Ezekiel 36:5

Eze 36:5 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Surely in the fire of my jealousy have I spoken against the residue of the heathen, and against all Idumea, which have appointed my land into their possession with the joy of all [their] heart, with despiteful minds, to cast it out for a prey.

Ver. 5. Surely in the fire of my jealousy.] Jealousy is hot as hell; {Son 8:6} it is implacable, {Pro 6:34-35} and very vindictive. See Zec 1:14. {See Trapp on "Zec 1:14"} Here God swears he will be even with these Edomites.

Which have appointed my land.] This the Lord hath never done with, so ill be took it.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

They appointed with themselves to have it, and therefore came with Nebuchadnezzar against Jerusalem for this purpose.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

to cast it out for a prey--that is, to take the land for a prey, its inhabitants being cast out. Or the land is compared to a prey cast forth to wild beasts. FAIRBAIRN needlessly alters the Hebrew pointing and translates, "that they may plunder its pasturage."

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

(5) Idumea = Edom, as in Eze_35:15, where see Note. For “cast it out,” in the last clause of the verse, read, empty it out. The idea of casting out a land for a prey is incongruous, and the other sense is admissible.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

5. fire of my jealousy] “Jealousy” is injured self-consciousness; it is the reaction of Jehovah’s sense of himself against the injurious conduct of Edom and the nations in relation to him or that which is his, cf. my land.

to cast it out] The expression is difficult both in grammar (as Eze_17:9) and meaning. To take “cast it (the land) out” in the sense of cast out the inhabitants is not quite natural, though cf. Eze_24:6. The reading may be faulty.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Therefore thus saith the Lord God,.... Because these Heathens have acted such an unkind and cruel part to Israel:

surely in the fire of my jealousy have I spoken; in his fierce wrath and hot displeasure, resenting the ill usage of his people; hot with indignation against their enemies, having a fervent zeal for his own glory, and an affectionate concern for the good of his people. It is in the original text in the form of an oath, "if I have not spoken", &c. (g); let me be reckoned a liar, or not God; believe me that I have spoken, and in this warm manner; and have not only foretold in prophecy, and threatened the destruction of these nations, but have resolved and determined upon it in my own mind. So the Targum,

"if I have not in the fire of my vengeance decreed in my word:''

against the residue of the Heathen, and against all Idumea; or Edom; the Edomites, even all of them, who of all the Heathen were the most inveterate and implacable enemies of the Jews, though related to them, and are therefore particularly mentioned as the objects of the divine vengeance: the reason follows,

which have appointed my land into their possession; this land where his chosen people dwelt, and which he chose for them, and gave unto them; the land where he himself dwelt, and granted his presence; where his temple was, and he was worshipped. So the Targum,

"the land of the house of my majesty.''

Now this the Lord took ill at their hands, and resented, that they should lay out this land for themselves, and determine upon it as a possession and inheritance of theirs.

With the joy of all their heart, with despiteful minds, to cast it out for a prey; with the utmost joy they joined Nebuchadnezzar's army when he invaded the land of Judea and besieged Jerusalem, out of pure malice and spite to the people of the Jews, in order to eject them from the possession of their land, that it might become a prey to them; see Psa 137:7.

(g) "si non", Cocceius, Starckius; "sub. mentiar", Junius & Tremellius; "non ero Deus", Piscator.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Surely; in the Hebrew it is in the form of an oath.

In the fire; in my hot displeasure.

Spoken against; threatened ruin and desolation to all the nations that are and have been enemies to Israel.

Idumea; the land in which the Edomites dwelt; the Hebrew is Edom.

Have appointed my land; have given or delivered, helped to take the land from my people, and then left it in the hand of the Chaldeans, in hope it should be given back to them for their possession.

With the joy of all their heart; transported with joy; Jacob’s children put out, the heathen came in to possess the land, with rancorous minds, swelling with hatred, and from that acting with the utmost vigour to slay the inhabitants, that there might be no pretenders to the land, but that they might inherit it.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

5. Jealousy — See notes Eze_5:12; Eze_23:25; compare Eze_38:19.

Idumea — Edom. (Compare Eze_35:15.)

Into their possession — Rather, with R.V., “Unto themselves for a possession.” (Compare Eze_35:10; Eze_35:15.)

With despiteful minds — Or, with contempt of soul.

To cast it out for a prey — A very difficult phrase. Toy reads, “that they might possess it as a prey.” From a Hebrew standpoint the Holy Land would become a prey and a castaway if ever the Edomites took possession of it, but perhaps it would be better to make a slight change and read, “in order to plunder its produce” (Hitzig).

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Surely. alA the particle of adjuration, as in Eze_5:11 Eze_33:27 Eze_34:8 Eze_38:19. The fire of my jealousy. Zephaniah (Zep_1:18 Zep_3:8) uses the same phrase. Similar expressions occur Eze_21:31, "the fire of my wrath;" and Eze_38:19, "in my jealousy and in the fire of my wrath". (comp. Deu_4:24) Against all Idumea. Edom. As in Eze_35:15, so here, it is the wickedness, more especially of the Edomites, that excites the prophet"s indignation. They had not only concluded that Israel"s territory should be to them for a possession, but they had done so with the joy of all their heart, and with despiteful minds; or, with contempt of soul ; (comp. Eze_25:6, Eze_25:15) i.e. with deadly (Ewald) or hearty (Smend) contempt. "The temper of the Edomites," writes Plumptre, "might almost serve as the regulative instance of the form of evil for which Aristotle ("Eth. Nit.," 2, 7, 15) seems to have coined the word ejpicairekakia, the temper which rejoices in the ills that fall on others." The concluding clause, to cast it out for a prey, has been differently rendered.

(1) Regarding Hvrgmi as an infinitive after ml, "to spoil it," i.e. the land (Gesenius), "empty out" (Keil) or "drive out" (Ewald, Smend) its inhabitants (so as to get it) for a prey.

(2) Taking Hvrgmi as a noun, "for the sake of its possession for a prey" (Kliefoth), that their suburbs should be a prey" (Hengstenberg) "on account of its pasturage for a prey" (Schroder).

(3) Changing zbl into zbol "in order to plunder its produce" (Hitzig) or "pasturage" (Fairbairn).

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

because her expulsion was for plunder Because they saw her expulsion [as one] for plunder; that she was subjected to plunder.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.