John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 4. Whereas Edom saith, We are impoverished , etc.] Or the Idumeans, as the Targum; the posterity of Esau, who acknowledge themselves greatly reduced by the desolations made in their country, cities, towns, and houses, being plundered of all their valuable things. Kimchi interprets it, if the congregation of Edom should say, though we are become poor and low, and our land is laid waste: but we will return ; being now become rich, as the Targum adds; that is, as Jarchi explains it, with the spoils of Jerusalem: and build the desolate places : as Israel did, as Kimchi observes, when they returned from their captivity; and so the Edomites hoped to do the same: thus saith the Lord of hosts, They shall build, but I will throw down ; they attempted to build again their cities and towns, but could not succeed, God was against them: and they shall call them ; or, “they shall be called” f20 ; this shall be the name they, shall go by among men, by way of proverb and reproach: The border of wickedness ; a wicked kingdom and nation, from one end to the other; this shall be said of them, as the reason of their utter and perpetual desolation: and, The people against whom the Lord hath indignation for ever ; not for seventy years only, as against the Jews, ( Zechariah 1:12), but forever; and these are now no more a people; they are utterly extinct; their name and nation are lost; there is not the least appearance of them; when the Jews, though they are scattered about in the world, yet they are still a people, and distinct from all others.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-5 - All advantages, either as to outward circumstances, or spiritual privileges, come from the free love of God, who makes one to diffe from another. All the evils sinners feel and fear, are the jus recompence of their crimes, while all their hopes and comforts are from the unmerited mercy of the Lord. He chose his people that they might be holy. If we love him, it is because he has first loved us; yet we all are prone to undervalue the mercies of God, and to excuse our ow offences.
Original Hebrew כי3588 תאמר559 אדום123 רשׁשׁנו7567 ונשׁוב7725 ונבנה1129 חרבות2723 כה3541 אמר559 יהוה3068 צבאות6635 המה1992 יבנו1129 ואני589 אהרוס2040 וקראו7121 להם גבול1366 רשׁעה7564 והעם5971 אשׁר834 זעם2194 יהוה3068 עד5704 עולם׃5769
