What is the meaning of Ezekiel 35:6? Therefore “Therefore” (Ezekiel 35:6) links God’s verdict with Edom’s prior actions. In verse 5 the people of Mount Seir “harbored an ancient hostility and delivered the Israelites over to the sword.” The conjunction makes clear that judgment is not arbitrary; it arises directly from what was done. Similar cause-and-effect language appears in Isaiah 3:11 and Romans 2:5, where sin piles up “because of” hardened hearts. The Lord consistently holds nations—and individuals—accountable for how they treat His covenant people. As surely as I live, declares the Lord GOD God stakes His own life on the certainty of this judgment. The phrase echoes Numbers 14:21 and Ezekiel 33:11, underscoring His absolute authority and the inevitability of the announced outcome. When the Lord swears by Himself (Hebrews 6:13), the promise is ironclad; no power can overturn it. Edom’s coming reckoning is as sure as God’s own existence. I will give you over to bloodshed Here the Lord states the penalty: Edom will be handed “over to bloodshed.” The wording mirrors Genesis 9:6—“Whoever sheds man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed”—revealing a measured, righteous retribution. Obadiah 10 foretells the same end for Edom: “Because of violence against your brother Jacob, shame will cover you, and you will be cut off forever.” The principle is simple: violence begets violence when God’s moral order is violated. And it will pursue you Bloodshed will not be a single event; it will “pursue” them. Deuteronomy 28:45 describes curses that “will pursue you and overtake you until you are destroyed” when covenant terms are broken. Psalm 34:16 adds that “the face of the LORD is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth.” Edom cannot outrun divine justice; it will dog their steps until the sentence is fulfilled. Since you did not hate bloodshed, it will pursue you The final clause repeats the threat, driving home the reason: Edom’s failure to detest violence. Proverbs 1:29-31 warns that those who “hated knowledge” and “did not choose the fear of the LORD” will eat the fruit of their ways. Jesus reiterates the principle in Matthew 26:52—“all who draw the sword will die by the sword.” Galatians 6:7-8 calls it sowing and reaping: indulge sin, and its harvest comes back multiplied. By embracing bloodshed instead of abhorring it, Edom signed its own death warrant. summary Ezekiel 35:6 is God’s solemn oath that the violence Edom delighted in will circle back upon them. Their ancient hatred of Israel invited a measured, unavoidable judgment, anchored in God’s own life and character. The passage reminds us that the Lord’s moral order is steadfast: love of violence invites violence, while choosing righteousness brings life (Psalm 34:14). |
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