Jeremiah 49:17-18
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The chilling reaction of "hissing" isn't just about being shocked; it carries a sense of derision and gloating over Edom's utter ruin, highlighting how fallen nations can become spectacles of scorn for onlookers. This expression, used elsewhere in Jeremiah for extreme desolation, emphasizes that Edom's destruction will be so complete it becomes a byword.
“Edom shall become a horror. Everyone who passes by it will be horrified and will hiss because of all its disasters. As when Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighboring cities were overthrown, says the LORD, no man shall dwell there, no man shall sojourn in her.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This passage is part of Jeremiah's judgment oracle against Edom, following pronouncements against other nations. The prophet has just described Edom's pride and its ultimate downfall, and this verse vividly portrays the utter desolation that will befall the land. It's a stark warning, echoing similar expressions of ruin used for other nations like Babylon, emphasizing how travelers will be astonished and mock at Edom's complete destruction.
Why would a whole country become an object of public mockery? This verse paints a stark picture of Edom's future – not just destruction, but a spectacle for all to see.
Jeremiah 49:17 declares that Edom will become 'a horror' and 'a desolation.' This isn't just about military defeat or economic ruin; it's about an utter downfall that becomes a public warning. The language used suggests a complete and shocking ruin, so severe that passersby would be stunned and express their shock through audible gasps and gestures ('hiss'). This extreme reaction signifies a judgment so profound that it serves as a lasting testament to God's dealings with those who defy Him.
Think of it like this: imagine a once-proud skyscraper suddenly collapsing into dust. People wouldn't just feel sad; they'd be shocked, maybe even recoil in horror. That’s the kind of devastation implied here – a complete reversal of fortune that leaves a lasting, terrible impression.
Jeremiah often used strong, even repeated, language to make his point. What does it mean that Edom's fate became a kind of 'saying' for utter ruin?
The commentators note that the description of Edom's desolation was a 'proverbial expression.' This means that the utter destruction of Edom became a benchmark, a standard example used to describe any catastrophic downfall. When people wanted to illustrate extreme ruin, they would point to what happened to Edom.
This elevates Edom's judgment beyond a mere historical event. It became a lasting illustration of divine justice. The 'plagues' poured upon Edom were so thorough and so shocking that they entered the common language as a symbol of complete annihilation. This wasn't just about punishment; it was about creating a visible, memorable testament to the consequences of rebellion against God.
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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.
ʿĂmōrāh · Hebrew Proper Noun
An ancient city associated with Sodom, destroyed by God due to its extreme wickedness, serving as a permanent biblical archetype for divine judgment and total destruction.
gûr · Hebrew Verb
To dwell as a temporary resident or stranger; one who lives in a place without having permanent rights or citizenship, highlighting a lack of stability.
The prophecy against Edom, while spoken by Jeremiah, describes a judgment whose fulfillment wasn't immediate but unfolded over centuries. The verse speaks to a profound, lasting desolation that would eventually overtake this nation, a fate tied to their actions during Jerusalem's fall.
Late 8th century BC
Assyrian dominance over Edom
During this period, the Kingdom of Assyria exerted significant influence and control over Edom, often demanding tribute and intervening in its affairs.
c. 605 BC
First Babylonian deportation
Nebuchadnezzar I of Babylon begins his campaigns, leading to the first wave of deportations from Judah. Edom, often allied with or subject to Babylon, would have been impacted by these regional shifts.
c. 587/586 BC— this verse
Fall of Jerusalem to Babylon
The destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar marks a critical turning point. Edom's reaction to this event, often seen as hostile towards the remaining Judeans, directly contributes to God's judgment on Edom.
c. 550 BC
Rise of the Nabataean Kingdom
The Nabataeans, an Arab people, begin to settle and gain prominence in the region previously occupied by Edom, eventually displacing them.
c. 4th century BC
Edomites migrate to Southern Judah
As their traditional lands were increasingly occupied by the Nabataeans, many Edomites migrated northward, settling in southern Judah and becoming known as the Idumaeans.
c. 2nd century BC
Hasmonean conquest of Idumaea
The Maccabees, leading the Jewish Hasmonean dynasty, conquered the Idumaean territory, forcing its inhabitants to convert to Judaism.
This verse uses the same evocative language of astonishment and hissing at utter desolation, showing it's a recurring theme for divine judgment.
Jeremiah 50:13Babylon, another powerful nation, is described with similar imagery of becoming a place of astonishment for passers-by, highlighting a pattern of judgment on arrogant nations.
1 Kings 9:8This passage shows that the description of a nation becoming a desolation where people hiss is a well-established, almost proverbial, way to describe catastrophic ruin in the Old Testament.
Lamentations 2:15-16The Book of Lamentations mirrors this imagery, describing Jerusalem's enemies hissing and mocking its complete destruction, emphasizing the public shame 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 chilling reaction of "hissing" isn't just about being shocked; it carries a sense of derision and gloating over Edom's utter ruin, highlighting how fallen nations can become spectacles of scorn for onlookers. This expression, used elsewhere in Jeremiah for extreme desolation, emphasizes that Edom's destruction will be so complete it becomes a byword.
This passage is part of Jeremiah's judgment oracle against Edom, following pronouncements against other nations. The prophet has just described Edom's pride and its ultimate downfall, and this verse vividly portrays the utter desolation that will befall the land. It's a stark warning, echoing similar expressions of ruin used for other nations like Babylon, emphasizing how travelers will be astonished and mock at Edom's complete destruction.
This passage is part of Jeremiah's judgment oracle against Edom, following pronouncements against other nations. The prophet has just described Edom's pride and its ultimate downfall, and this verse vividly portrays the utter desolation that will befall the land. It's a stark warning, echoing similar expressions of ruin used for other nations like Babylon, emphasizing how travelers will be astonished and mock at Edom's complete destruction.
"“Edom shall become a horror. Everyone who passes by it will be horrified and will hiss because of all its disasters. As when Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighboring cities were overthrown, says the LORD, no man shall dwell there, no man s…" — The chilling reaction of "hissing" isn't just about being shocked; it carries a sense of derision and gloating over Edom's utter ruin, highlighting how fallen nations can become spectacles of scorn f…
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Last reviewed October 2026
