Ezekiel 35

The elimination of claimants to the land ch. 35

What follows in this chapter is another oracle against a foreign nation (cf. chs. 25-32). What is it doing here? Evidently the writer included this oracle here because it promises to desolate an enemy of Israel that wanted to occupy Israel’s land, which God promised to return to His people (ch. 34). An additional reason for the inclusion of chapter 35 here follows.

"It may appear at first as though the present prophecy belongs to the oracles against foreign nations, but it is probably here as a point of contrast to chapter 36, that is, wrath for Mount Seir contrasted with blessing for the mountains of Israel." [Note: Feinberg, p. 201.]

A common explanation for the apparent misplacing of this oracle, as well as for other apparently misplaced sections of Bible books, is that later editors of the book made an error in translation or added the section here mistakenly. This view manifests a low view of God’s ability to preserve His Word through history. It also fails to appreciate the similarities between chapters 35 and 36, and chapter 36 clearly is not out of place in this section of the book.

But why did the Lord target Edom here? Probably Edom was representative of all the enemies of Israel who wanted to take over her land and was selected because of her long history of land squabbles with Israel (cf. Genesis 25:22-34; Genesis 27; Genesis 36:6-8; Genesis 36:31-43; Numbers 20:14-21; Numbers 24:15-19; 1 Samuel 14:47; 1 Kings 11:14-22; 2 Kings 8:21; 2 Chronicles 20:1-23; 2 Chronicles 28:17; Psalms 137:7; Isaiah 11:14; Isaiah 34:5-6; Lamentations 4:21-22; Daniel 11:41; Amos 2:1; Obadiah 1:10-14; Malachi 1:2-5). Edom was the nation that had longest and most consistently resisted Israel’s occupation of the Promised Land. Therefore, if God is going to give Israel her land in the future, as He promised in chapter 34, He will have to deal with Edom and all other nations that oppose Israel’s possession of it. This section assures the readers, both ancient and modern, that He will deal with opponents to Israel occupying her land by prophesying the destruction of Israel’s greatest antagonist viewed as a representative of all such powers (cf. Matthew 25:31-46). Edomite invasions of Israel following the Babylonian decimation of Judah also made Edom a major topic of interest. [Note: Stuart, p. 327.]

"Edom was the prototype of all Israel’s later foes. The destruction of Edom would signal the beginning of God’s judgment on the whole earth based on that nation’s treatment of Israel (cf. Genesis 12:3)." [Note: Dyer, "Ezekiel," p. 1295.]