This verse underlines the serious and final nature of God’s judgment on those who persist in rejecting Him.
“I will make you an everlasting desolation and your cities will not be inhabited. Then you will know that I am the LORD.” (Ezekiel 35:9) In this verse, the prophet Ezekiel conveys a solemn judgment upon Mount Seir, a region also associated with Edom. Historically, Edom descended from Esau (the brother of Jacob, dated around the mid-2nd millennium BC), and the nation’s hostility toward Israel persisted for generations. The phrase “I will make you an everlasting desolation” speaks to a total and lasting ruin—one that underscores divine retribution for Edom’s persistent opposition to God’s covenant people (see Genesis 27:41 for Edom’s roots in Esau’s anger toward Jacob). By demolishing the cities, the message reveals that the LORD’s justice will be thorough, leaving no place of refuge.
The prophecy also serves as a way of revealing God as ultimate ruler and judge, for “Then you will know that I am the LORD” (v.9) emphasizes that when this judgment is fulfilled, there will be no doubt who holds authority over nations. In the broader biblical narrative, such warnings echo the holiness and righteousness of God, who consistently calls His people and the surrounding nations to repent and align with His ways (see Isaiah 34:5 regarding a similar judgment on Edom). The immediate result of these warnings is a strong encouragement for humility before the Almighty.
Geographically, Mount Seir lay southeast of the Dead Sea, forming the mountainous region that connected the desert areas to more fertile lands of Judah. Edom’s strategic location often gave it power in trade routes and influence among surrounding nations. Yet, in the face of divine judgment, even these advantages would crumble, demonstrating that no earthly stronghold outlasts the purposes of God. This sobering truth was a call for all nations to understand that no power stands against the LORD forever.
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Ezekiel 35:9 meaning
“I will make you an everlasting desolation and your cities will not be inhabited. Then you will know that I am the LORD.” (Ezekiel 35:9) In this verse, the prophet Ezekiel conveys a solemn judgment upon Mount Seir, a region also associated with Edom. Historically, Edom descended from Esau (the brother of Jacob, dated around the mid-2nd millennium BC), and the nation’s hostility toward Israel persisted for generations. The phrase “I will make you an everlasting desolation” speaks to a total and lasting ruin—one that underscores divine retribution for Edom’s persistent opposition to God’s covenant people (see Genesis 27:41 for Edom’s roots in Esau’s anger toward Jacob). By demolishing the cities, the message reveals that the LORD’s justice will be thorough, leaving no place of refuge.
The prophecy also serves as a way of revealing God as ultimate ruler and judge, for “Then you will know that I am the LORD” (v.9) emphasizes that when this judgment is fulfilled, there will be no doubt who holds authority over nations. In the broader biblical narrative, such warnings echo the holiness and righteousness of God, who consistently calls His people and the surrounding nations to repent and align with His ways (see Isaiah 34:5 regarding a similar judgment on Edom). The immediate result of these warnings is a strong encouragement for humility before the Almighty.
Geographically, Mount Seir lay southeast of the Dead Sea, forming the mountainous region that connected the desert areas to more fertile lands of Judah. Edom’s strategic location often gave it power in trade routes and influence among surrounding nations. Yet, in the face of divine judgment, even these advantages would crumble, demonstrating that no earthly stronghold outlasts the purposes of God. This sobering truth was a call for all nations to understand that no power stands against the LORD forever.