If Ezekiel 35:5 describes Edom’s “perpetual hatred,” does historical record support such an unbroken hostility?

I. Historical Context of Ezekiel 35:5

Ezekiel 35:5 states, “Because you harbored an ancient hatred and delivered the Israelites over to the sword in the time of their disaster, at the final time of their punishment…” This passage pronounces judgment against Edom (often identified with Mount Seir). The phrase often translated “perpetual hatred” or “ancient hostility” underscores a long-standing enmity between Edom and Israel that spans multiple generations. The question arises: Does the historical record confirm that this hostility indeed persisted consistently through the ages?

II. The Genesis of the Enmity: Jacob and Esau

Throughout the Hebrew Scriptures, Edom’s lineage is traced back to Esau, brother of Jacob (Genesis 25:24–30). Their early discord began in the womb (Genesis 25:22) and continued with Esau selling his birthright to Jacob (Genesis 25:29–34). Tensions deepened when Jacob received Isaac’s blessing (Genesis 27:27–29).

While family disputes do not necessarily guarantee centuries of warfare, this initial rivalry formed a backdrop for later hostilities. From the very beginning, the two peoples grew apart with significant mistrust.

III. Edom’s Resistance During the Exodus

During Israel’s journey from Egypt to Canaan, Moses asked Edom’s king for permission to pass through Edomite territory (Numbers 20:14–21). Edom refused, mobilizing an army against Israel. This refusal, recounted in Numbers 20:20 (BSB: “But Edom refused to let Israel travel through their territory, and they turned away from them”), signaled a deep-rooted resistance.

IV. Ongoing Hostility in the Monarchy Period

1. Saul and David’s Campaigns

Edom appears as an adversary during King Saul’s reign (1 Samuel 14:47) and faces conquests under King David, who placed garrisons in Edom (2 Samuel 8:14). The repeated clashes suggest an enduring tension well into the monarchy period of Israel.

2. Rebellions and Conflicts

In the days of King Jehoshaphat (2 Chronicles 20:10) and King Amaziah (2 Chronicles 25:11–12), Edomites continued to engage in hostilities. Recurrent wars and raids depict a recurring pattern rather than occasional, one-off squabbles.

3. Post-Solomonic Divisions

After Solomon’s death, with the split of the kingdom, Edom capitalized on Israel and Judah’s internal vulnerabilities (2 Chronicles 21:8–10; 28:17). These passages show Edom either rebelling against Judah’s control or attacking in tandem with other enemies.

V. Edom’s Role in the Fall of Jerusalem

In Psalm 137:7 (BSB: “Remember, O LORD, the sons of Edom on the day Jerusalem fell, ‘Tear it down,’ they cried, ‘tear it down to its foundations!’”), the Edomites appear openly hostile toward Jerusalem. This is echoed in Obadiah 1:10–14, where Edom is condemned for taking advantage of Judah’s downfall and seizing plunder. Ezekiel reiterated this condemnation (Ezekiel 25:12–14; 35:1–15), referring to Edom’s consistent animosity.

VI. Post-Exilic and Intertestamental Evidence

1. Idumea Under the Persian and Hellenistic Periods

Historical records and archaeological findings indicate that following the Babylonian exile, Edomites (known as Idumeans in later sources) migrated into the region south of Judea. The Greek historian and geographer Strabo (1st century BC) refers to the area of Idumea near Hebron. Some tensions continued, though shifting geopolitics and outside empires changed the nature of the conflict.

2. Hasmonean Era Confrontations

The Jewish historian Flavius Josephus (Antiquities of the Jews 13.9.1) recounts how John Hyrcanus (2nd century BC) subdued Idumea and compelled its inhabitants to adopt Judaism. Although this period marked the forced integration of Edomites into the Jewish polity, hostilities had often flared leading up to this point. The forced conversion did not entirely erase resentments between Jewish and Idumean communities.

3. Herodian Dynasty

Herod the Great (1st century BC) was of Idumean origin. While Herod’s reign and subsequent Roman involvement altered direct clashes between “Edom” and “Israel,” older tensions continued in cultural memory. References in rabbinic literature and other Second Temple writings occasionally portray Edom or Idumea as a symbolic enemy.

VII. Does the Record Reflect “Perpetual Hatred”?

1. Scriptural Emphasis

The biblical narrative, from Genesis to the post-exilic prophets, repeatedly attests to ongoing hostility from Edom. These hostilities were not always expressed in the same way or at the same intensity, but they were consistently present. Ezekiel’s phrase in 35:5 stresses not simply a single moment of aggression but a historically entrenched enmity.

2. Archaeological and Literary Corroboration

Archaeological surveys in southern Jordan (formerly Edomite territory) reveal fortified sites from the Iron Age consistent with a people often defending—or attacking—territories. While such evidence primarily indicates a well-established kingdom rather than a diary of ongoing besiegement, it supports the biblical portrait of a distinct nation often in conflict with neighbors. Josephus and later Greek and Roman writings describe an Idumean people maintaining a historical reputation for hostility toward their Jewish neighbors, even if that hostility changed form over time.

VIII. Factors Influencing the “Unbroken” Nature

1. Prophetic Hyperbole or Literal Continuum?

The Hebrew word used in Ezekiel 35:5 can be translated “perpetual,” “everlasting,” or “ancient,” signifying something longstanding rather than guaranteeing a daily, unceasing clash. Scriptural prophecy often uses strong terminology to convey the seriousness of spiritual or national offenses.

2. Cycles of Conflict and Temporary Alliances

Certain biblical passages (e.g., 2 Chronicles 20, 21, 25) and extra-biblical sources (Josephus, Antiquities) do mention interludes of imposed peace or alliances. These instances, however, tend to be short-lived or overshadowed by the next outbreak of hostilities. In this sense, the real picture is one of recurring animosity, taking different shapes over many centuries.

3. Cultural Memory and Symbolic Usage

Beyond literal warfare, Edom, as a symbol for those opposing God’s covenant, remains an archetype of antagonism in later Jewish tradition. This ongoing symbolic enmity underlines Ezekiel’s prophecy about a deep-rooted hostility transcending purely political conflict.

IX. Conclusion

While “perpetual hatred” need not mean uninterrupted battlefield engagement at every point in history, the biblical and extrabiblical record indeed demonstrates a remarkably consistent pattern of animosity from Edom toward Israel across centuries. Various eras saw confrontations—blockades, military campaigns, and moments of bitter rivalry—reinforcing the biblical theme of an entrenched, multigenerational hostility.

From the earliest family strife between Esau and Jacob, to Edom’s gloating over Jerusalem’s destruction, and on through the Hasmonean and Roman periods, a strong thread of tension persisted. Ezekiel’s prophecy reflects a well-attested historical pattern recognized in numerous sources, underscoring Edom’s longstanding role as an adversary. Even when forced conversions or political rearrangements altered Edom’s status, vestiges of the ancient hostility remained culturally and historically acknowledged, thus supporting Ezekiel 35:5’s statement regarding Edom’s “perpetual hatred.”