Topical Bible: Edomites: Join Babylon in War Against the Israelites

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The Edomites, descendants of Esau, have a complex and often adversarial relationship with the Israelites, their kin through Jacob. This enmity is rooted in the biblical narrative of the two brothers, Jacob and Esau, whose descendants would become the Israelites and Edomites, respectively. The tension between these two nations is a recurring theme throughout the Old Testament.

Historical Context

The Edomites inhabited the region south of the Dead Sea, a territory known as Edom. Their land was strategically located along the King's Highway, a major trade route, which often brought them into conflict with neighboring nations, including Israel. Despite their shared ancestry, the Edomites frequently opposed Israel, sometimes allying with Israel's enemies.

Edom's Alliance with Babylon

One of the most significant instances of Edomite hostility towards Israel occurred during the Babylonian conquest of Jerusalem in the 6th century BC. The Edomites are noted for their participation in this devastating event, aligning themselves with the Babylonians against the Israelites. This alliance is seen as a betrayal of their kinship with Israel and is condemned in several prophetic writings.

The prophet Obadiah specifically addresses the Edomites' actions during this period. Obadiah 1:11 states, "On the day you stood aloof while strangers carried off his wealth and foreigners entered his gates and cast lots for Jerusalem, you were just like one of them." This verse highlights the Edomites' passive complicity and active participation in the plundering of Jerusalem.

Prophetic Condemnation

The prophets of Israel did not overlook Edom's betrayal. In addition to Obadiah, other prophets such as Jeremiah and Ezekiel also denounce Edom for their role in the Babylonian conquest. Jeremiah 49:7-22 and Ezekiel 25:12-14 both pronounce judgments against Edom, foretelling their downfall as a consequence of their actions against Israel.

Psalm 137:7 captures the lament of the Israelites over Edom's betrayal: "Remember, O LORD, the sons of Edom on the day Jerusalem fell: 'Destroy it,' they said, 'tear it down to its foundations!'" This plea for divine retribution underscores the depth of the Israelites' anguish and sense of betrayal.

Theological Implications

From a theological perspective, the Edomites' alliance with Babylon is seen as a violation of the covenantal relationship that should have existed between the descendants of Jacob and Esau. Their actions are viewed as a rejection of the familial bond and a failure to recognize the sovereignty of the God of Israel. The prophetic denunciations serve as a reminder of the consequences of opposing God's chosen people and the divine justice that follows such actions.

Legacy and Later References

The Edomites' participation in the Babylonian conquest left a lasting impact on their legacy within the biblical narrative. Their actions during this period are frequently cited as a prime example of enmity against Israel. In later Jewish literature and tradition, Edom often symbolizes opposition to God's purposes and is sometimes used allegorically to represent Rome or other oppressive powers.

The Edomites' eventual decline and disappearance from the historical record are seen as a fulfillment of the prophetic judgments pronounced against them. Their account serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of aligning against God's people and the inevitable downfall that follows such alliances.

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Ezekiel 35:5
Because you have had a perpetual hatred, and have shed the blood of the children of Israel by the force of the sword in the time of their calamity, in the time that their iniquity had an end:
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Amos 1:9-11
Thus said the LORD; For three transgressions of Tyrus, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they delivered up the whole captivity to Edom, and remembered not the brotherly covenant:
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Obadiah 1:11-16
In the day that you stood on the other side, in the day that the strangers carried away captive his forces, and foreigners entered into his gates, and cast lots on Jerusalem, even you were as one of them.
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Library

The First Chaldaean Empire and the Hyksos in Egypt
... and flows down among the brushwood to join the Nahr el ... them into a single state,
of which Babylon was the ... Perpetual war was waged in the narrow borderland which ...
/.../chapter ithe first chaldaean empire.htm

The Hebrews and the Philistines --Damascus
... with various Bedawin tribes"Kenites, Jerahmelites, Edomites, and Midianites ... them
the art of war, their numbers ... pasturage, or an expedition against a turbulent ...
/.../chapter iiithe hebrews and the.htm

CHAP. I. -II. 3 (II. 1).
... the true Church, by Jerusalem; Rome, by Babylon."The explanation ... Deuteronomy
23:1-8, where the Edomites and Egyptians ... out any war, they will join our enemies ...
/.../hengstenberg/christology of the old testament/chap i -ii 3 ii 1.htm

Tiglath-Pileser iii. And the Organisation of the Assyrian Empire ...
... Amaziah, on his side, had routed the Edomites in the ... on his rear, and brave the fortune
of war in Armenia or ... on him the duty of safeguarding Babylon from that ...
/.../chapter iitiglath-pileser iii and the.htm

The Flight into Egypt and St. John the Baptist in the Desert
... they went northwards down-stream towards Babylon, which was ... left Juttah for ever
and hastened to join John in ... long after his death by Edomites, the descendants ...
/.../emmerich/the life of the blessed virgin mary/xvi the flight into egypt.htm