Mount Seir

Biblical Text

• Genesis: Genesis 14:6 records that the native Horites dwelt "in their mount Seir." On his way home, Jacob sent messengers to his brother Esau "unto the land of Seir, the country of Edom" (Genesis 32:3). After the two were reconciled, Esau returned to Seir (Genesis 33:16). Genesis 36:8 states, "Thus dwelt Esau in mount Seir: Esau is Edom."
• Deuteronomy and Joshua: During the wilderness period, Israel "compassed mount Seir many days" (Deuteronomy 2:1). God commanded Israel not to contend with the descendants of Esau, because He had given Mount Seir to Esau as a possession (Deuteronomy 2:4-5). Joshua 24:4 restates the same point.
• Poetry and Song: The blessing of Moses (Deuteronomy 33:2) and the Song of Deborah (Judges 5:4) both proclaim that the LORD came forth from Seir.
• Chronicles: In the days of Jehoshaphat, the "inhabitants of mount Seir" invaded Judah together with Ammon and Moab, but the invaders ended up destroying one another (2 Chronicles 20:22-23). After King Amaziah defeated the children of Seir, he brought back their gods and worshiped them (2 Chronicles 25:11-14).
• Prophets: Ezekiel 35 declares that Mount Seir will be made desolate because it harbored a perpetual hatred toward Israel and rejoiced over Israel's calamity.

Background

The Hebrew name "Seir" resembles a word meaning "hairy." For this reason, some take the name to derive from the region's thickly wooded hills, while others connect it with Esau, who was described as hairy (Genesis 25:25). The Bible itself, however, does not explain the origin of the name. In Genesis 36:20, Seir also appears as the name of the ancestor of the Horites.

Mount Seir is generally identified with the highlands east of the Arabah, the valley that runs from the Dead Sea to the Gulf of Aqaba. Scholars differ on whether the region also extended west of the valley. Deuteronomy 2:12 reports that the descendants of Esau drove out the Horites and settled in their land. The "mount Seir" named as part of Judah's boundary in Joshua 15:10 is regarded as a different location.

Significance in Scripture as a Whole

Mount Seir is the land of Edom, Israel's brother nation. In Deuteronomy it serves as an example showing that God also appointed lands for other peoples. In the Prophets it serves as an example of pride that wronged a brother and came under judgment. The judgment on Mount Seir in Ezekiel 35 is paired with the restoration of the "mountains of Israel" in Ezekiel 36.

The name Seir does not appear in the New Testament. In New Testament times, the southern part of Judea, where Edomites had migrated and settled, was called Idumea (Mark 3:8). The family of Herod the Great is known to have come from this region. Paul quotes Malachi 1:2-3 and uses Jacob and Esau to explain God's election (Romans 9:13).

Interpretations and Debates

• The LORD coming from Seir: Deuteronomy 33:2 and Judges 5:4 depict God coming from the southern highlands. Habakkuk 3:3 offers a similar portrayal, naming "Teman" and "mount Paran." Traditional interpretation reads these texts as poetic celebrations of the events at Mount Sinai and of God's guidance in the wilderness. Some critical scholars cite these passages in support of the hypothesis that the worship of the LORD originated in the regions to the south.
• Symbolic readings: Later Jewish tradition sometimes read Edom as a symbol of Rome. In preaching, Mount Seir is sometimes interpreted as a symbol of forces opposed to God's people. Such readings are applications distinct from the historical meaning of the text.

In the Korean Church

Deuteronomy 2:3, "Ye have compassed this mountain long enough: turn you northward," is sometimes used as a sermon text for the New Year or for messages calling for decision. In this context it is interpreted as a call to leave behind a life of circling in the same place and to move forward in a new direction.