Son of man, set thy face against mount Seir, and prophesy against it,
Parallel translations
- WEB Son of man, set your face against Mount Seir, and prophesy against it,
- BSB “Son of man, set your face against Mount Seir and prophesy against it,
- NKJV “Son of man, set your face against Mount Seir and prophesy against it,
- NASB “Son of man, set your face against Mount Seir, and prophesy against it
- NLT “Son of man, turn and face Mount Seir, and prophesy against its people.
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
God commands Ezekiel to set his face against Mount Seir and prophesy against it. Edom is singled out for divine confrontation.
Overview
'Set your face against' is Ezekiel's gesture of resolute, hostile prophecy (cf. 6:2; 25:2). Mount Seir stands for Edom, descended from Esau, Jacob's brother. The ancient family rivalry had hardened into national hatred. By naming Edom specifically, God signals that no enemy of His people escapes His notice, and that the brother-nation will answer for its treachery.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 25
- Ezek 6:2Son of man, set thy face toward the mountains of Israel, and prophesy against them,
- 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;
- Gen 32:3And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother unto the land of Seir, the country of Edom.
- 2 Chr 25:11–14And Amaziah strengthened himself, and led forth his people, and went to the valley of salt, and smote of the children of Seir ten thousand.
- Isa 50:7For the Lord GOD will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed.
- Ezek 25:2Son of man, set thy face against the Ammonites, and prophesy against them;
- Ezek 20:46Son of man, set thy face toward the south, and drop thy word toward the south, and prophesy against the forest of the south field;
- Ezek 32:29There is Edom, her kings, and all her princes, which with their might are laid by them that were slain by the sword: they shall lie with the uncircumcised, and with them that go down to the pit.
- 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:
- Ezek 25:12–14Thus 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;
- 2 Chr 20:10And now, behold, the children of Ammon and Moab and mount Seir, whom thou wouldest not let Israel invade, when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned from them, and destroyed them not;
- Eph 6:19And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,
- Josh 24:4And I gave unto Isaac Jacob and Esau: and I gave unto Esau mount Seir, to possess it; but Jacob and his children went down into Egypt.
- Deut 2:5Meddle not with them; for I will not give you of their land, no, not so much as a foot breadth; because I have given mount Seir unto Esau for a possession.
- Isa 63:1–6Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save.
- Ezek 21:2Son of man, set thy face toward Jerusalem, and drop thy word toward the holy places, and prophesy against the land of Israel,
- Lam 4:21–22Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom, that dwellest in the land of Uz; the cup also shall pass through unto thee: thou shalt be drunken, and shalt make thyself naked.
- Ps 83:3–18They have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and consulted against thy hidden ones.
- Isa 34:1–17Come near, ye nations, to hear; and hearken, ye people: let the earth hear, and all that is therein; the world, and all things that come forth of it.
- Obad 1:1The vision of Obadiah. Thus saith the Lord GOD concerning Edom; We have heard a rumour from the LORD, and an ambassador is sent among the heathen, Arise ye, and let us rise up against her in battle.
- 2 Chr 20:22–23And when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten.
- 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?
- Jer 9:25–26Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will punish all them which are circumcised with the uncircumcised;
- Gen 36:8–9Thus dwelt Esau in mount Seir: Esau is Edom.
- Obad 1:10–14For thy violence against thy brother Jacob shame shall cover thee, and thou shalt be cut off for ever.
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Christ at the center
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 35:2 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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