Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because that Edom hath dealt against the house of Judah by taking vengeance, and hath greatly offended, and revenged himself upon them;
Parallel translations
- WEB Thus says the Lord Yahweh: Because Edom has dealt against the house of Judah by taking vengeance, and has greatly offended, and revenged himself on them;
- BSB This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Because Edom acted vengefully against the house of Judah, and in so doing incurred grievous guilt,
- NKJV ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Because of what Edom did against the house of Judah by taking vengeance, and has greatly offended by avenging itself on them,”
- NASB ‘The Lord God says this: “Because Edom has acted against the house of Judah by taking vengeance, and has incurred great guilt, and avenged themselves upon them,”
- NLT “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: The people of Edom have sinned greatly by avenging themselves against the people of Judah.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Edom is condemned for taking vengeance on Judah, exploiting her downfall to settle an old grudge. It matters because God holds nations accountable for cruelty toward His covenant people.
Overview
Edom, descended from Esau, had a long history of hostility toward Israel and seized Judah's collapse as a chance for revenge. The Lord declares this vengeance 'greatly offended' Him, showing that gloating over a brother's ruin incurs guilt. Scripture consistently treats Edom as a type of those who oppose God's people, and the gospel answers such enmity by calling enemies to repentance and reconciliation in Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 8
- Jer 49:7–22Concerning Edom, thus saith the LORD of hosts; Is wisdom no more in Teman? is counsel perished from the prudent? is their wisdom vanished?
- Ps 137:7Remember, O LORD, the children of Edom in the day of Jerusalem; who said, Rase it, rase it, even to the foundation thereof.
- Ezek 25:8Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because that Moab and Seir do say, Behold, the house of Judah is like unto all the heathen;
- Amos 1:11–12Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Edom, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because he did pursue his brother with the sword, and did cast off all pity, and his anger did tear perpetually, and he kept his wrath for ever:
- Obad 1:10–16For thy violence against thy brother Jacob shame shall cover thee, and thou shalt be cut off for ever.
- Ezek 35:1–15Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
- 2 Chr 28:17–18For again the Edomites had come and smitten Judah, and carried away captives.
- Gen 27:41–42And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him: and Esau said in his heart, The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then will I slay my brother Jacob.
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The promise of one Shepherd-King David, a new heart and new Spirit, and the river of life flowing from the temple all stream toward Christ, the good Shepherd who gives the Spirit.
How Ezekiel 25:12 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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