Ezek. 35 The judgment of Mount Seir, for their hatred of Israel, and insulting over their distress.

Put thyself in a posture looking towards Mount Seir, but with a stern and menacing countenance; the phrase you meet Ezek. 20:46, Ezek. 21:2, Ezek. 25:2. Mount Seir; the country for the inhabitants of it, as is usual in Scripture. This was a mountainous country, yet fruitful.

Say unto it; by a prosopopoeia, or personating a discourse with them; speak of them as if thou wert speaking to them. Against thee: see Ezek. 28:22, Ezek. 34:10. Stretch out mine hand: see Ezek. 6:14, Ezek. 25:7.

God doth what he stirs up his servants to do; it was Nebuchchadnezzar who was appointed to do this, and who did it, as Jer. 27:6, Jer. 28:14. Thy cities, in the plural; there were many and strong cities in Edom, yet all should be wasted, as Ezek. 25:12–14, where lie in like manner is threatened.

A perpetual hatred: Edom was of the same stock, brother to Jacob, and it was sin to disgust or envy, but greater to hate, and greatest to retain a perpetual hatred, an hereditary enmity from Esau’s time, the father of the Edomites, till now: near one thousand two hundred years had the seed of Esau…

As I live: God is true and constant to his threats against hardened sinners, and will be so as sure as he lives. Prepare thee unto blood; I will dispose all things for war against thee, for a bloody war, in which thy blood shall be shed.

All travellers that go to or from Edom’s country, or his cities; or possibly it may intimate the close sieges with which his cities should be so begirt, that none should attempt to go out or go in, but it should cost them their life: so Jericho close besieged, none went in or out, Josh. 6:1.

His mountains; there they will fortify, or thither they will flee, and there the enemy shall take and slay his men every where, as it follows in the words; slaughter shall be made of his men, pursued by the eager Chaldean, but more by the vengeance of God. So this phrase Ezek.

Edom’s sin was perpetual hatred, and Edom’s punishment shall be perpetual desolations. Edomites would never return into friendship with the Israelites, but still hate, and molest, and waste them; now for just recompence Edom’s cities shall be wasted, and never return to their former glory.

Covetousness is here charged upon these Edomites. These two; Israel and Judah, two ever after the revolt of the ten tribes. We will possess it; with arrogance they determine what they will do; they reckon the right was theirs, as being the descendants of the elder brother, and now the possession…

I will even do, deal with thee, O Mount Seir, according to thine anger; I will take my measures from thy using of Israel. Thou wast angry, and that very fiercely, in which anger thou didst smite: in fierce anger against thee I will smite thee.

Thou didst reproach, scoff, and vilify my people, as if they had been the people of some deaf idol; but I will make thee know I am the Lord, who heard all thy blasphemies, and can, for I have punished them.

Though the very words be not reported, yet it is certain, from this passage, that they spake proudly against the God of Israel, boasting what they would do, will he nill be.

The whole earth; the inhabitants of the countries round about thee, the whole that thou knowest. Rejoiceth; is in peace and plenty, and enjoy both, thou shalt want all; and then envy at the welfare of others shall break thy heart.

Thou didst rejoice; thou tookest pleasure in the ruin of my people; for this thy sin I will ruin thee, and then do to thee as thou didst, I will retaliate, and rejoice in thy ruin: thou helpedst to make Jerusalem desolate, I will make thee so: thou criedst to ruin them all, to destroy all the land;…