Ezekiel 35:7
“Thus will I make Mount Seir an astonishment and a desolation. I will cut off from it him who passes through and him who returns.”
What does Ezekiel 35:7 mean?
Ezekiel's words here come during a time when Jerusalem has fallen and God's people face exile. Mount Seir (Edom) had rejoiced over Judah's suffering and taken advantage of their vulnerability, so the prophet announces God's judgment against them. The desolation Ezekiel describes, with no one passing through or returning to the land, represents complete abandonment and loss of importance, as if the land itself becomes a wasteland that travelers avoid. It's a stark message about the consequences of gloating over others' pain, especially God's people, and a reassurance to the exiled Jews that their enemies would not escape accountability. For those of us reading it today, it reminds us that God sees injustice and indifference to suffering, and ultimately holds all nations and people responsible for how we treat the vulnerable.