Ezekiel 25

Chapter context

What is happening in Ezekiel 25?

glory of Godjudgmentexilenew heart

Ezekiel 25 belongs to the middle movement of the book, especially the section often described as oracles against the nations. Ezekiel is a priestly-prophetic book of visions, enacted signs, judgment against Judah and the nations, and a vast closing vision of restored life and worship. Read this chapter with the wider themes of glory of God, judgment, and exile in view so the individual verses keep their proper weight.

¹ The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying, ² Son of man, set thy face against the Ammonites, and prophesy against them; ³ And say unto the Ammonites, Hear the word of the Lord GOD; Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thou saidst, Aha, against my sanctuary, when it was profaned; and against the land of Israel, when it was desolate; and against the house of Judah, when they went into captivity; ⁴ Behold, therefore I will deliver thee to the men of the east for a possession, and they shall set their palaces in thee, and make their dwellings in thee: they shall eat thy fruit, and they shall drink thy milk. ⁵ And I will make Rabbah a stable for camels, and the Ammonites a couching place for flocks: and ye shall know that I am the LORD. ⁶ For thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thou hast clapped thine hands, and stamped with the feet, and rejoiced in heart with all thy despite against the land of Israel; ⁷ Behold, therefore I will stretch out mine hand upon thee, and will deliver thee for a spoil to the heathen; and I will cut thee off from the people, and I will cause thee to perish out of the countries: I will destroy thee; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD. ⁸ Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because that Moab and Seir do say, Behold, the house of Judah is like unto all the heathen; ⁹ Therefore, behold, I will open the side of Moab from the cities, from his cities which are on his frontiers, the glory of the country, Bethjeshimoth, Baalmeon, and Kiriathaim, ¹⁰ Unto the men of the east with the Ammonites, and will give them in possession, that the Ammonites may not be remembered among the nations. ¹¹ And I will execute judgments upon Moab; and they shall know that I am the LORD. ¹² 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; ¹³ Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; I will also stretch out mine hand upon Edom, and will cut off man and beast from it; and I will make it desolate from Teman; and they of Dedan shall fall by the sword. ¹⁴ And I will lay my vengeance upon Edom by the hand of my people Israel: and they shall do in Edom according to mine anger and according to my fury; and they shall know my vengeance, saith the Lord GOD. ¹⁵ Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because the Philistines have dealt by revenge, and have taken vengeance with a despiteful heart, to destroy it for the old hatred; ¹⁶ Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will stretch out mine hand upon the Philistines, and I will cut off the Cherethims, and destroy the remnant of the sea coast. ¹⁷ And I will execute great vengeance upon them with furious rebukes; and they shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall lay my vengeance upon them.

Study helps

Glossary

Ammon Place v. 2-3, 5, 10: Biblical region. Modern identification: Amman.
East Place v. 4, 10: (1. ) The orient (mizrah); the rising of the sun. Thus “the east country” is the country lying to the east of Syria, the Elymais ( Zech. 8:7 ). (2). Modern identification: Amman.
Rabbah Place v. 5: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Amman.
Moab Place v. 8-11: Biblical region. Modern identification: Kerak.
Mount Seir Place v. 8: Biblical mountain range. Modern identification: Jebel esh Shera.
Baal-meon Place v. 9: Lord of dwelling, a town of Reuben ( Num. 32:38 ), called also Beth-meon ( Jer. 48:23 ) and Beth-baal-meon ( Josh. 13:17 ). It is supposed to have been the birth-place of Elisha. Modern identification: Ma‘in.
Beth-jeshimoth Place v. 9: House of wastes, or deserts, a town near Abel-shittim, east of Jordan, in the desert of Moab, where the Israelites encamped not long before crossing the Jordan ( Num. 33:49 ; A. V., “Bethjesimoth”). Modern identification: Tell Azeimeh.
Kiriathaim Place v. 9: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Khirbet al Mukhayyat.
Edom Place v. 12-14: Biblical region. Modern identification: Buseira.
Dedan Place v. 13: A rose, an island to the south of the western extremity of Asia Minor, between Coos and Patara, about 46 miles long and 18 miles broad. Modern identification: Al Khuraybah.
Teman Place v. 13: Id. (1. ) A grandson of Esau, one of the “dukes of Edom” ( Gen. 36:11 , 15, 42). (2. ) A place in Southern Idumea, the land of “the sons of the east,” frequently mentioned in the Old Testament. Modern identification: Tawilan.
Philistia Place v. 15: Biblical region. Modern identification: Tel Ashkelon.