Isaiah 34 - Introduction

Isaiah 34-35. The Downfall of Edom, and Permanent Desolation of its Land. The Blessedness of God's People and Fertility of its Land. These Chapter s are generally, and probably correctly, attributed to the same hand. Isaiah 34 exhibits the fiercest hatred of Edom, reminding us most of Isaiah 63:1. This hatred, for which we may compare Lamentations 4:21 f., Psalms 137:7; Jeremiah 49:7, was largely due to the exultation displayed by the Edomites at the destruction of Jerusalem in 586, and it was cherished by the Jews from that time forward. The desolation of Edom is described in language very similar to that used in Isaiah 13 for the desolation of Babylon. The connexion of Edom with the judgment of all nations, and especially the reference to a collection of prophecies as a Book of Yahweh, points to the post-exilic period as the most probable date for its composition. Isaiah 35 implies the Dispersion and a knowledge of Isaiah 40-66.