Isaiah 34 – “The Destruction of Edom”

10 - Isaiah

Hebrew-English Text
I. Summary
God will punish the Edomites and turn their land into a desert.

II. Photo
Edom will become a wasteland: “There the arrow-snake shall nest and lay eggs, and shall brood and hatch in its shade.” (v. 15a)

III. Important Verses
1-3: Approach, O nations, and listen, Give heed, O peoples! Let the earth and those in it hear; The world, and what it brings forth. For the LORD is angry at all the nations, Furious at all their host; He has doomed them, consigned them to slaughter. Their slain shall be left lying, And the stench of their corpses shall mount; And the hills shall be drenched with their blood.
8: For it is the LORD’s day of retribution, The year of vindication for Zion’s cause.
9-12: Its streams shall be turned to pitch And its soil to sulfur. Its land shall become burning pitch, Night and day it shall never go out; Its smoke shall rise for all time. Through the ages it shall lie in ruins; Through the aeons none shall traverse it. Jackdaws and owls shall possess it; Great owls and ravens shall dwell there. He shall measure it with a line of chaos And with weights of emptiness. It shall be called, “No kingdom is there,” Its nobles and all its lords shall be nothing.
16: Search and read it in the scroll of the LORD: Not one of these shall be absent, Not one shall miss its fellow. For His mouth has spoken, It is His spirit that has assembled them,

IV. Outline

1. Call to the nations
2-4. God will punish the nations
5-17. The destruction of Edom
    5. Oracle: God’s sword will fall on Edom
    6-7. Edom’s animals will be slaughtered
    8. Zion will be avenged
    9. Edom will be burned
    10-15. Edom will become desolate
    16a. Guarantee
    16b-17. Conclusion

V. Comment
No comment today. Stay tuned.

VI. Works Used
(see “Commentaries” page)
Blenkinsopp, Joseph. “Isaiah 1-39” The Anchor Bible vol. 19 (New York: Doubleday, 2000).
Collins, John J. “Introduction to the Hebrew Bible,” (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2004).
Sweeney, Marvin A. “Isaiah 1-39 with an Introduction to Prophetic Literature” The Forms of Old Testament Literature vol. 16 (Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans, 1996).
Photo taken from http://www.snakepictures.co.uk/images/snake_picture_049.jpg

Published