Jeremiah 49:17
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The verse uses the phrase "astonished, and shall hiss" to describe the reaction to Edom's devastation, but this isn't just about surprise. The "hissing" implies a reaction of scorn and gloating, highlighting how Edom's downfall would be a spectacle met with derision by passersby, a profound warning about the consequences of pride and hostility.
“Edom shall become a horror. Everyone who passes by it will be horrified and will hiss because of all its disasters.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This prophecy against Edom follows similar pronouncements against other nations. Jeremiah warns that Edom, despite its mountainous strongholds, will be utterly devastated, becoming a shocking spectacle that travelers will point to with horrified fascination. The prophet describes God raising up a powerful enemy, like a lion emerging from the Jordan thickets, to swiftly and completely conquer Edom, leaving it an uninhabitable ruin.
Why would passersby not just be shocked, but actively 'hiss' at a nation's destruction?
The verse describes a visceral reaction to Edom's ruin: astonishment and hissing. This wasn't just passive surprise; 'hissing' here carried connotations of mockery and derision. It implies that Edom's downfall was so complete and so deserved, in the eyes of onlookers, that it became an object of scorn. This isn't about God delighting in suffering, but about the stark reality that when a nation, especially one that had wronged others (as Edom had), falls into utter ruin, it serves as a potent, albeit harsh, lesson to the world. The desolation becomes a signpost, pointing to the consequences of unrepentant sin and hostility.
What does it mean for a place to become a 'desolation' that is used as a warning?
The commentators point out that Edom's fate was so extreme it became proverbial. To say a place was 'like Edom' or would become 'a desolation' was a well-understood idiom for utter ruin. This wasn't just a one-off judgment, but a definitive end that served as a stark, memorable example. In a world where nations rose and fell, Edom's destruction was meant to be unforgettable. It highlights that God’s judgments aren't random acts, but they carry a profound significance, illustrating His power and the ultimate consequences of rebellion and wickedness. This serves as a divine lesson inscribed on the ruins of a nation.
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ʾĔḏôm · Hebrew Proper Noun
A reference to the people and nation descended from Esau, often portrayed in Scripture as a perennial adversary of Israel and a target of divine judgment.
Jeremiah's prophecy against Edom reflects a deep-seated animosity stemming from Edom's actions during Judah's darkest hour – the Babylonian conquest. The verse paints a vivid picture of utter desolation, a fate that would eventually befall Edom, not immediately, but through a series of conquests and transformations culminating in their absorption into other cultures.
c. 900-700 BC
Edom Maintains Independence
During this period, Edom, while often in conflict with its neighbors, maintained a degree of independence and prosperity, even having its own kings. The surrounding nations, including Judah, frequently engaged in border skirmishes and political maneuvering with Edom.
c. 605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, begins his campaigns against the region. He deports some of the Judean nobility, marking the start of the Babylonian exile. Edom's strategic position and its likely alliances or non-aggression pacts with various powers would have been relevant during these shifting geopolitical tides.
586 BC— this verse
Fall of Jerusalem
Nebuchadnezzar destroys Jerusalem and its Temple, and a significant portion of the remaining Judean population is exiled to Babylon. During this crisis, historical accounts suggest Edom sided with the Babylonians, even participating in the destruction and occupying parts of Judah.
c. 582 BC
Babylonian Campaigns in the Region
Following the fall of Jerusalem, Nebuchadnezzar conducts further military actions against surrounding nations, including Moab and Ammon. While specific details on Edom's fate in this exact year are debated, the ongoing Babylonian dominance solidified the power vacuum and the vulnerability of the region.
c. 5th-4th century BC
Edomite Expansion into Southern Judah
After the Babylonian exile, as Judah began to rebuild, Edomite peoples (now increasingly referred to as Idumeans) migrated into and occupied the southern territories of Judah, which had been devastated. This period saw a significant shift in the demographic and political landscape of the region.
2nd century BC
Hasmonean Conquest of Edom
Under the Hasmonean dynasty (Jewish Maccabees), the Idumeans were conquered and forced to convert to Judaism. This marked the end of Edom as a distinct political and religious entity, absorbing them into the Jewish nation.
This verse uses the exact same imagery of a city becoming a desolation so horrifying that passersby would be astonished and hiss, highlighting it as a recurring prophetic warning.
Jeremiah 50:13Jeremiah uses this same vivid description of astonishment and hissing for the desolation of Babylon, showing that such utter ruin is a consistent theme for nations that defy God.
1 Kings 9:8This passage reveals that the expression 'everyone who passes by will be astonished and will hiss' was already a proverbial way to describe utter desolation, showing Jeremiah is drawing on established language to describe Edom's fate.
Lamentations 2:15-16This passage describes Jerusalem's desolation in similar terms, with enemies hissing and rejoicing over its ruin, underscoring the intense shame and mockery that accompanies divine judgment.
barnesJeremiah 49:17: "Also Edom shall be a desolation: every one that goeth by it shall be astonished, and shall hiss at all the plagues thereof."
Better, "And Edom shall become a terror: every passer by shalt be terrified, and shudder etc."
gillJeremiah 49:17: "Also Edom shall be a desolation: every one that goeth by it shall be astonished, and shall hiss at all the plagues thereof."
Also Edom shall be a desolation,.... Not only Bozrah, its principal city, before spoken of, but the whole country of Idumea should be laid waste; its fortified cities destroyed; its riches plundered; and its inhabitants slain with the sword; or carried captive: everyone that goeth by it shall be astonished; at the desolation made, so suddenly and so unive…
The verse uses the phrase "astonished, and shall hiss" to describe the reaction to Edom's devastation, but this isn't just about surprise. The "hissing" implies a reaction of scorn and gloating, highlighting how Edom's downfall would be a spectacle met with derision by passersby, a profound warning about the consequences of pride and hostility.
This prophecy against Edom follows similar pronouncements against other nations. Jeremiah warns that Edom, despite its mountainous strongholds, will be utterly devastated, becoming a shocking spectacle that travelers will point to with horrified fascination. The prophet describes God raising up a powerful enemy, like a lion emerging from the Jordan thickets, to swiftly and completely conquer Edom, leaving it an uninhabitable ruin.
This prophecy against Edom follows similar pronouncements against other nations. Jeremiah warns that Edom, despite its mountainous strongholds, will be utterly devastated, becoming a shocking spectacle that travelers will point to with horrified fascination. The prophet describes God raising up a powerful enemy, like a lion emerging from the Jordan thickets, to swiftly and completely conquer Edom, leaving it an uninhabitable ruin.
"“Edom shall become a horror. Everyone who passes by it will be horrified and will hiss because of all its disasters." — The verse uses the phrase "astonished, and shall hiss" to describe the reaction to Edom's devastation, but this isn't just about surprise. The "hissing" implies a reaction of scorn and gloating, high…
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Last reviewed October 2026
