What is the meaning of Ezekiel 35:9? I will make you a perpetual desolation • In Ezekiel 35 the LORD addresses Mount Seir, the territory of Edom, for its unrelenting hatred of Israel (Ezekiel 35:5). • “Perpetual” underscores a judgment that will not be reversed; Edom’s land is sentenced to ongoing barrenness, echoing Isaiah 34:9-10: “Its streams will be turned to pitch… it will burn night and day; its smoke will rise forever.” • God’s verdict matches earlier prophecies: “Edom will become an object of horror” (Jeremiah 49:17-18), and, centuries later, Malachi 1:3-4 records Edom’s futile attempts to rebuild. • The justice is personal: Edom “cherished perpetual enmity” (Ezekiel 35:5) against God’s covenant people, so the LORD answers with a perpetual desolation. and your cities will not be inhabited • The sentence moves from the land to the settlements: ruined territory means emptied towns. • Zechariah 7:14 illustrates the principle: “The land was left desolate behind them so that no one came or went.” • Obadiah 10 foretold the same fate: “Because of the violence done to your brother Jacob… you will be cut off forever.” • Archaeology confirms Edom’s main centers never again rose to lasting prominence; the once-thriving trade hubs stand silent, validating Scripture’s literal accuracy. • The contrast is stark: while Israel’s cities would one day teem with life again (Ezekiel 36:33-36), Edom’s remain uninhabited—an ongoing testimony of divine distinction. Then you will know that I am the LORD • Judgment is not an end in itself; it is revelation. Repeated throughout Ezekiel (6:7; 28:22-24; 33:33) is the refrain, “Then you will know that I am the LORD.” • The downfall of Edom shows nations—and individuals—that God keeps covenant, defends His people, and rules history. • Psalm 83:17-18 captures the goal: “May they be put to shame and perish, that they may know that You alone, whose name is the LORD, are the Most High over all the earth.” • For believers today, Edom’s desolation warns against prideful opposition to God’s plan and reassures us that every promise—of salvation or of judgment—stands firm. summary Ezekiel 35:9 delivers a threefold message: (1) God’s judgment on Edom is lasting and irrevocable, (2) that judgment leaves its cities empty, a visible marker through time, and (3) the ultimate purpose is that all will recognize the LORD’s unrivaled sovereignty. The verse affirms God’s faithfulness to His covenant people and His unwavering justice toward unrepentant hostility, inviting us to trust His word and align our lives with His revealed will. |
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