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.

EZEKIEL 25:14KJV
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Ezekiel 25:14 (KJV)

What does Ezekiel 25:14 mean?

Ezekiel 25:14 says that God will punish Edom through the actions of the people of Israel, carrying out God’s anger and fury so that Edom will recognize God’s vengeance. The verse shows God declaring that Israel will be the instrument of this judgment, and that Edom will experience the consequences of their actions against Israel.

In this verse, God is speaking through the prophet Ezekiel to announce judgment against Edom, a neighboring nation with a long history of hostility toward Israel. The setting is during the Babylonian exile, and Edom had taken advantage of Israel’s troubles. The verse emphasizes that the punishment will come specifically “by the hand of my people Israel,” highlighting both God’s control over events and the seriousness of Edom’s offense.

The Hebrew behind Ezekiel 25:14

  • “Vengeance” (נָקָם, naqam): This word means retribution or payback, often with a sense of justice for wrongdoing. Here, it stresses that what happens to Edom is not random violence, but a deliberate response to their actions.
  • “Hand” (יָד, yad): In Hebrew, “hand” often means power or agency. Saying the vengeance comes “by the hand of my people Israel” underlines that Israel will be the means through which God acts, not just passive observers.
  • “Anger” (אַף, aph) and “fury” (חֵמָה, chemah): Both words describe intense emotion, but “aph” is often linked to the flaring of nostrils (a sign of anger), while “chemah” suggests burning rage. Together, they stress the depth of God’s response to Edom’s actions.

Why Ezekiel 25:14 matters

  • This verse clarifies that Israel’s future actions against Edom are not just political or military, but are seen as carrying out God’s justice.
  • It connects to the larger section of Ezekiel where God announces judgments on nations that have harmed Israel, showing that God is attentive to how other nations treat His people.
  • The verse helps correct the idea that God’s people are always passive victims; here, they are chosen as the agents of God’s response to injustice.

Where else these words appear

“vengeance” Hebrew H5360 · used in 22 verses

  • Numbers 31:2 Avenge the children of Israel of the Midianites: afterward shalt thou be gathered unto thy people.
  • Psalms 94:1 O LORD God, to whom vengeance belongeth; O God, to whom vengeance belongeth, shew thyself.
  • Jeremiah 50:28 The voice of them that flee and escape out of the land of Babylon, to declare in Zion the vengeance of the LORD our God, the vengeance of his temple.

“Edom” Hebrew H123 · used in 93 verses

  • Genesis 25:30 And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom.
  • 1 Kings 11:14 And the LORD stirred up an adversary unto Solomon, Hadad the Edomite: he was of the king's seed in Edom.
  • Psalms 108:10 Who will bring me into the strong city? who will lead me into Edom?

“fury” Hebrew H2534 · used in 117 verses

  • Genesis 27:44 And tarry with him a few days, until thy brother's fury turn away;
  • Psalms 106:23 Therefore he said that he would destroy them, had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach, to turn away his wrath, lest he should destroy them.
  • Lamentations 2:4 He hath bent his bow like an enemy: he stood with his right hand as an adversary, and slew all that were pleasant to the eye in the tabernacle of the daughter of Zion: he poured out his fury like fire.