NOTES for Eze 25:1-17
1 The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying, |
2 Son of man, set thy face against the Ammonites, and prophesy against them; |
3 And say unto the Ammonites, Hear the word of the Lord GOD; Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thou saidst, Aha, against my sanctuary, when it was profaned; and against the land of Israel, when it was desolate; and against the house of Judah, when they went into captivity; |
4 Behold, therefore I will deliver thee to the men of the east for a possession, and they shall set their palaces in thee, and make their dwellings in thee: they shall eat thy fruit, and they shall drink thy milk. |
5 And I will make Rabbah a stable for camels, and the Ammonites a couchingplace for flocks: and ye shall know that I am the LORD. |
6 For thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thou hast clapped thine hands, and stamped with the feet, and rejoiced in heart with all thy despite against the land of Israel; |
7 Behold, therefore I will stretch out mine hand upon thee, and will deliver thee for a spoil to the heathen; and I will cut thee off from the people, and I will cause thee to perish out of the countries: I will destroy thee; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD. |
8 Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because that Moab and Seir do say, Behold, the house of Judah is like unto all the heathen; |
9 Therefore, behold, I will open the side of Moab from the cities, from his cities which are on his frontiers, the glory of the country, Beth-jeshimoth, Baal-meon, and Kiriathaim, |
10 Unto the men of the east with the Ammonites, and will give them in possession, that the Ammonites may not be remembered among the nations. |
11 And I will execute judgments upon Moab; and they shall know that I am the LORD. |
12 Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because that Edom hath dealt against the house of Judah by taking vengeance, and hath greatly offended, and revenged himself upon them; |
13 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; I will also stretch out mine hand upon Edom, and will cut off man and beast from it; and I will make it desolate from Teman; and they of Dedan shall fall by the sword. |
14 And I will lay my vengeance upon Edom by the hand of my people Israel: and they shall do in Edom according to mine anger and according to my fury; and they shall know my vengeance, saith the Lord GOD. |
15 Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because the Philistines have dealt by revenge, and have taken vengeance with a despiteful heart, to destroy it for the old hatred; |
16 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will stretch out mine hand upon the Philistines, and I will cut off the Cherethims, and destroy the remnant of the sea coast. |
17 And I will execute great vengeance upon them with furious rebukes; and they shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall lay my vengeance upon them. |
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The Ammonites must be punished for rejoicing over the disasters that befell the sinful people of Judah. But is there not a contradiction in the fact that, at the same time as grave sins are punished, those who rejoice over the punishment that has overtaken sinners must also be punished?
From the everyday perspective that tries to divide people into good and bad, it is not clear what the Ammonites did wrong. But the situation can also be viewed from another, broader perspective. The pagans of Ammon condemn the people of Judah not because they failed to remain at the height to which God had called them, but precisely because they had been called by Him.
How often those to whose level their neighbours fall rejoice at that fall! The malicious joy with which people notice the sins and failings of those around them is always repulsive. But who knows whether we will be called to account for such malicious joy to the same degree as our neighbour for his sins—or perhaps even more strictly?
Readings for 31 August 2026
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