Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ezekiel 35:5
Because thou hast had a perpetual hatred, and hast shed [the blood of] the children of Israel by the force of the sword in the time of their calamity, in the time [that their] iniquity [had] an end:
5. The causes of the judgment on Mount Seir. These causes are three: first, its perpetual hatred of Israel, Eze 25:15; Amo 1:11; second. its malicious joy over the downfall of Israel and the part it took in the destruction of the people in the day of their calamity, when the consequences of their guilt fell upon them, Obad. Eze 35:10-14; and third, Edom’s invasion of the land and seizure of it as their own, though the Lord dwelt in it ( Eze 35:10).
hast shed of the sword ] and didst deliver the children of Israel over into the hands of the sword. Jer 18:21; Psa 63:10.
time iniquity had an end ] Lit. time of the iniquity of the end. The “iniquity of the end” is either, the final punishment of iniquity, or, the iniquity whose punishment was seen in the end (of the state). Cf. ch. 7. The phrase again Eze 21:30. The ref. is to the destruction of Jerusalem; so the “calamity” referred to is the downfall of the city and state, as Ob. Eze 35:13; cf. Psa 137:7, “the day of Jerusalem.”
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Shed blood – Omit blood: better as in the margin, i. e., and hast given up the children of Israel to the sword; thou hast scattered the children of Israel in confusion like stones poured down a mountain-side Mic 1:6.
That their iniquity had an end – Or, of the iniquity of the end, i. e., the time when by the capture of the city the iniquity of Israel came to an end Eze 21:29.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 5. A perpetual hatred] The Edomites were the descendants of Esau; the Israelites, the descendants of Jacob. Both these were brothers; and between them there was contention even in the womb, and they lived generally in a state of enmity. Their descendants kept up the ancient feud: but the Edomites were implacable; they had not only a rooted but perpetual enmity to the Israelites, harassing and distressing them by all possible means; and they seized the opportunity, when the Israelites were most harassed by other enemies, to make inroads upon them, and cut them off wherever they found them.
To afflict the afflicted is cruel. This is scarcely of man, bad as he is. He must be possessed by the malignant spirit of the devil, when he wounds the wounded, insults over the miseries of the afflicted, and seeks opportunities to add affliction to those who are already under the rod of God.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
A perpetual hatred: Edom was of the same stock, brother to Jacob, and it was sin to disgust or envy, but greater to hate, and greatest to retain a perpetual hatred, an hereditary enmity from Esaus time, the father of the Edomites, till now: near one thousand two hundred years had the seed of Esau hated Jacobs seed for inheriting the blessing, which yet I have some cause to think they as little valued as their father did before them.
Hast shed the blood, by sudden incursions sometimes, by a formed war at other times, and by taking side with those who warred upon him at all times; thus the sword of Edom was ever drawn or ready against Jacobs seed.
By the force of the sword; with fierceness, cruelty, and burning hatred, as appears, Oba 1:11-14, which see.
Their calamity; deepest calamity; when all was lost, and their city taken, and none to pity or help, then did Edom cruelly execute his hatred, Psa 137:7.
In the time that their iniquity had an end; when their iniquity was charged and punished on them, which brought them to final ruin. See Eze 21:25.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
5. perpetual hatred (Psa 137:7;Amo 1:11; Oba 1:10-16).Edom perpetuated the hereditary hatred derived from Esau againstJacob.
shed the blood of, c.The literal translation is better. “Thou hast pouredout the children of Israel” namely, like water. So Psa 22:14;Psa 63:10, Margin; Jer18:21. Compare 2Sa 14:14.
by the force of theswordliterally, “by” or “upon the hands of thesword”; the sword being personified as a devourer whose “hands”were the instruments of destruction.
in the time that theiriniquity had an endthat is, had its consummation (Eze 21:25;Eze 21:29). Edom consummated hisguilt when he exulted over Jerusalem’s downfall, and helped the foeto destroy it (Psa 137:7;Oba 1:11).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Because thou hast had a perpetual hatred,…. There was an old grudge and enmity subsisting in the posterity of Esau against the posterity of Jacob, because the latter supplanted the former, and got the birthright and blessing from him; and which was discovered in all ages, and at all opportunities, and on all occasions which offered; and such has been the hatred of the church of Rome against the true professors and followers of Christ, as their bloody persecution of them in all ages have shown:
and hast shed the blood of the children of Israel by the force of the sword in the time of their calamity: when Jerusalem was taken by the Chaldeans, the Edomites not only rejoiced at it, and took part of the spoil, but stood in the crossways, and slew those that made their escape; or drove them back upon the sword of the enemy; or delivered them into their hands; which was barbarous and inhuman usage of their neighbours and brethren; see Ob 1:10. The Targum is,
“and thou didst deliver the children of Israel into the hands of those that slay with the sword, in the time of their destruction:”
in the time that their iniquity had an end; when either the measure of that was full; or when they received for it full correction and chastisement; at the consummation of that.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(5) Perpetual hatred.Enmity towards Israel is also imputed to the Ammonites, Moabites, and Philistines in Ezekiel 25; but that of Edom was deeper and coeval with its first ancestor (see Gen. 25:22, &c., Gen. 27:41); its peculiar malignity is noticed by Amo. 1:11. (Comp. also Oba. 1:10-15.)
Shed the blood.Blood is not in the original, and should be omitted. The verb means literally to pour out, and the clause should be rendered hast scattered the children of Israel. The same expression occurs in Psa. 63:10; Jer. 18:21. The time specifically referred to is that of the overthrow of Jerusalem, as both that of their great calamity and that when their iniquity had an end. (On the last phrase, see Note on Eze. 21:29.) So the world-power generally, while it may fawn upon and corrupt the Church in the day of its prosperity, shows its undisguised hostility in every time of adversity.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
“Because you had a perpetual enmity, and have poured out the children of Israel to the power of the sword in the time of their calamity, in the time of the final iniquity (iniquity of the end).”
This is the reason for their condemnation, their perpetual enmity towards the people of God, vividly again revealed in recent days. In mind therefore is their perpetual enmity and betrayal. It is clear continually that Edom did have a perpetual enmity against Israel and Judah. See Gen 25:22-34; Gen 27:1-41; Gen 36:1; Num 20:14-21; Num 24:15-19; 1Sa 14:47; 2Sa 8:13-14; 1Ki 11:14-22 ; 2Ki 8:21; 2Ki 14:7; 2Ch 20:1-23; 2Ch 28:17; Psa 137:7; Isa 1:11-16; Isa 34:1-17; Jer 49:7-22; Lam 4:21-22; Dan 11:41; Amo 1:11-12; Oba 1:10-14; Mal 1:2-5). They were constant enemies.
But especially in mind are their cold, cynical acts when Judah desperately needed help. Ammon received refugees, Egypt received refugees, but Edom did not. They turned them back at the frontiers. This is probably what is in mind in their ‘pouring out of the children of Israel to the power of the sword’. It may, however, refer to their subsequent invasion of the land (see Eze 35:10).
‘In the time of their calamity, in the time of the final iniquity.’ This almost certainly refers to the fall of Jerusalem, and the subsequent events that followed when Israel perpetrated their final iniquity.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Eze 35:5. In the time that their iniquity had an end That is, either at the time when God exercised against them the last chastisement of their iniquity: or at the time of their extreme affliction, when the anger of God was most inflamed against them. It is the greatest of all cruelties to insult the afflicted, and to add new sorrows to the unhappy. See Calmet.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Eze 35:5 Because thou hast had a perpetual hatred, and hast shed [the blood of] the children of Israel by the force of the sword in the time of their calamity, in the time [that their] iniquity [had] an end:
Ver. 5. Because thou hast had a perpetual hatred. ] A hereditary deadly feud against Israel. Heb., An enemy of ages, yea, of many ages continuance; such as is, as we use to say of Runner, the older the stronger.
And hast shed the blood of the children of Israel.
In time of their calamity.
In the time that their iniquity had an end.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
a perpetual hatred = a hatred of old.
children = sons.
by the forms = by the hands of: “hands” being put by Figure of speech Metonymy (of the Effect), App-6, for the slaughter wrought by thorn.
that their iniquity had an end: or, in the time of the final punishment for their iniquity.
iniquity. Hebrew `avah. App-44.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
thou hast had: Eze 35:12, Eze 25:12, Gen 27:41, Gen 27:42, Psa 137:7, Amo 1:11, Oba 1:10-16
perpetual hatred: or, hatred of old, Eze 25:15
shed the blood of: Heb. poured out
force: Heb. hands, Jer 18:21
in the: Eze 21:25, Eze 21:29, Psa 137:7, Dan 9:24, Oba 1:11
Reciprocal: Num 20:20 – Thou shalt Psa 63:10 – They shall fall Jer 10:25 – eaten Jer 30:16 – General Jer 40:11 – all the Jews Jer 46:21 – the day Eze 31:12 – upon Amo 1:6 – to Edom Zec 2:8 – the nations Mat 26:52 – they
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Eze 35:5. Edom had cherished ft hatred against Israel for a long time and had been constant (perpetual) in it. He had shown that hatred by shedding the blood of the children of Israel. What made, the mistreatment of Israel worse was the fact that the heathen nation took advantage of them in times of calamity.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
35:5 Because thou hast had a perpetual hatred, and hast shed [the blood of] the children of Israel by the force of the sword in the time of their calamity, in the time [that their] {b} iniquity [had] an end:
(b) When by their punishment I called them from their iniquity.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
He would do this because the Edomites had been enemies of the Israelites throughout their history (cf. Eze 25:12; Gen 12:3). Furthermore, they had not helped their brethren Israelites in the time of their calamity, the time when God was punishing Israel, but had turned them over to their enemy, the Babylonians (cf. 2Ch 20:10; Psa 137:7; Lam 4:21-22).