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The meaning of ‘Edom’

The name ‘Edom’ can either be used as the name of ‘Esau’ or his descendants the Edomites, or of the land occupied by the Edomites. The word ‘Edom’ means ‘red’ in memory of the red stew that Esau exchanged for his birth-right. “Esau said to Jacob, ‘Let me eat some of that red (stew), for I am famished.’ (Therefore he was called Edom)”. (Gen 25:30). Most translations have a footnote saying that Edom means ‘red’. The list of the descendants of Esau begins, “These are the descendants of Esau (that is, Edom).” (Gen 36:1).

The land of Edom

The land occupied by the Edomites is south and east of the Dead Sea. It is a rocky mountainous area, east of the Arabah 160 km (100 miles) from north to south and 30 km (20 miles) from east to west. The northern boundary with the land of Moab was the Wadi Zered, which flowed into the southern end of the Dead Sea. The land of Edom stretched south as far as the Gulf of Aqaba.

Much of the land was mountainous and inhospitable, but there were some areas which could be cultivated. The major trade route connecting Mesopotamia and Egypt, known as ‘The King's Highway’ passed through the southern extremity of this region. Tolls charged for travelling and trading along this route would add to the treasury of Edom, but also make it a target for enemies to attack.

The major city of Edom was Sela, or Selah, probably situated on a large rocky plateau called Umm-el-Biyara high above Petra to the north. Other cities included Teman, Dumah and Bozrah. In prophetic literature the name of one of these cities was often applied to the whole nation (eg. Is 21:11-12). Teman was a grand-son of Esau (Gen 36:11), who may have given his name to the northern region of Edom. The people of Teman was known for their wisdom (Jer 49:7, Obad 8). Eliphaz the Temanite was one of Job's so-called friends (Job 2:11). The location of Dumah is unknown, but may be near the Jordan town of Ma'an. The location of Bozrah can probably be identified with the modern town of Buseirah, north of Petra, which controlled the King's Highway.

Ancestry of the Edomites

The land of Edom was formerly called Seir, or Mount Seir, inhabited by the sons of Seir the Horite (Gen 14:6, 36:20-29, Num 24:18). Mount Seir, means ‘the hairy one’, probably because of the forests of scrubland that covers the mountains. Because of insufficient grazing land, Esau and his family moved to Edom, away from his brother Jacob, “Then Esau took his wives, his sons, his daughters, and all the members of his household, his cattle, all his livestock, and all the property he had acquired in the land of Canaan; and he moved to a land some distance from his brother Jacob. For their possessions were too great for them to live together; the land where they were staying could not support them because of their livestock. So Esau settled in the hill country of Seir; Esau is Edom” (Gen 36:5-8).

After Esau settled there, it became known as the land of Edom. “Jacob sent messengers before him to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the country of Edom.” (Gen 32:3). “So Esau settled in the hill country of Seir, Esau is Edom”. (Gen 36:8).

History of Edom

Much of the history of Edom is unknown, as there is only limited archaeological evidence and few documentary records.

Time of the patriarchs

Esau had occupied this area by the time that Jacob came back from Haran (Gen 32:3). The land of the Edomites was well established by the time of the Exodus, with kings reigning before any king ruled over the Israelites (Gen 36:31-39, 1 Chr 1:43).

Moses

Edom was not part of the land promised to Abraham, so on their way from Kadesh to the Promised Land, Moses and the Israelites requested to pass through Edom along the King’s Highway, but were forbidden to travel through Edom, so had to go round the country by the way to the Red Sea (Num 20:17-21, 21:4, Judges 11:17). In the law of Moses, Israel was commanded not to abhor any of the Edomites because they were their kin (Deut 23:7). At this time, Balaam predicted that Edom would be conquered by the star that shall come out of Jacob (Num 24:18). When allocating the land to Judah, Joshua set their southern boundary at the land of Edom, respecting their kinship and not taking any of their land (Josh 15:1).

Saul, David and Solomon

Saul had conflict with Edom and other enemies (1 Sam 14:47), but the result of this war was not recorded. David later subdued Edom and built garrisons throughout the land, making the Edomites become his servant (2 Sam 8:14). This opened up the way for Solomon to build a port and a fleet of ships at Ezion-Geber on the Gulf of Aqaba in the land of Edom, bringing back 120 talents of gold from Ophir (1 Kg 9:26). Hadad the Edomite was one of the adversaries who rose up against Solomon in revenge against David’s commander Joab killing the Edomite men (1 Kg 11:14-22).

The land of Edom was rich in copper ore, which was exploited by Solomon. Copper is an essential ingredient in the production of bronze, which is an alloy of copper and tin.

Jehoshaphat of Judah

Edom joined the Moabites, Ammonites and others to fight against Jehoshaphat of Judah (2 Chr 20:1). Jehoshaphat sought the Lord, praying for victory. As they praised God, God set an ambush against the Ammonites, Moabites and Mount Seir (Edom), who turned against and destroyed each other (2 Chr 20:22-23). At this time there was no king in Edom, so it was ruled by a deputy (1 Kg 22:48). Jehoshaphat tried to send ships from Ezion-geber to Ophir, but the ships were wrecked (1 Kg 22:49).

Jehoram of Israel

During the reign of Jehoram, the son of Ahab, the deputy king of Edom joined a coalition between Judah and Israel to subdue Mesha, king of Moab, who had rebelled against Israel following the death of Ahab (2 Kg 3:4-27).

Jehoram (Joram) of Judah

Jehoshaphat was succeeded by his evil son Jehoram, who was married to Athaliah, the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel of Israel. During his reign, Edom rebelled against Judah, and set up their own king (2 Kg 8:20, 2 Chr 21:8-10). Jehoram defeated the Edomites, but was unable to subdue them, as they continued to revolt against Judah. Edom was effectively independent for the next forty years.

Amaziah, Uzziah and Ahaz of Judah

King Amaziah of Judah began to re-conquer Edom, killing 10,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt, and took the capital city of Sela. Another 10,000 were captured and killed by being thrown down from the top of Sela (2 Kg 14:7, 2 Chr 25:11-12).

Amaziah was succeeded by Uzziah, who completed the conquest of Edom, and restored the port at Elath (2 Kg 14:22).

During the Syro-Ephraimite war in 735 BC, when Judah was attacked by a coalition of Syria and Israel, the Edomites invaded Judah and carried off captives, after which Ahaz appealed for help from Tiglath-pileser of Assyria (2 Kg 16:5-6, 2 Chr 28:16-17). Judah lost its independence, becoming a vassal of Assyria, but Edom became free from Judah and was never re-conquered by them.

Assyria and Babylon

In 732 BC, Tiglath-pileser III made Edom a vassal of Assyria, which continued for the next century. It was then occupied by Babylon in 604 BC. During the reign of Zedekiah, it appears that Edom joined a coalition with Moab, the Ammonites, Tyre and Sidon in an ineffective plan to oppose the Babylonians, which Jeremiah urged Zedekiah not to join (Jer 27:1-7).

Edom joined Nebuchadnezzar in the overthrow of Jerusalem in 586 BC and were overjoyed at the destruction of Judah, “Remember, O Lord, against the Edomites the day of Jerusalem’s fall, how they said, ‘Tear it down! Tear it down! Down to its foundations" (Ps 137:7). The writer of the Book of 1 Esdras blamed the Edomites for burning the temple when Judea was laid waste by the Chaldeans (1 Esdras 4:45).

Condemned by the prophets

Several prophets condemned Edom for their perpetual hatred towards their brother Judah. “Because Edom acted revengefully against the house of Judah and has grievously offended in taking vengeance upon them, therefore thus says the Lord GOD, I will stretch out my hand against Edom, and cut off from it humans and animals, and I will make it desolate ...” (Ezek 25:12-15), “As you rejoiced over the inheritance of the house of Israel, because it was desolate, so I will deal with you; you shall be made desolate, Mount Seir, and all Edom, all of it. Then they shall know that I am the LORD.” (Ezek 35:14).

Edom was condemned because of the violence done to Judah over the centuries. “Egypt shall become a desolation and Edom a desolate wilderness, because of the violence done to the people of Judah, in whose land they have shed innocent blood” (Joel 3:19).

Amos

Amos condemns each enemy nation around Israel in turn for the way they had mistreated their neighbouring nations. This is what he said to Edom, “Thus says the LORD: For three transgressions of Edom, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment; because he pursued his brother with the sword and cast off all pity; he maintained his anger perpetually, and kept his wrath forever. So I will send a fire on Teman, and it shall devour the strongholds of Bozrah.” (Amos 1:11-12).

Obadiah

The whole book of Obadiah consists of oracles of judgement against Edom. They were condemned for the way they had assisted the Babylonian army and rejoiced in the destruction of Jerusalem. “For the slaughter and violence done to your brother Jacob, shame shall cover you, and you shall be cut off forever. On the day that you stood aside, on the day that strangers carried off his wealth, and foreigners entered his gates and cast lots for Jerusalem, you too were like one of them ...” (Obad 10-14). There are eight things they should not have done, including gloating over the misfortune of their brother Judah, looting their goods, and handing over fugitives to the enemy (Babylon).

Inter-testamental period

After the fall of Judah some Edomites entered the southern part of Judah and settled around Hebron. In the fifth century BC, Edom came under Arab control and by the third century BC had been overrun by the Nabataeans who made their capital in in the famous archaeological site of Petra, carved in cliffs in mountain canyons. Some Edomites moved into the area of southern Judah forming the Idumaean people, others were absorbed by the Arabs. This area became known as Idumea (1 Macc 4:29).

In 164 BC Judas Maccabeus had a victory over the Idumeans, fighting against the descendants of Esau around Hebron, returning the land occupied by them to Judah (1 Macc 5:65). Around 120 BC John Hyrcanus occupied all of Idumaea and compelled its people to be circumcised and obey the Jewish law (Josephus Ant 13.9.1).

Roman rule

In 64 BC, the Idumeans came under the Roman rule when Rome annexed Judah into its empire. Antipater, from Idumea, was appointed as governor by the Romans. He was the father of Herod the Great, who claimed to be King of the Jews, and founder of the Herodian dynasty.

Aretas IV Phiopatris was the Arabian king of Nabatea, while it was subject to Rome. It later became a Roman province. His daughter married Herod Antipas, who then divorced her to marry his brother Philip's wife, Herodias. John the Baptist objected to this, was imprisoned and later executed (Mk 6:17). Aretas declared war on Antipas for this insult in AD 36, as recorded by Josephus (Antiquities of the Jews 18.5.1-4).

His name appears on coins and on inscriptions at Petra, the capital city of Nabatea.

In 2 Corinthians, Paul recalled that he escaped out of Damascus from Aretas, "In Damascus, the governor under King Aretas guarded the city of Damascus in order to seize me, but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall, and escaped from his hand." (2 Cor 11:32).

After the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 the Idumeans disappeared from history thus ending the Edomites.

Summary of history of Edom

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