1 Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,

2 Son of man, set thy face against mount Seir, and prophesy against it,

3 And 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.

4 I will lay thy cities waste, and thou shalt be desolate, and thou shalt know that I am the Lord.

5 Because 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:

6 Therefore, 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.

7 Thus will I make mount Seir most desolate, and cut off from it him that passeth out and him that returneth.

8 And 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.

9 I will make thee perpetual desolations, and thy cities shall not return: and ye shall know that I am the Lord.

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.

Commentary

Verse 1

Matthew Henry's Concise Bible Commentary
A prophecy against Edom.
All who have God against them, have the word of God against them. Those that have a constant hatred to God and his people, as the carnal mind has, can only expect to be made desolate for ever.
Bible Cross References
Isaiah 34:5 Isaiah 63:1 Ezekiel 34:31 Ezekiel 35:2 Amos 1:11

Verse 2

Matthew Henry's Concise Bible Commentary
A prophecy against Edom.
All who have God against them, have the word of God against them. Those that have a constant hatred to God and his people, as the carnal mind has, can only expect to be made desolate for ever.
John Wesley's Bible Commentary
Mount Seir - The Edomites, who inhabited it.
McArther Bible Commentary
against Mount Seir. Cf. Isa 21:11-12; Jer 49:7-22; Amo 1:11-12; Obadiah. This is another name for Edom (cf. Eze 35:15; Gen 32:3; Eze 38:6), also threatened with judgment in Eze 25:12-14 (see notes there). Edom, Israel's most inveterate and bitter enemy (cf. Psa 137:7; Mal 1:2-5), was located east of the Arabah from the Dead Sea to the Gulf of Aqabah. The main cities were Teman and Petra, now in ruins.
Bible Cross References
Genesis 36:8 Psalm 137:7 Ezekiel 25:12 Ezekiel 35:1 Ezekiel 36:5

Verse 3

Matthew Henry's Concise Bible Commentary
A prophecy against Edom.
All who have God against them, have the word of God against them. Those that have a constant hatred to God and his people, as the carnal mind has, can only expect to be made desolate for ever.
McArther Bible Commentary
This prediction (cf. Eze 35:6-9) came to pass literally, first by Nebuchadnezzar and later in 126 B.C. by John Hyrcanus. There is no trace of the Edomites now, though their desolate cities can be identified as predicted by Obadiah (Oba 1:18) and Jeremiah (Jer 49:13). Cf. verses Eze 35:6-9.
Bible Cross References
Jeremiah 6:12 Jeremiah 15:6 Jeremiah 49:13 Jeremiah 49:17 Ezekiel 25:13 Ezekiel 35:7 Ezekiel 35:15 Malachi 1:3

Verse 4

Matthew Henry's Concise Bible Commentary
A prophecy against Edom.
All who have God against them, have the word of God against them. Those that have a constant hatred to God and his people, as the carnal mind has, can only expect to be made desolate for ever.
Bible Cross References
2 Chronicles 18:16 Ezekiel 6:6 Ezekiel 35:9 Ezekiel 35:15 Malachi 1:3 Malachi 1:4

Verse 5

Matthew Henry's Concise Bible Commentary
A prophecy against Edom.
All who have God against them, have the word of God against them. Those that have a constant hatred to God and his people, as the carnal mind has, can only expect to be made desolate for ever.
John Wesley's Bible Commentary
Their iniquity - When their iniquity was punished on them, which brought them to final ruin.
McArther Bible Commentary
Because. God will judge Edom because of (1) her perpetual enmity against Israel since Esau's hatred of Jacob (Gen. 25-28), and (2) Edom's spiteful bloodshed against the Israelites trying to escape the Babylonians in 586 B.C.
Bible Cross References
Psalm 63:10 Psalm 137:7 Ezekiel 7:2 Ezekiel 21:25 Ezekiel 21:29 Ezekiel 25:12 Ezekiel 25:15 Ezekiel 36:5 Amos 1:6 Amos 1:11 Obadiah 1:10 Obadiah 1:13

Verse 6

Matthew Henry's Concise Bible Commentary
A prophecy against Edom.
All who have God against them, have the word of God against them. Those that have a constant hatred to God and his people, as the carnal mind has, can only expect to be made desolate for ever.
John Wesley's Bible Commentary
And blood - Thy guilt, and my just revenge of innocent blood. Hast not hated - Thou hast loved, rather than hated, blood - shed; therefore vengeance for it follows thee.
Bible Cross References
Isaiah 34:3 Isaiah 63:2 Ezekiel 16:38 Ezekiel 32:6 Ezekiel 35:7

Verse 7

Matthew Henry's Concise Bible Commentary
A prophecy against Edom.
All who have God against them, have the word of God against them. Those that have a constant hatred to God and his people, as the carnal mind has, can only expect to be made desolate for ever.
John Wesley's Bible Commentary
That passeth out - All travellers that go to or from Edom.
Bible Cross References
Jeremiah 49:17 Ezekiel 35:3 Ezekiel 35:6 Ezekiel 35:8

Verse 8

Matthew Henry's Concise Bible Commentary
A prophecy against Edom.
All who have God against them, have the word of God against them. Those that have a constant hatred to God and his people, as the carnal mind has, can only expect to be made desolate for ever.
Bible Cross References
Isaiah 34:5 Isaiah 34:6 Ezekiel 31:12 Ezekiel 32:4 Ezekiel 32:5 Ezekiel 35:7 Ezekiel 39:4 Ezekiel 39:5

Verse 9

Matthew Henry's Concise Bible Commentary
A prophecy against Edom.
All who have God against them, have the word of God against them. Those that have a constant hatred to God and his people, as the carnal mind has, can only expect to be made desolate for ever.
John Wesley's Bible Commentary
Return - To their former glory.
Bible Cross References
Psalm 109:17 Jeremiah 49:13 Jeremiah 51:62 Ezekiel 25:13 Ezekiel 32:29 Ezekiel 35:4 Ezekiel 37:6 Obadiah 1:10 Malachi 1:4

Verse 10

Matthew Henry's Concise Bible Commentary
A prophecy against Edom.
When we see the vanity of the world in the disappointments, losses, and crosses, which others meet with, instead of showing ourselves greedy of worldly things, we should sit more loose to them. In the multitude of words, not one is unknown to God; not the most idle word; and the most daring is not above his rebuke. 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. And when the fulness of the Jews and Gentiles shall come into the church, all antichristian opposers shall be destroyed.
John Wesley's Bible Commentary
Though - Though God was with Israel.
McArther Bible Commentary
Because. A further reason for Edom's doom was her design to take control of the territory occupied by "two nations," i.e., Israel (north) and Judah (south). They plotted to take over these nations for their own gain (Eze 35:12), but were prevented from doing this and subsequently destroyed because "the Lord was there."
Bible Cross References
Psalm 48:1 Psalm 83:4 Psalm 132:13 Psalm 132:14 Isaiah 12:6 Ezekiel 26:2 Ezekiel 36:2 Ezekiel 36:5 Ezekiel 48:35 Joel 3:2 Amos 1:13 Obadiah 1:11 Obadiah 1:13 Zephaniah 3:15

Verse 11

Matthew Henry's Concise Bible Commentary
A prophecy against Edom.
When we see the vanity of the world in the disappointments, losses, and crosses, which others meet with, instead of showing ourselves greedy of worldly things, we should sit more loose to them. In the multitude of words, not one is unknown to God; not the most idle word; and the most daring is not above his rebuke. 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. And when the fulness of the Jews and Gentiles shall come into the church, all antichristian opposers shall be destroyed.
John Wesley's Bible Commentary
Judged - Punished thee.
McArther Bible Commentary
anger … envy … blasphemies. Here were more reasons for Edom's destruction.
Bible Cross References
Psalm 9:16 Psalm 73:17 Psalm 73:18 Psalm 137:7 Ezekiel 25:14 Amos 1:11 Obadiah 1:15

Verse 12

Matthew Henry's Concise Bible Commentary
A prophecy against Edom.
When we see the vanity of the world in the disappointments, losses, and crosses, which others meet with, instead of showing ourselves greedy of worldly things, we should sit more loose to them. In the multitude of words, not one is unknown to God; not the most idle word; and the most daring is not above his rebuke. 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. And when the fulness of the Jews and Gentiles shall come into the church, all antichristian opposers shall be destroyed.
Bible Cross References
Jeremiah 50:7 Ezekiel 36:2 Obadiah 1:12

Verse 13

Matthew Henry's Concise Bible Commentary
A prophecy against Edom.
When we see the vanity of the world in the disappointments, losses, and crosses, which others meet with, instead of showing ourselves greedy of worldly things, we should sit more loose to them. In the multitude of words, not one is unknown to God; not the most idle word; and the most daring is not above his rebuke. 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. And when the fulness of the Jews and Gentiles shall come into the church, all antichristian opposers shall be destroyed.
McArther Bible Commentary
you … boasted against Me. Still another reason for judgment was Edom's proud ambitions that were really against God (cf. Eze 35:10, "although the Lord was there").
Bible Cross References
Isaiah 10:13 Isaiah 10:14 Isaiah 36:20 Jeremiah 7:11 Jeremiah 29:23 Jeremiah 48:26 Jeremiah 48:42 Ezekiel 36:3 Daniel 11:36

Verse 14

Matthew Henry's Concise Bible Commentary
A prophecy against Edom.
When we see the vanity of the world in the disappointments, losses, and crosses, which others meet with, instead of showing ourselves greedy of worldly things, we should sit more loose to them. In the multitude of words, not one is unknown to God; not the most idle word; and the most daring is not above his rebuke. 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. And when the fulness of the Jews and Gentiles shall come into the church, all antichristian opposers shall be destroyed.
John Wesley's Bible Commentary
The whole earth - The inhabitants of all the countries round about thee. Rejoiceth - Is in peace and plenty.
Bible Cross References
Isaiah 44:23 Isaiah 49:13 Jeremiah 51:48

Verse 15

Matthew Henry's Concise Bible Commentary
A prophecy against Edom.
When we see the vanity of the world in the disappointments, losses, and crosses, which others meet with, instead of showing ourselves greedy of worldly things, we should sit more loose to them. In the multitude of words, not one is unknown to God; not the most idle word; and the most daring is not above his rebuke. 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. And when the fulness of the Jews and Gentiles shall come into the church, all antichristian opposers shall be destroyed.
McArther Bible Commentary
As you rejoiced. This final reason for their doom was Edom's joy over Israel's calamity. they shall know. The ultimate aim in Edom's judgment was that "the whole earth" may know He is the Lord and see His glory. Sadly, sinners find this out only in their own destruction. Cf. Heb 10:31.
Bible Cross References
Mark 3:8 Isaiah 34:5 Isaiah 34:6 Jeremiah 50:11 Lamentations 4:21 Ezekiel 32:29 Ezekiel 35:3 Ezekiel 35:4 Ezekiel 36:1 Ezekiel 36:5 Obadiah 1:1 Obadiah 1:12 Obadiah 1:15