And say unto it, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, O mount Seir, I am against thee, and I will stretch out mine hand against thee, and I will make thee most desolate.

EZEKIEL 35:3KJV
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Ezekiel 35:3 (KJV)

What does Ezekiel 35:3 mean?

Ezekiel 35:3 is a message from God, delivered through the prophet Ezekiel, declaring judgment against Mount Seir, the land of Edom. God announces that He is against Mount Seir and will act to make it completely desolate, showing strong opposition and coming destruction.

In this verse, God tells Ezekiel to speak directly to Mount Seir, which represents the people of Edom, long-time rivals of Israel. The language is personal and forceful, with God saying He will "stretch out [His] hand" against them—a phrase often used in the Bible to describe powerful, decisive action. The warning sets the stage for the rest of the chapter, where reasons for this judgment are explained.

The Hebrew behind Ezekiel 35:3

  • אֲדֹנָי (Adonai, transliterated "Lord") and יְהוִה (YHWH, transliterated "Yahweh," rendered "GOD" in all caps): The combination underscores the authority and seriousness of the message, as both titles for God are used together.
  • שֵׂעִיר (Seir, transliterated "Seir"): This is the specific name for the mountainous region inhabited by Edom. Naming it directly makes the prophecy targeted and personal.
  • נָטָה (natah, transliterated "stretch out"): This word for "stretch out" often signals God’s active intervention, not just a passive stance. It suggests a deliberate act of power.
  • שָׁמֵם (shamem, transliterated "desolate"): The word for "desolate" carries the sense of utter ruin or devastation, not just emptiness but a place laid waste.

Why Ezekiel 35:3 matters

  • Ezekiel 35:3 clarifies that God’s judgment is not random but directed at a specific nation (Edom) for specific reasons, which are explained in the following verses.
  • The verse uses strong, personal language ("I am against thee") to show that this is not just a natural disaster but a direct act of God’s will.
  • This verse connects to the broader theme in Ezekiel of God’s sovereignty over all nations, not just Israel, and sets up a contrast with the blessings promised to Israel in the surrounding chapters.

Where else these words appear

“most” Hebrew H4923 · used in 7 verses

  • Isaiah 15:6 For the waters of Nimrim shall be desolate: for the hay is withered away, the grass faileth, there is no green thing.
  • Ezekiel 5:15 So it shall be a reproach and a taunt, an instruction and an astonishment unto the nations that are round about thee, when I shall execute judgments in thee in anger and in fury and in furious rebukes. I the LORD have spoken it.
  • Ezekiel 33:28 For I will lay the land most desolate, and the pomp of her strength shall cease; and the mountains of Israel shall be desolate, that none shall pass through.

“Seir” Hebrew H8165 · used in 38 verses

  • Genesis 14:6 And the Horites in their mount Seir, unto Elparan, which is by the wilderness.
  • Deuteronomy 2:1 Then we turned, and took our journey into the wilderness by the way of the Red sea, as the LORD spake unto me: and we compassed mount Seir many days.
  • Judges 5:4 LORD, when thou wentest out of Seir, when thou marchedst out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled, and the heavens dropped, the clouds also dropped water.

“desolate” Hebrew H8077 · used in 54 verses

  • Exodus 23:29 I will not drive them out from before thee in one year; lest the land become desolate, and the beast of the field multiply against thee.
  • Jeremiah 44:6 Wherefore my fury and mine anger was poured forth, and was kindled in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem; and they are wasted and desolate, as at this day.
  • Ezekiel 33:29 Then shall they know that I am the LORD, when I have laid the land most desolate because of all their abominations which they have committed.