Ezekiel 25:12,13

‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh, “Because Edom has dealt against the house of Judah by taking vengeance, and has greatly offended, and revenged herself on them,” therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh, “I will stretch out my hand on Edom and will cut off man and beast from it, and I will make it desolate from Teman, even to Dedan they will fall by the sword.” '

Edom is singled out as especially treacherous (Psalms 137:7) a fact reflected in the continual animosity revealed against her elsewhere (Obadiah 1:21; Malachi 1:3). We do not know quite what she did but she acted positively in some way to bring as much harm on Jerusalem as possible. In Ezekiel 35:5 it is said that they ‘gave over the children of Israel to the power of the sword in the time of their calamity'. This suggests that they turned back those seeking refuge in Edom into the hands of their pursuers, an example of heartless cynicism and cruelty that would not easily be forgiven. Even Moab and Ammon did not do that. And there is evidence of Edomite occupation of southern Judah after the exile (1Ma 5:65; Josephus; the Zenon papyri). It seemed that she took full and vicious advantage of Jerusalem's cruel dilemma.

Because of this her fate was to be severe, although we do not actually have any details of what immediately happened to her. She was to be totally desolated. There is certainly evidence of a later Arab population.

The inhabitants of Teman in northern Edom were renowned for their wisdom (Jeremiah 49:7; Obadiah 1:8). Teman may be identified with Tawilan which has been excavated to reveal a large Edomite town of the 8th to 6th centuries BC. Dedan was in north west Arabia and well known for its role in the caravan trade (Ezekiel 27:20; Isaiah 21:13), and is mentioned in inscriptions. The site is now known as al-‘Ula

The Oracle Against Edom (Ezekiel 25:12).

Edom has already been mentioned in the charge against Moab. Ammon and Moab were seen as brother nations descended from Lot (Genesis 19:37), while Edom was seen as descended from Esau (Genesis 32:3; Genesis 36:8). They were thus related nations, and their land was seen as given to them by Yahweh, which was why Moses had sought to avoid conflict with them (Deuteronomy 2:18; Deuteronomy 2:22). But now He was taking it away from them. They had gone too far.