What historical events led to Edom's desire for Israel and Judah's territories in Ezekiel 35:10? Edom’s Ancestral Enmity: The Jacob–Esau Foundation Genesis 25:23 foretold, “Two nations are in your womb… one will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger” . Esau despised his birthright (Genesis 25:34) and later vowed to kill Jacob (Genesis 27:41). Although the brothers reconciled personally (Genesis 33), national memory preserved the grievance. Edom viewed Israel’s covenant blessings—land, lineage, and royal promise—as gains that should have been Esau’s. From the start, then, territorial jealousy lay imbedded in Edom’s self-identity. The Exodus Era: Refusal of Passage and Deepening Hostility When Moses sought a peaceful transit along the King’s Highway, Edom replied, “You shall not pass through, or we will come out against you with the sword” (Numbers 20:18). Israel detoured, but the incident hardened attitudes. Deuteronomy 23:7–8 forbade Israel to hate Edom; yet Amos 1:11 records Edom’s “anger tore perpetually.” The initial border quarrel established a pattern: Edom claiming the highland perimeter, Israel claiming divine right to Canaan. United-Monarchy Conquest: Davidic Domination and the Seed of Revenge 2 Samuel 8:13-14 notes David “gained fame… and stationed garrisons in Edom.” Psalm 60’s superscription recalls 12,000 Edomite dead. Though Solomon exploited Ezion-Geber’s Red Sea trade (1 Kings 9:26), Edom chafed under vassalage. That humiliation stoked a long memory: the land Israel ruled, Edom resolved one day to possess. Divided-Kingdom Upheavals: Edomite Rebellion and Border Raids During Jehoram of Judah (ca. 848 BC), Edom “set up their own king” (2 Kings 8:20). Amaziah temporarily subdued them (2 Kings 14:7; 2 Chron 25:11-12), renaming Sela “Joktheel,” but Edom resurged. Throughout the 8th–7th centuries, Assyrian inscriptions (e.g., Sennacherib’s Prism, line 55) list Edom among paying vassals, yet Israelite prophets still denounce Edomite incursions (Isaiah 34; Jeremiah 49). Each Israelite setback invited Edomite probing along the Negev and southern Judean Highlands. Neo-Babylonian Crisis: Edom’s Collusion in 586 BC When Nebuchadnezzar besieged Jerusalem, Edom supplied intelligence and manpower to Babylon (Obadiah 11; Psalm 137:7). Ezekiel summarizes: “Because you have cherished an ancient enmity… and delivered the people of Israel over to the sword” (Ezekiel 35:5). The Babylonian Chronicle BM 21946 (ABC 5) records Nebuchadnezzar’s 601 BC march through the Arabah—Edom’s corridor—indicating strategic partnership. With Judah emptied of her populace, Edom seized fertile tracts northward. Post-Destruction Migration: Edomites in the Negev and Shephelah Archaeology confirms a demographic shift. Distinctive “Edomite Red Slip” pottery appears in formerly Judean sites—Horvat ‘Uza, Tel Arad, Tel Malhata, Beer Sheva, and Qitmit—dated 600-500 BC (Iron IIc). Ostraca from Arad cite “Qaus” (Edom’s national deity), showing cultic penetration. Babylon’s policy of forced relocation left Judah sparsely populated; Edom moved into vacated vineyards, orchards, and trade routes, rechristening the region “Idumea.” Their boast, recorded by Ezekiel, was: “These two nations and these two lands will be ours, and we will possess them” (Ezekiel 35:10). Prophetic Indictments: Obadiah, Ezekiel, and Malachi Obadiah 10-14 catalogs Edom’s crimes: standing aloof, looting, blocking fugitives. Ezekiel 25:12-14 earlier predicted vengeance; chapter 35 reiterates it, promising desolation of Mount Seir. Malachi 1:4, written after the exile, shows Yahweh still opposing Edom’s rebuilding: “They may build, but I will demolish.” The prophets interpret Edom’s land-grab as rebellion against the Abrahamic covenant (Genesis 12:3; 17:8). Later Outworking: Idumea under the Hasmoneans and Rome By the 4th-3rd centuries BC, Edomites (Idumeans) held Hebron and Mareshah. Josephus (Ant. 13.257-258) records John Hyrcanus’ forced Judeanization of Idumea (~129 BC). The Edomite-descended Herod the Great briefly ruled all Judah, but in AD 70 Rome erased Idumea alongside Judea, fulfilling the pattern of desolation foretold in Ezekiel 35:15. Conclusion: Chain of Events Behind Edom’s Territorial Ambition 1. Patriarchal rivalry seeded covetousness. 2. Exodus-era denial of passage intensified distrust. 3. Davidic conquest humiliated Edom, birthing irredentist hopes. 4. Recurrent rebellions during Israel’s divided monarchy kept borders volatile. 5. Alliance with Babylon in 586 BC opened Judah’s land to Edomite occupation. 6. Archaeological and extrabiblical data confirm Edomite migration into Judah’s heartland, matching Ezekiel’s timeframe. Thus, by the time Ezekiel prophesied (ca. 585-571 BC), Edom’s desire for “these two nations” rested on centuries of hostility, recent military opportunity, and the false confidence that Judah’s covenant promise had lapsed. Scripture’s unified testimony and the archaeological record together validate the historical forces that brought Edom’s covetous claim—and God’s solemn verdict—into sharp relief. |
    |