Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary
Ezekiel 25:8

Clarke's Commentary

Verse Ezekiel 25:8. Moab and Seir do say — Seir means the Idumeans. It appears that both these, with the Ammonites, had made a league with Zedekiah, Jeremiah 27:3, which they did not keep; and it is supposed that they even joined with the Chaldeans.

Bridgeway Bible Commentary

25:1-32:32 JUDGMENTS AGAINST FOREIGN NATIONS

Once the exiles had been awakened, Ezekiel’s next task was to instruct them further about God’s future purposes for them. But before doing so, he shows how God will deal with Israel’s former oppressors. God is the controller not only of Israel’s destiny but also of the destinies of other nations. He will not allow sin to go unpunished, and he will especially deal with the four neighbouring nations who supported Babylon at the fall of Jerusalem. (For the nations dealt with in this section, see map located at Isaiah 13-23, where another group of messages to various nations is recorded.)

Ammon, Moab, Edom and Philistia (25:1-17)

The Ammonites had taken wicked delight in seeing Jerusalem and its temple destroyed. Now God is going to deal with them (25:1-3). They will be overrun by desert tribesmen from the east who will turn Ammon’s cities into pasture lands for their animals (4-7).
Moab will suffer the same fate as Ammon. Its sin was to despise Judah’s God, Yahweh, by claiming that he was no different from the gods of other nations. They thought that he was powerless to protect his temple from devastation. He will now show his power by devastating Moab (8-11).

Edom had acted with unnecessary violence and treachery against Judah, and helped Babylon in the final destruction of Jerusalem. The Jews themselves will be God’s instrument in punishing Edom (12-14; see also Psalms 137:7; Obadiah 1:10-14).

The Philistines, ancient enemies of Israel, had also acted in bitter revenge against Jerusalem when they saw the city about to fall. Therefore, they too will cease to be a nation (15-17)

Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible

“Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Because that Moab and Seir do say, Behold, the house of Judah is like unto all the nations; 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, unto the children of the east, to go against the children of Ammon; and I will give them for a possession, that the children of Ammon may not be remembered among the nations: and I will execute judgments upon Moab; and they shall know that I am Jehovah.”

PROPHECY AGAINST MOAB

Some seem surprised that the prophecy against Ammon spills over into these words regarding Moab; but, in view of the long association of the two wicked peoples, and their common enmity against God and the children of Israel, it is not at all inappropriate that their judgments should have occurred simultaneously. The long hatred on the part of Moab came to a crisis in the later chapters of Numbers, where the evil prophet Balaam cooperated with Balak, king of Moab, in their devices against Israel. It was finally the “daughters of Moab” who seduced practically the whole nation of Israel, including a thousand of its leaders in the shameful orgy of Numbers 25 at Baal-Peor.

“Not long after Ezekiel wrote this, both Ammon and Moab were overran by Nabatean tribesmen and ceased to have any independent existence as nations.”J. B. Thompson, p. 187.

Bruce, on the testimony of Josephus, fixed the date of Nebuchadnezzar’s conquest of Moab and Ammon in 583 B.C.F. F. Bruce in the New Layman’s Bible Commentary. p. 884.

As a further corroboration of the view expressed above that the heathen nations all thought that the ruin of Israel was the end of Jehovah’s power, we cite the inscription on the Moabite Stone, “Which quotes the boast of the king of Moab that his god Chemosh had vanquished Israel.”RHA, p. 866. This was precisely the development that called forth these prophecies from Jehovah and resulted in the execution of God’s wrath upon all the pagan nations of antiquity. Such actions alone could have preserved and perpetuated the knowledge of God’s integrity.

Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible

Prophecies against Moab which lay south of Ammon, and shared Ammon’s implacable hostility to the children of Israel.

Seir was close to Moab. Edom is identified with Mount “Seir” in Ezekiel 35:1-15; and “Seir” is therefore probably coupled with “Moab” here because, being near neighbors closely leagued together, they expressed a common exultation at Jerusalem’s fall.

Smith's Bible Commentary

Chapter 25

Now beginning with chapter 25, God begins to pronounce His judgment upon the surrounding nations of Israel. And the first, of course, that of the Ammonites. We have today the city of Ammon, which comes from Ammonites, and the city of Ammon is the capitol of Jordan. And so the Ammonites and the Moabites who are going to be reviewed here for judgment are modern-day Moab. When we get to Edom, you are moving down to the southern part--or modern-day Jordan-when you move down into Edom, you are getting into southern Jordan and into Dedan, which is Saudi Arabia. And so these are the judgments proclaimed of God against these nations at that time.

Say to 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 ( Ezekiel 25:3 );

Because they rejoiced, danced in the streets when they heard that the sanctuary was profaned and the people were slaughtered. They had a big celebration. Much like they did when they got news that Sadat was assassinated. Same thing. You see, people haven't changed much. There's still that certain amount of barbarity in man. "When you said, '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; Behold, therefore I will deliver you 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. And I will make Rabbah [which was the capitol of Ammon] a stable for camels, and the Ammonites a couching place for flocks: and ye shall know that I am the LORD. For thus saith the Lord GOD; Because you have clapped your hands, and stamped with your feet, and rejoiced in your heart with all of your hatred and animosity against the land of Israel ( Ezekiel 25:3-6 );

When they heard of the destruction and desolation, they danced, they jumped, they clapped their hands and stamped their feet rejoicing in the destruction.

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 ( Ezekiel 25:7 ).

Against Moab:

Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because that Moab and Seir [Mount Seir in Moab] do say, Behold, the house of Judah is like the heathen ( Ezekiel 25:8 );

Again, exalting over their destruction.

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, 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. And I will execute judgments upon Moab; and they shall know that I am the LORD ( Ezekiel 25:9-11 ).

So God is going to prove who He is to the surrounding nations.

Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because Edom hath dealt against the house of Judah by taking vengeance ( Ezekiel 25:12 ),

Now when the enemies came against Judah and it was obvious that they were going to fall, then the Edomites also attacked that they might take loot. And so they added insult to injury, actually.

taking vengeance, you have greatly offended, and you have revenged himself upon them; Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; I will also stretch out my hand upon Edom, and will cut off man and beast from it; and I will make it desolate from Teman ( Ezekiel 25:12-13 );

Where one of the counselors of Job had come, from the east there in Teman, the Temanite.

and they of Dedan ( Ezekiel 25:13 )

Dedan is Saudi Arabia today, Sheba Dedan.

and they shall fall by the sword. 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. Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because the Philistines have dealt by revenge, and have taken vengeance with a [hateful] despiteful heart, to destroy it for their old hatred; 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 seacoast. 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 ( Ezekiel 25:13-17 ).

Now as we continue on, he goes to Tyre. And in the prophecy against Tyre, we find one of those fascinating, remarkable prophecies of the Old Testament which ranks to me one of the most remarkable of the prophecies of the Old Testament, as God prophesies the destruction of the city of Tyre. And as we read it, you'll be absolutely astounded with what accuracy God made the record in advance. Again, that we may know that He is God.

And then as he gets into the king of Tyre, you have a very interesting description of Satan prior to his fall. And a description of his fall and the results thereof. And so we're starting to get into the more interesting aspects. Of course, then we will finish next week the prophecies against Egypt, and that takes on a modern-day significance too.

So next week, next five chapters, twenty-six through thirty that we will be studying next Sunday night. The scripture comes back into mind, "And the Lord sought for a man among them to fill up the hedge, to stand in the gap," stand between the Lord and the land that He would not destroy it. But He found none. Therefore the wrath of His judgment came. His indignation, the fire of His wrath, and they were destroyed. I think of the conditions that perpetrated that judgment of God and I tremble as I read my daily newspaper. And I see the same things prevalent here as were prevalent there. How long will God forebear? How long before God's judgment falls upon the United States? How long before His sword comes through the land? How long will God allow this iniquity to prevail? Only God knows. But in the meantime, God is searching for men and women who will stand before the Lord for the land and who will intercede. I pray that God will speak to your heart about the ministry of intercessory prayer and you'll become involved. It's a matter of life and death as far as our nation is concerned.

God bless you as His child. May His hand be upon your life. It is good to know that God has not appointed us unto wrath. We will not see the day of wrath and the judgment of God. For Jesus has delivered us by His love from that day of wrath that is to come. But oh, my heart goes out for those who know not Jesus Christ, those who will be left when He takes His church away. Those who must face the fiery indignation of His wrath by which He will devour His adversaries. It's a fearful thing to fall into the hands of a living God.

Let's pray. As the scripture said, let's take them as plucking brands out of the fire. Seeking to deliver them from the judgment to come. By intercessory prayer, setting them free from the power of sin. God bless you and make you an intercessor and use you for His glory. In Jesus' name. "

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

The residents of Moab and Seir (Edom) had regarded Judah as just one of the other nations even though the Judahites were blood relatives of theirs (cf. Jeremiah 48:27; Zephaniah 2:8-9). This attitude reflected disrespect for Yahweh. They viewed Israel’s God as no better than other pagan deities since Judah had fallen to the Babylonians.

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

2. Judgment on Moab 25:8-11

Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

Thus saith the Lord God,.... By his servant the prophet, to whom the word of the Lord came; as concerning the Ammonites, so likewise concerning the Moabites, as follows:

because that Moab and Seir do say; that is, the Moabites, and the Edomites, which latter are meant by Seir, that being the seat of them; these lived near one another, and bore a like enmity to the Israelites and Jews, and had the same sentiments concerning them, and said the same things of them: only Moab is mentioned in the Septuagint and Arabic versions: the Moabites are first prophesied of, and then the Edomites, who both joined in saying, behold, the house of Judah is like unto all the Heathen; it fares no better with them than with the rest of the nations, who do not profess and serve the same God they do; they are fallen into the hands of the king of Babylon, as well as others; and have no more security against him, nor protection from him, than other people; they pretend to serve and worship the one only living and true God, and to be his covenant people, and to be favoured with privileges above all other nations; and yet are brought into the same miserable circumstances, and left in them, as others are; where is the God they boast of, and their superior excellence to the rest of the world? thus blasphemously, as well as wickedly, did they insult them, which was provoking to the Lord. The Targum renders it interrogatively,

"in what do the house of Judah differ from all people?''

and so the Septuagint,

"behold, are not the house of Israel and Judah in like manner as all nations?''

Jerom, on the place, relates a fable of the Jews, that when the city and temple were opened, the Ammonites, Moobites, and Edomites, went into the temple, and saw the cherubim over the mercy seat, and said, as all nations worship images, so Judah hath the idols of their religion. Jarchi makes mention of such a Midrash, but with some difference.

Henry's Complete Commentary on the Bible

      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, Beth-jeshimoth, Baal-meon, 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.

      Three more of Israel's ill-natured neighbours are here arraigned, convicted, and condemned to destruction, for contributing to and triumphing in Jerusalem's fall.

      I. The Moabites. Seir, which was the seat of the Edomites, is joined with them (Ezekiel 25:8; Ezekiel 25:8), because they said the same as the Moabites; but they were afterwards reckoned with by themselves, Ezekiel 25:12; Ezekiel 25:12. Now observe,

      1. What was the sin of the Moabites; they said, Behold, the house of Judah is like unto all the heathen. They triumphed, (1.) In the apostasies of Israel, were please to see them forsake their God and worship idols, and hoped that in a while their religion would be quite lost and forgotten and the house of Judah would be like all the heathen, perfect idolaters. When those that profess religion walk unworthy of their profession they encourage the enemies of religion to hope that it will in time sink, and be run down, and quite abandoned; but let the Moabites know that, though there are those of the house of Judah who have made themselves like the heathen, yet there is a remnant that retain their integrity, the religion of the house of Judah shall recover itself, its peculiarities shall be preserved, it shall not lose itself among the heathen, but distinguish itself from them, till it deliver itself honourably into a better institution. (2.) In the calamities of Israel. They said, "The house of Judah is like all the heathen, in as bad a state as they; their God is no more able to deliver them from this overflowing scourge of these parts of the world than the gods of the heathen are to deliver them. Where are the promises they gloried in and all the wonders which they and their fathers told us of? What the better are they for the covenant of peculiarity, upon which they so much valued themselves? Those that looked with so much scorn upon all the heathen are now set upon a level with them, or rather sunk below them." Note, Those who judge only by outward appearance are ready to conclude that the people of God have lost all their privileges when they have lost their worldly prosperity, which does not follow, for good men, even in affliction, in captivity among the heathen, have graces and comforts within sufficient to distinguish them from all the heathen. Though the event seem one to the righteous and wicked, yet indeed it is vastly different.

      2. What should be the punishment of Moab for this sin; because they triumphed in the overthrow of Judah, their country shall be in like manner overthrown with that of the Ammonites, who were guilty of the same sin (Ezekiel 25:9; Ezekiel 25:10): "I will open the side of Moab, will uncover its shoulder, will take away all its defences, that it may become an easy prey to any that will make a prey of it." (1.) See here how it shall be exposed; the frontier-towns, that were its strength and guard, shall be demolished by the Chaldean forces, and laid open. Some of the cities are here named, which are said to be the glory of the country, which they trusted in, and boasted of as impregnable; these shall decay, be deserted, or betrayed, or fall into the enemies' hands, so that Moab shall lie exposed, and whoever will may penetrate into the heart of the country. Note, Those who glory in any other defence and protection than that of the divine power, providence, and promise, will sooner or later see cause to be ashamed of their glorying. (2.) See here to whom it shall be exposed: The men of the east, when they come to take possession of the country of the Ammonites, shall seize that of the Moabites too. God, the Lord of all lands, will give them that land; for the kingdoms of men he gives to whomsoever he will. The Arabians, who are shepherds, and live quietly, plain men dwelling in tents, shall by an overruling Providence be put in possession of the land of the Moabites, who are soldiers, men of war, and cunning hunters, that live turbulently. The Chaldeans shall get it by war, and the Arabians shall enjoy it in peace. Concerning the Ammonites it is said, They shall no more be remembered among the nations (Ezekiel 25:10; Ezekiel 25:10), for they had been accessory to the murder of Gedaliah, Jeremiah 40:14. But of the Moabites it is said, I will execute judgments upon Moab; they shall feel the weight of God's displeasure, but perhaps not to that degree that the Ammonites shall; however, so far as that they shall know that I am the Lord, that the God of Israel is a God of power, and that his covenant with his people is not broken.

      II. The Edomites, the posterity of Esau, between whom and Jacob there had been an old enmity. And here is,

      1. The sin of the Edomites, Ezekiel 25:12; Ezekiel 25:12. They not only triumphed in the ruin of Judah and Jerusalem, as the Moabites and Ammonites had done, but they took advantage from the present distressed state to which the Jews were reduced to do them some real mischiefs, probably made inroads upon their frontiers and plundered their country: Edom has dealt against the house of Judah by taking vengeance. The Edomites had of old been tributaries to the Jews, according to the sentence that the elder should serve the younger. In Jehoram's time they revolted. Amaziah severely chastised them (2 Kings 14:7), and for this they took vengeance. Now they would pay off all the old scores, and not only incensed the Babylonians against Jerusalem, crying, Rase it, rase it (Psalms 137:7), but cut off those that escaped, as we find in the prophecy of Obadiah, which is wholly directed against Edom, Ezekiel 25:11; Ezekiel 25:12, c. It is called here revenging a revenge, which intimates that they were not only eager upon it, but very cruel in it, and recompensed to the Jews more than double. "Herein he has greatly offended." Note, It is a great offence to God for us to revenge ourselves upon our brother for God has said, Vengeance is mine. We are forbidden to revenge or to bear a grudge. Suppose Judah had been hard upon Edom formerly, it was a base thing for the Edomites now, in revenge for it, to smite them secretly. But the Jews had a divine warrant to reign over the Edomites, for that therefore they ought not to have made reprisals; and it was the more disingenuous for them to retain the old enmity when God had particularly commanded his people to forget it. Deuteronomy 23:7, Thou shalt not abhor an Edomite.

      2. The judgments threatened against them for this sin. God will take them to task for it (Ezekiel 25:13; Ezekiel 25:13): I will stretch out my hand upon Edom Their country shall be desolate from Teman, which lay in the south part of it; and they shall fall by the sword unto Dedan, which lay north; the desolations of war should go through the nation. (1.) They had taken vengeance, and therefore God will lay his vengeance upon them (Ezekiel 25:14; Ezekiel 25:14): They shall know my vengeance. Those that will not leave it to God to take vengeance for them may expect that he will take vengeance on them; and those that will not believe and fear his vengeance shall be made to know and feel his vengeance; they shall be dealt with according to God's anger and according to his fury, not according to the weakness of the instruments that are employed in it, but according to the strength of the arm that employs them. (2.) They had taken vengeance on Israel, and God will lay his vengeance on them by the hand of his people Israel. They suffered much by the Chaldeans, which seems to be referred to, Jeremiah 49:8. But besides that there were saviours to come upon Mount Zion, who should judge the mount of Esau (Obadiah 1:21), and Israel's Redeemer comes with dyed garments from Bozrah (Isaiah 63:1), this implies a promise that Israel should recover itself again to such a degree as to be in a capacity of curbing the insolence of its neighbours. And we find (1 Mac. v. 3) that Judas Maccabeus fought against the children of Esau in Idumea, gave them a great overthrow, abated their courage, and took their spoil; and Josephus says (Antiq. 13.257), that Hircanus made the Edomites tributaries to Israel. Note, The equity of God's judgments is to be observed when he not only avenges injuries upon those that did them, but by those against whom they were done.

      III. The Philistines. And, 1. Their sin is much the same with that of the Edomites: They have dealt by revenge with the people of Israel, and have taken vengeance with a despiteful heart, not to disturb them only, but to destroy them, for the old hatred (Ezekiel 25:15; Ezekiel 25:15), the old grudge they bore them, or (as the margin reads it) with perpetual hatred, a hatred that began long since and which they resolved to continue. The anger was implacable: they dealt by revenge, traded in the acts of malice; it was their constant practice, and their heart, their spiteful heart, was upon it. 2. Their punishment likewise is much the same, Ezekiel 25:16; Ezekiel 25:16. Those that were for destroying God's people shall themselves be cut off and destroyed; and (Ezekiel 25:17; Ezekiel 25:17) those that were for avenging themselves shall find that God will execute great vengeance upon them. This was fulfilled when that country was wasted by the Chaldean army, not long after the destruction of Jerusalem, which is foretold, Jeremiah 47:1-7. It was strange that these nations, which bordered upon the land of Israel, were not alarmed by the success of the Chaldean army, and made to tremble in the apprehension of their own danger; when their neighbour's house was on fire it was time to look to their own; but their impiety and malice made them forget their politics, till God by his judgments convinced them that the cup was going round, and they were the less safe for being secure.