him be crucified; we have no king but Caesar." Ever since that time, they have indeed had no king but Caesar; and this fact is the one overwhelmingly corroborated by history down to the present time.

The great name for Israel in the Old Testament is `the vine'; but, in time the old racial Israel became a bastard vine; but, in the fullness of time Jesus Christ the True Vine came into our world (John 15:1 ff); and ever since that event, Christ and his followers have been the Only Israel of God.

Smith's Bible Commentary

Chapter 35

Now in chapter 35 he makes a prophecy against Mount Seir. Mount Seir was the area inhabited by the Edomites. And the Edomites were descendents of Esau, the twin brother of Jacob. But the Edomites, you remember how Esau when Jacob stole the father's birthright by disguising himself as his brother Esau and went in and took the venison into his father, took the goat meat that his mother had prepared to taste like venison and took it in and fed his dad and got the blessing. And when Esau came in with the venison and said, "Here, Dad, eat and bless me," he said, "Oh, what is going on? I've already given the blessing." And Esau said, "Oh, I'm going to kill that brother of mine. Ooohhh." And he vowed, really, to kill Jacob. And there was bad blood between them. And Jacob, of course, fled for his life and spent seventeen years with his uncle for fear of his brother Esau.

This antagonism continued down through the years. So you remember when the children of Israel were coming out of Egypt, coming through the wilderness, they desired to pass through the land of Edom to make a more direct route to the land that God had promised, but the Edomites came out with their army and refused to allow them to enter into the land.

Now the Edomites dwelt in the area of south from Moab and in that area where their capital was the rock city of Petra. And that was as one time one of the centers of commerce from the east. And it was, of course, a fabulously beautiful city carved out of the rock. This rock city of Petra was the capital of Edom. And it was never really a powerful nation, but they were constantly... they were related to the Jews, but yet there was this great antagonism so that every time it would seem that someone would attack Judah from the north, the Edomites would take advantage of it and attack them from the south. Whenever their troops were occupied elsewhere they would take advantage and they would attack. And they were a constant thorn, because they had to constantly keep a garrison down in the south to protect them from these Edomites who really looked for every opportunity to attack. Now when Nebuchadnezzar came and destroyed, the Edomites also came in to get what loot they could. And, of course, they rejoiced greatly over the fall and destruction of Jerusalem. And because of this, God pronounces a judgment to come against the Edomites.

Now, the last of the Edomites was Herod that is recorded in history. Herod who was from Idumea, he was an Edomite. And since that time, they have been lost historically. The area has become very desolate. You go down to the area of Petra now and you'll find it's just an extremely desolate area, pretty much uninhabited.

So, in the light of that, this prophecy against Mount Seir or the area of Edom is quite interesting.

The word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, set your face against mount Seir, and prophesy against it, And say unto it, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, O mount Seir, I am against thee ( Ezekiel 35:1-3 ),

Now, God's not against the mountains. But, of course, in saying that, he's against the people that inhabit that mountain. You know, God wouldn't say, "Oh, San Gorgonio, I am against you." God has nothing against the mountains themselves. But if the inhabitants, now, if God said, "Oh, San Francisco, I am against you." He wouldn't be talking about San Francisco, but those people that live in San Francisco who have turned their backs upon God and are living such an unsavory kind of an existence.

So I will stretch out my hand against you, and I will make you desolate. I will lay thy cities waste, and you shall be desolate, and you shall know that I am the LORD ( Ezekiel 35:3-4 ).

Mount Seir is one of the most desolate places today.

Because you have had a perpetual hatred, and you have shed the blood of the children of Israel by the force of the sword in the time of their calamities ( Ezekiel 35:5 ),

And that's always when they would strike, when they were in trouble.

and at the time that their iniquity had an end: Therefore, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, I will prepare thee unto blood, and blood shall pursue thee: since thou hast not hated blood, even blood shall pursue thee. Thus will I make mount Seir most desolate, and cut off from it him that passeth out and him that returneth. And I will fill his mountains with the slain men: by the hills, and by the valleys, and all of thy rivers, and they shall fall that are slain with the sword. And I will make thee a perpetual desolation, and thy cities shall not return: and ye shall know that I am the LORD ( Ezekiel 35:5-9 ).

The land has remained perpetually desolate.

Because thou hast said, These two nations and these two countries shall be mine, and we will possess it; whereas the LORD was there: Therefore, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, I even will do according to your anger, and according to your envy, which you have used out of the hatred against them; and I will make myself known among them, when I have judged thee. And thou shalt know that I am the LORD, and that I have heard all of your blasphemies which thou hast spoken against the mountains of Israel, saying, They are laid desolate, they are given to us to consume. Thus with your mouth ye have boasted against me, and you've multiplied your words against me: and I heard them. Thus saith the Lord GOD; When the whole earth rejoices, I will make thee desolate ( Ezekiel 35:10-14 ).

And the time when the whole earth is rejoicing that will remain a desolate area.

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 of Idumea, even all of it: and they shall know that I am the LORD ( Ezekiel 35:15 ).

So the prophecy against Mount Seir.

Now as we move into the next lesson, it is a prophecy concerning the mountains of Israel, and you'll find a vivid contrast as you get into chapter 36 between Mount Seir, which is to be desolate perpetually, and the prophecies that are made concerning the mountains of Israel, which were desolate for so many centuries. And the exciting thing when you go over to Israel today is to see Ezekiel 36:0 fulfilled before your very eyes. These prophecies that God made concerning the mountains of Israel, you see the fulfillment of those prophecies when you're over there.

Chapter 37 God deals with the re-gathering of the nation of Israel back into the land. Chapter 38 the invasion by the allied forces of Russia when Israel has become a nation again. Chapter 39 the destruction of those invading forces.

So you've got some fascinating reading as the prophecies that we get into now, chapter 36, you can go over and see much of it already fulfilled. As with chapter 37. Chapter 38 is down the road-not very far, but down the road just a little bit. Waiting, really, to happen most any time. So, getting into some exciting areas. Next week ought to be a real blast.

May the Lord bless and guide your life this week. When those decisions have to be made, may the Lord give you a very strong impression to lead you into His path of righteousness. And may you experience God's power working in your life in a very special way. May the love of Christ just fill your heart and overflow, that lives around you might be touched because of what the Lord has done for you. May you be His witnesses, a testimony to others by the love of Christ that shines forth from you. "

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

The Lord would cause all the earth to rejoice when He made Edom a laughingstock in the world, just as it had rejoiced when Israel became desolate (cf. Ezekiel 36:5). Mount Seir and all of Edom would become absolutely desolate (cf. Ezekiel 36:10). It would not exist when the Lord restored His people to their land. Then the Edomites would learn that Yahweh is God.

"The prediction has been literally fulfilled. Edom was first subjugated by Babylon, then Medo-Persia, and then in 126 B.C. by John Hyrcanus the Hasmonean, who compelled them to become Jews. There is no trace of the Edomites now, although their desolate cities can still be identified, as predicted by Obadiah (Obadiah 1:18) and Jeremiah (Jeremiah 49:13)." [Note: Feinberg, pp. 201-2.]

Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

As thou didst rejoice at the inheritance of the house of Israel, because it was desolate,.... So Edom rejoiced at the destruction of Jerusalem, Obadiah 1:12, and so the followers of the man of sin will rejoice at the slaying of the witnesses, Revelation 11:10, which is resented by the Lord, and therefore adds,

so will I do unto thee; make thee desolate, as is explained in the next clause:

thou shall be desolate, O Mount Seir, and all Idumea, even all of it; not that mount only, but all the land of Edom, called Idumea; the destruction shall be general, as it was, and irretrievable; and so not Rome only, but all the antichristian states, will be destroyed, when God comes forth in his wrath against them:

and they shall know that I am the Lord; the Lord God omniscient and omnipotent; who, having foretold all this, shall accomplish it.

Henry's Complete Commentary on the Bible

      10 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 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 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 Thus with your mouth ye have boasted against me, and have multiplied your words against me: I have heard them.   14 Thus saith the Lord GOD; When the whole earth rejoiceth, I will make thee desolate.   15 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.

      Here is, I. A further account of the sin of the Edomites, and their bad conduct towards the people of God. We find the church complaining of them for setting on the Babylonians, and irritating them against Jerusalem, saying, Rase it, rase it, down with it, down with it (Psalms 137:7), inflaming a rage that needed no spur; here it is further charged upon them that they triumphed in Jerusalem's ruin and in the desolations of the country. Many blasphemies they spoke against the mountains of Israel, saying, with pride and pleasure, They are laid desolate,Ezekiel 35:12; Ezekiel 35:12. Note, The troubles of God's church, as they give proofs of the constancy and fidelity of its friends, so they discover and draw out the corruptions of its enemies, in whom there then appears more brutish malice than one would have thought of. Now their triumphing in Jerusalem's ruin is here said to proceed, 1. From a sinful passion against the people of Israel; from anger and envy, and hatred against them (Ezekiel 35:11; Ezekiel 35:11), that perpetual hatred spoken of Ezekiel 35:5; Ezekiel 35:5. Though they were not a match for them, and therefore could not do them a mischief themselves, yet they were glad when the Chaldeans did them a mischief. 2. From a sinful appetite to the land of Israel. They pleased themselves with hopes that when the people of Israel were destroyed they should be let into the possession of their country, which they had so often grudged and envied them. They thought they could make out something of a title to it, ob defectum sanguinis--for want of other heirs. If Jacob's issue fail, they think that they are next in the entail, and that the remainder will be to his brother's issue: "These two nations of Judah and Israel shall be mine. Now is the time for me to put in for them." At least they hope to come in as first occupants, being near neighbours: We will possess it when it is deserted. Ceditur occupanti--Let us get possession and that will be title enough. Note, Those have the spirit of Edomites who desire the death of others because they hope to get by it, or are pleased with their failing because they expect to come into their business. When we see the vanity of the world in the disappointments, losses, and crosses, that others meet with in it, instead of showing ourselves, upon such an occasion, greedy of it, we should rather be made thereby to sit more loose to it, and both take our affections off it and lower our expectations from it. But in this case of the Edomites' coveting the land of Israel, and gaping for it, there was a particular affront to God, when they said, "These lands are given us to devour, and we shall have our bellies full of their riches." God says, You have boasted against me and have multiplied your words against me; for they expected possession upon a vacancy, because Israel was driven out, whereas the Lord was still there,Ezekiel 35:10; Ezekiel 35:10. His temple indeed was burnt, and the other tokens of his presence were gone; but his promise to give that land to the seed of Jacob for an inheritance was not made void, but remained in full force and virtue; and by that promise he did in effect still keep possession for Israel, till they should in due time be restored to it. That was Immanuel's land (Isaiah 8:8); in that land he was to be born, and therefore that people shall continue in it of whom he is to be born, till he has passed his time in it, and then let who will take it. The Lord is there, the Lord Jesus is to be there; and therefore Israel's discontinuance of possession is no defeasance of their right, but it shall be kept for them, and they shall have, hold, and enjoy it by virtue of the divine grant, till the promise of this Canaan shall by the Messiah be changed into the promise of a far better. Note, It is a piece of presumption highly offensive to God for Edomites to lay claim to those privileges and comforts that are peculiar to God's chosen Israel and are reserved for them. It is blasphemy against the mountains of Israel, the holy mountains, to say, because they are for the present made a prey of and trodden under foot of the Gentiles (Revelation 11:2), even the holy city itself, that therefore the Lord has forsaken them, their God has forgotten them. The apostle will by no means admit such a thought as this, that God hath cast away his people,Romans 11:1. No; though they are cast down for a time, they are not cast off for ever. Those reproach the Lord who say they are.

      II. The notice God took of the barbarous insolence of the Edomites, and the doom passed upon them for it: I have heard all thy blasphemies,Ezekiel 35:12; Ezekiel 35:12. And again (Ezekiel 35:13; Ezekiel 35:13), You have multiplied your words against me, and I have heard them, I have observed them, I have kept an account of them. Note, In the multitude of words, not one escapes God's cognizance; let men speak ever so much, ever so fast, though they multiply words, which they themselves regard not, but forget immediately, yet none of them are lost in the crowd, not the most idle words; but God hears them, and will be able to charge the sinner with them. All the haughty and hard speeches, particularly, which are spoken against the Israel of God, the words which are magnified (as it is in the margin, Ezekiel 35:13; Ezekiel 35:13) as well as the words which are multiplied, God takes notice of. For, as the most trifling words are not below his cognizance, so the most daring are not above his rebuke. I have heard all thy blasphemies. This is a good reason why we should bear reproach as if we heard it not, because God will hear,Psalms 38:13; Psalms 38:15. God has heard the Edomites' blasphemy; let them therefore hear their doom, Ezekiel 35:14; Ezekiel 35:15. It was a national sin (the blasphemies charged upon them were the sense and language of all the Edomites), and therefore shall be punished with a national desolation. And, 1. It shall be a distinguishing punishment. As God has peculiar favours for Israelites, so he has peculiar plagues for Edomites: so that "When the whole earth rejoices I will make thee desolate; when other nations have their desolations repaired, to their joy, thine shall be perpetual," Ezekiel 35:9; Ezekiel 35:9. 2. The punishment shall answer to the sin: "As thou didst rejoice in the desolation of the house of Israel, God will give thee enough of desolation; since thou art so fond of it, thou shalt be desolate; I will make thee so." Note, Those who, instead of weeping with the mourners, make a jest of their grievances, may justly be made to weep like the mourners, and themselves to feel the weight, to feel the smart, of those grievances which they set so light by. Some read Ezekiel 35:14; Ezekiel 35:14 so as to complete the resemblance between the sin and the punishment: The whole earth shall rejoice when I make thee desolate, as thou didst rejoice when Israel was made desolate. Those that are glad at the death and fall of others may expect that others will be glad of their death, of their fall. 3. In the destruction of the enemies of the church God designs his own glory, and we may be sure that he will not come short of his design. (1.) That which he intends is to manifest himself, as a just and jealous God, firm to his covenant and faithful to his people and their injured cause (Ezekiel 35:11; Ezekiel 35:11): I will make myself known among them when I have judged thee. The Lord is and will be known by the judgments which he executes. (2.) His intention shall be fully answered; not only his own people shall be made to know it to their comfort, but even the Edomites themselves, and all the other enemies of his name and people, shall know that he is the Lord,Ezekiel 35:4; Ezekiel 35:9; Ezekiel 35:15. As the works of creation and common providence demonstrate that there is a God, so the care taken of Israel shows that Jehovah, the God of Israel, is that God alone, the true and living God.