Albert Barnes Commentary Ezekiel 25

It was a distinct part of scriptural prophecy to address pagan nations. In Isaiah 13–19, Jeremiah 46–51, and here in Ezekiel 25–32, one section is specially devoted to a collection of such prophecies. Every such prediction had the general purpose of exhibiting the conflict continually waging between the servants of God and the powers of the world, the struggle in which the Church of Christ still has to wrestle against her foes (Ephesians 6:12), but in which she will surely prevail.

This series of prophecies, with one exception, was delivered at the time of the fall of Jerusalem; some shortly before, and some shortly after, the capture of the city. They were collected together to illustrate their original purpose of warning the nations not to exult in their neighbor’s fall.

Seven nations are addressed, which had most contact with the children of Israel: on their eastern borders, Moab and Ammon; to the south, Edom; on the southwest, Philistia; northward, Tyre (the merchant city) and the more ancient Sidon; and lastly, Egypt, alternately the scourge and the false support of the chosen people.

The number seven is symbolic of completeness. Seven prophecies against Egypt, the chief of seven nations, denote the completeness of the overthrow of the pagan power, the antagonist of the kingdom of God.

While other prophets hold out to these pagan nations some prospect of future mercy (for example, Isaiah 16:14; Jeremiah 49:6, Jeremiah 49:11), Ezekiel speaks of their complete ruin.

He was contemplating national ruin. In the case of Jerusalem, there would be national restoration, but in the case of the pagan nations, no such recovery.

This national ruin was irretrievable; the remnant to whom the other prophets hold out hopes of mercy were to find it as individuals gathered into God’s Church, not as nations to be restored.

Ezekiel does not, like other prophets, prophesy against Babylon. It was his mission to show that, for the moment, Babylon was the righteous instrument of divine wrath, doing God’s work in punishing His foes.

In prophesying against foreign nations, Ezekiel often adopts the language of those who preceded him.

In Ezekiel 25, the four nations most closely connected with one another by geographical position and by contact are addressed in a few brief sentences concluding with the same refrain: "You shall know that I am the Lord" (for example, Ezekiel 25:5). This prophecy was delivered immediately after the capture of the city by Nebuchadnezzar, and so is later, in point of time, than some of the prophecies that follow it.

The Ammonites were inveterate foes of the descendants of Abraham.

Men of the east (Ezekiel 25:4) – These are the wild, wandering Arabs who would later come into the ruined land. The name was a common term for the nomadic tribes of the desert .

Palaces – These are encampments; the tents and enclosures of nomadic tribes. After subjugation by Nebuchadnezzar (Ezekiel 21:28), the land was subjected to various masters. The Graeco-Egyptian kings founded a city on the site of Rabbah (Ezekiel 25:5), called Philadelphia, from Ptolemy Philadelphus. In later times, Arabs from the east have completed the doom pronounced against Rabbah.

For a spoil (Ezekiel 25:7) – Or, for a portion.

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” (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.

I will open the side ... — that is, lay it open to the attack of the enemy from the cities, from his cities, from his frontier (or, in every quarter). There is an ironical stress on “his” cities, because these cities belonged not to Moab but to Israel, having been assigned to the Reubenites (Numbers 32:38; Joshua 13:20). They lay to the north of the river Arnon, which was the proper boundary of Moab (Numbers 21:13). The Moabites had in the last days of the kingdom of Israel recovered this territory (Isaiah 16:1–14). They still occupied this land in the time of Ezekiel .

The glory of the country — This tract, belonging to the district called by the Arabians “Al Belka,” has been at all times highly valued because of the excellence of its pastures for cattle. The most southern of these three cities is Kiriathaim, called on the Moabitic stone Kirjath, and now Kureiyat. The dual termination of the name Kiriathaim is explained by the fact that Kureiyat is situated on two sister hillocks half a mile apart, both covered by the ancient city. It is situated about eight miles north of the Arnon, and seven miles east of the shore of the Dead Sea.

Baal-meon is about ten miles north of Kureiyat—known at present as Main. It is probable that Kiriathaim was the “Kirjath-Huzoth” (city of streets), and Baal-meon, the “Bamoth-Baal” (high places of Baal), to which Balak took Balaam (Numbers 22:39, Numbers 22:41). Baal-meon occurs on the Moabitic stone as a place which Mesa built or fortified. He probably erected a stronghold on the old locality, reviving the ancient name. Beth-jeshimoth is identified with a knoll at the northeasternmost point of the Dead Sea.

Ammon and Moab, of common origin, whose lands had so often been interchanged, shall now share a common ruin. To the men of the east (Ezekiel 25:4) shall Moab with Ammon be given, that Ammon may be remembered no more, and judgment be executed on Moab.

Edom, so named from Esau, consisted of various tribes enumerated in (Genesis 36:0). The Edomites became a powerful nation before the Israelites came out of Egypt. David conquered them, but during the reign of Joram they rebelled and were not subdued again (2 Kings 8:20).

Under the name of Idumea, the land was conquered by John Hyrcanus , when many of the people adopted the religion of the Jews. In later times, the Idumean Herod became king of Palestine, reckoning himself as a Jew.

Later, Mount Seir, deserted by its original inhabitants, was occupied by a tribe of Arabians (the Nabatheans), under whom Petra rose and continued as a flourishing city under Roman dominion, until the tide of Islamic conquest brought it to the ruin in which Edom at last found the complete fulfillment of the prophecies uttered against it (Ezekiel 35:1–15).

Taking vengeance — Referring to the wrong done by Jacob to Esau (Genesis 27:36).