“And thou shalt know that I am the LORD, and that I have heard all thy blasphemies which thou hast spoken against the mountains of Israel, saying, They are laid desolate , they are given us to consume.”
My Notes
What Does Ezekiel 35:12 Mean?
"And thou shalt know that I am the LORD, and that I have heard all thy blasphemies which thou hast spoken against the mountains of Israel, saying, They are laid desolate, they are given us to consume." God informs Edom: I HEARD. Everything you said about Israel's mountains — 'they're desolate, they're ours for the taking' — I heard ALL of it. The blasphemies were spoken. God received every word. The celebrating of Israel's destruction was monitored. The gloating was recorded.
The phrase "I have heard all thy blasphemies" (shama'ti et kol na'atzotayikh — I have heard all your contemptuous speeches) means God was LISTENING to Edom's words: the gloating over Israel's fall, the claiming of Israel's territory, the celebrating of Judah's destruction — God heard it ALL. Not some. ALL. Every contemptuous word. Every blasphemous speech. Every gloating declaration. Recorded.
The Edomite quotation — "They are laid desolate, they are given us to consume" (shammemu nittenu lenu le'okhlah — they are desolated, given to us to devour) — reveals Edom's specific sin: they saw Israel's judgment as their OPPORTUNITY. Israel's desolation became Edom's invitation. The brother-nation's suffering became the justification for the brother-nation's exploitation. They treated God's judgment on Israel as their personal buffet.
Reflection Questions
- 1.What destruction around you are you celebrating — and does 'I have heard' change your response?
- 2.What does God hearing ALL the blasphemies teach about surveillance of your speech about others' suffering?
- 3.How does treating someone else's judgment as your opportunity describe the sin of Edom?
- 4.What 'desolation' of others are you claiming as 'given to us to consume'?
Devotional
I heard EVERYTHING you said. Every word. Every gloating speech over Israel's ruins. Every claim that their desolation was your opportunity. God heard ALL of Edom's blasphemies — and the hearing is the basis of the judgment.
The 'I have heard all thy blasphemies' is the surveillance disclosure: Edom didn't know God was listening. Edom spoke freely — celebrating Israel's fall, claiming Israel's territory, gloating over Israel's destruction. The speeches felt private. They weren't. God heard ALL of them. Every contemptuous word was monitored. Every blasphemous sentence was recorded.
The 'they are laid desolate, they are given us to consume' reveals the specific sin: Edom saw Israel's JUDGMENT as Edom's OPPORTUNITY. Israel is desolate? Great — it's ours for the taking. Israel is judged? Perfect — we'll devour what remains. The brother-nation didn't mourn the brother-nation's fall. They CONSUMED it. The grief that should have produced compassion produced appetite instead.
The sin of celebrating someone else's judgment is specific and condemned: when God judges someone, the appropriate response is sobriety — not celebration, not exploitation, not claiming the ruins for yourself. Edom's sin wasn't attacking Israel. It was GLOATING over Israel's God-sent judgment and treating it as a land grab. The rejoicing at divine judgment brought divine judgment.
What destruction around you are you celebrating — and does God's 'I have heard' change your response?
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
And thou shall know that I am the Lord,.... By the judgments executed upon Edom, and so upon antichrist; for God is…
They are laid desolate, they are given us to consume - They exulted in seeing Judea overrun; and they rejoiced in the…
Here is, I. A further account of the sin of the Edomites, and their bad conduct towards the people of God. We find the…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture