Edom came from Esau
Edom was the name associated with Esau, the older twin brother of Jacob. Genesis connects the name with the red food for which Esau gave up his birthright, and the Hebrew name Edom is related to the word for red (Genesis 25:29-33; Genesis 25:34). Later, Esau’s family line is specifically identified as Edom (Genesis 36:1).
Esau’s descendants settled in the hill country of Seir, south-east of the Dead Sea, and became known as the Edomites (Genesis 36:8-9). Israel came from Jacob, while Edom came from Esau. So these were brother nations, not distant strangers. That shared beginning makes their later hostility especially tragic.
Now these are the generations of Esau, who is Edom.
A brother nation with a troubled history
God told Israel to treat Edom with restraint. As Israel travelled towards Canaan, the Lord called the Edomites their brethren and explained that He had given Esau’s descendants their own land (Deuteronomy 2:4-5). Israel was not free to take it simply because Edom stood in the way.
Yet kinship did not remove the tension. When Moses asked for peaceful passage through Edomite territory, Edom refused and came out with a strong military force (Numbers 20:14-18). Israel turned aside rather than force its way through (Numbers 20:19-21). The account holds two realities together: Edom was family, but the relationship was deeply strained.
Why the prophets spoke against Edom
Edom becomes especially prominent in the prophets after Jerusalem suffered invasion and ruin. Obadiah accuses Edom of violence against its brother Jacob. Rather than helping, Edom stood by during Jerusalem’s disaster, celebrated Judah’s downfall, and took advantage of those trying to escape (Obadiah 1:10-14). Psalm 137 also remembers Edom calling for Jerusalem’s destruction (Psalm 137:7).
The problem was not Edom’s ancestry. The prophetic rebuke focuses on pride, betrayal, violence, and delight in a neighbour’s collapse. Edom’s people felt secure in their mountain strongholds, but Obadiah warns that no high place can protect the proud from God’s judgement (Obadiah 1:3-4).
For thy violence against thy brother Jacob shame shall cover thee, and thou shalt be cut off for ever.
What Edom’s story means now
Edom’s story shows how old wounds can become lasting patterns when resentment and revenge are allowed to grow. It asks an uncomfortable but useful question: how do we respond when someone else fails or suffers? Scripture warns against gloating over an enemy’s fall, because God sees the heart behind it (Proverbs 24:17-18).
It also shows that justice and restraint belong together. God set limits on Israel’s treatment of Edom before later judging Edom’s violence (Deuteronomy 2:4-5; Obadiah 1:15). Reading these passages invites us to reject inherited hostility, refuse cruelty, and trust God to deal rightly with every nation and person.
For the day of the Lord is near upon all the heathen: as thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee: thy reward shall return upon thine own head.