Jeremiah 49:17
“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)
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What's easy to miss here is the visceral reaction described: people don't just see Edom's ruin, they hiss at it. This isn't just astonishment; it's a sound of mockery and derision, revealing how deeply Edom's downfall becomes a spectacle of divine judgment, even for those passing by. It highlights how public displays of destruction can become fodder for insult and scorn.
This prophecy against Edom follows judgment oracles directed at other nations like Babylon and Philistia, and precedes prophecies against Ammon, Moab, and others. Jeremiah uses a well-known prophetic pattern, describing Edom's utter destruction as a "desolation" so complete that passersby would be shocked and mock its downfall. This vivid imagery of astonishment and derision is used elsewhere in Jeremiah to emphasize the severity of God's judgment on rebellious peoples.
What does it mean for a nation to become a 'horror'? This verse paints a stark picture of God's judgment.
Jeremiah declares that Edom will become a desolation, a ruin so complete it inspires terror. The Hebrew word translated as 'desolation' here actually carries a strong sense of 'astonishment' or 'terror.' It's not just about emptiness, but a shocking, overwhelming emptiness.
The Spectacle of Judgment
Imagine passing by a once-thriving city or land, only to find it utterly destroyed. The reaction isn't just sadness; it's shock and disgust. People would 'hiss' – a sound often associated with judgment, scorn, or even repulsion. This wasn't just a military defeat; it was a display of God's power and a warning to all who witnessed or heard of Edom's fate.
Why would people 'hiss' at a nation's destruction? This reaction reveals a deeper truth about how such judgments serve as powerful warnings.
The response to Edom's downfall—being astonished and hissing—was so extreme that it became a proverbial expression. It was a vivid way to describe utter destruction and divine judgment.
A Lesson for All
When God brings judgment upon a nation, especially one that has defied Him or oppressed His people, it's not just an isolated event. It becomes a stark lesson for others. The commentators note that this imagery was a well-understood idiom for extreme devastation.
Think of it like a signpost on a dangerous road: 'Extreme Danger – All Passersby Astonished and Hissing.' It’s meant to make everyone else stop, pay attention, and learn from the consequences, so they don't meet the same fate.
Understand the original words
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.
The prophecy against Edom in Jeremiah 49:17 speaks of utter desolation, a stark contrast to its historical position. This judgment is tied to Edom's hostile actions during Judah's downfall, highlighting that even seemingly powerful nations face divine reckoning.
c. 701 BC
Assyrian Campaign against Judah
Sennacherib of Assyria campaigns in the region, subjugating many towns in Judah and Edom. This shows Assyrian dominance in the area.
c. 605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar I of Babylon begins his campaigns, deporting some of the Judean elite to Babylon. This marks the rise of Babylonian power.
586 BC— this verse
Fall of Jerusalem and Exile
Nebuchadnezzar II destroys Jerusalem and its Temple, exiling most of the population to Babylon. Edom is noted for its complicity in this event.
c. 550-539 BC
Persian Empire Rises
Cyrus the Great conquers Babylon, establishing the Persian Empire and eventually allowing the Judean exiles to return.
This passage describes the same kind of horrified reaction from onlookers to Jerusalem's devastation, echoing the astonishment and derision directed at Edom's ruin.
Ezekiel 35:1-15Ezekiel prophesies against Edom specifically for its hatred and vengeance against Israel, directly addressing the 'mountain of Seir' that will become a desolation, much like Jeremiah's prophecy.
Malachi 1:2-5Malachi reiterates God's love for Jacob (Israel) and His hatred for Esau (Edom), confirming Edom's future destruction and the astonishment it would cause, showing this judgment was a consistent theme.
Jeremiah 19:8This verse uses the exact same phrasing about becoming 'a desolation' and passers-by being 'astonished' and hissing, demonstrating it was a characteristic prophetic expression for utter destruction, applied here to Edom.
1 Kings 9:8This verse references a similar expression of astonishment and hissing in response to a significant desolation of Israel's cities, showing this imagery of extreme ruin was recognized and understood from earlier periods.
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…
What's easy to miss here is the visceral reaction described: people don't just see Edom's ruin, they hiss at it. This isn't just astonishment; it's a sound of mockery and derision, revealing how deeply Edom's downfall becomes a spectacle of divine judgment, even for those passing by. It highlights how public displays of destruction can become fodder for insult and scorn.
This prophecy against Edom follows judgment oracles directed at other nations like Babylon and Philistia, and precedes prophecies against Ammon, Moab, and others. Jeremiah uses a well-known prophetic pattern, describing Edom's utter destruction as a "desolation" so complete that passersby would be shocked and mock its downfall. This vivid imagery of astonishment and derision is used elsewhere in Jeremiah to emphasize the severity of God's judgment on rebellious peoples.
This prophecy against Edom follows judgment oracles directed at other nations like Babylon and Philistia, and precedes prophecies against Ammon, Moab, and others. Jeremiah uses a well-known prophetic pattern, describing Edom's utter destruction as a "desolation" so complete that passersby would be shocked and mock its downfall. This vivid imagery of astonishment and derision is used elsewhere in Jeremiah to emphasize the severity of God's judgment on rebellious peoples.
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c. 4th-2nd century BC
Edomite Population Moves North
Increasing pressure from nomadic Arab tribes leads many Edomites to migrate north into southern Judah, a region that becomes known as Idumaea.
c. 130 BC
Hasmonean Conquest of Edom
John Hyrcanus, the Hasmonean ruler, conquers the Idumaeans and forces their conversion to Judaism.
"“Edom shall become a horror. Everyone who passes by it will be horrified and will hiss because of all its disasters." — What's easy to miss here is the visceral reaction described: people don't just see Edom's ruin, they hiss at it. This isn't just astonishment; it's a sound of mockery and derision, revealing how de…
