Ezekiel 35:4
I will lay thy cities waste, and thou shalt be desolate, and thou shalt know that I am the LORD.
Original Language Analysis
עָרֶ֙יךָ֙
thy cities
H5892
עָרֶ֙יךָ֙
thy cities
Strong's:
H5892
Word #:
1 of 10
a city (a place guarded by waking or a watch) in the widest sense (even of a mere encampment or post)
חָרְבָּ֣ה
waste
H2723
חָרְבָּ֣ה
waste
Strong's:
H2723
Word #:
2 of 10
properly, drought, i.e., (by implication) a desolation
אָשִׂ֔ים
I will lay
H7760
אָשִׂ֔ים
I will lay
Strong's:
H7760
Word #:
3 of 10
to put (used in a great variety of applications, literal, figurative, inferentially, and elliptically)
שְׁמָמָ֣ה
and thou shalt be desolate
H8077
שְׁמָמָ֣ה
and thou shalt be desolate
Strong's:
H8077
Word #:
5 of 10
devastation; figuratively, astonishment
תִֽהְיֶ֑ה
H1961
תִֽהְיֶ֑ה
Strong's:
H1961
Word #:
6 of 10
to exist, i.e., be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)
וְיָדַעְתָּ֖
and thou shalt know
H3045
וְיָדַעְתָּ֖
and thou shalt know
Strong's:
H3045
Word #:
7 of 10
to know (properly, to ascertain by seeing); used in a great variety of senses, figuratively, literally, euphemistically and inferentially (including o
Historical Context
Edomite cities were gradually destroyed and abandoned. By the Hellenistic period, Nabatean Arabs controlled former Edomite territory. Edomites were pushed westward into southern Judea (Idumea), eventually losing distinct ethnic identity.
Questions for Reflection
- How do you see God's sovereignty revealed through fulfilled prophecies about ancient nations?
- What does history's validation of biblical prophecy teach about Scripture's authority?
Related Resources
Explore related topics, people, and study resources to deepen your understanding of this passage.
Analysis & Commentary
God would 'lay thy cities waste' and 'thou shalt be desolate'—transformation from populated nation to uninhabited ruin. The covenant formula 'thou shalt know that I am the LORD' reveals judgment's revelatory purpose. Even Edom would ultimately acknowledge Yahweh's sovereignty through fulfilled prophecy. Historical events teach theological truths.