Concerning Edom, thus saith the LORD of hosts; Is wisdom no more in Teman? This oracle against Edom opens with a rhetorical question lamenting the disappearance of wisdom from Teman (תֵּימָן), a region in Edom famous for its sages. Teman was home to Eliphaz, one of Job's friends, representing Edom's intellectual tradition. The Hebrew chokmah (חָכְמָה, wisdom) here refers not to spiritual understanding but to practical cunning and political shrewdness—qualities for which Edom was renowned.
Is counsel perished from the prudent? The word 'etsah (עֵצָה, counsel) means strategic planning or advice, while mebinim (מְבִינִים, prudent/discerning ones) describes those with keen insight. The irony is devastating: Edom, proud of its wisdom, will find its vaunted intelligence useless against God's judgment. Human wisdom, however celebrated, cannot thwart divine purposes (Isaiah 29:14, 1 Corinthians 1:19-20).
Edom's location in rocky fortresses south of the Dead Sea fostered arrogance—they trusted in geography and intellect. Yet God's judgment would expose both as futile. This anticipates Obadiah's oracle against Edom's pride and fulfills the ancient enmity between Esau and Jacob's descendants.
Historical Context
Edom descended from Esau, Jacob's brother, establishing a nation southeast of Judah in the mountainous region around Petra. Historic tensions between Israel and Edom (Numbers 20:14-21) intensified when Edom gloated over Jerusalem's destruction in 586 BC and participated in looting (Obadiah 10-14, Psalm 137:7). Jeremiah's oracle, likely delivered before 586 BC, prophesied Edom's coming desolation. Teman, in northern Edom, was particularly known for wisdom traditions. The Nabataeans eventually conquered Edom around the 6th-4th centuries BC, fulfilling these prophecies. Edom's complete disappearance from history demonstrates that no human wisdom can stand against God's decreed judgment.
Questions for Reflection
How does Edom's fate warn against trusting in human wisdom, strategic advantage, or natural defenses rather than God?
In what ways might modern institutions or nations exhibit Edom-like arrogance in their own capabilities?
What does this passage teach about the futility of resisting God's purposes through cleverness or calculation?
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Analysis & Commentary
Concerning Edom, thus saith the LORD of hosts; Is wisdom no more in Teman? This oracle against Edom opens with a rhetorical question lamenting the disappearance of wisdom from Teman (תֵּימָן), a region in Edom famous for its sages. Teman was home to Eliphaz, one of Job's friends, representing Edom's intellectual tradition. The Hebrew chokmah (חָכְמָה, wisdom) here refers not to spiritual understanding but to practical cunning and political shrewdness—qualities for which Edom was renowned.
Is counsel perished from the prudent? The word 'etsah (עֵצָה, counsel) means strategic planning or advice, while mebinim (מְבִינִים, prudent/discerning ones) describes those with keen insight. The irony is devastating: Edom, proud of its wisdom, will find its vaunted intelligence useless against God's judgment. Human wisdom, however celebrated, cannot thwart divine purposes (Isaiah 29:14, 1 Corinthians 1:19-20).
Edom's location in rocky fortresses south of the Dead Sea fostered arrogance—they trusted in geography and intellect. Yet God's judgment would expose both as futile. This anticipates Obadiah's oracle against Edom's pride and fulfills the ancient enmity between Esau and Jacob's descendants.