For Son of man (International Children’s Bible “Human being”),

Set your face against Mount Seir: For set your face against, see the comments on 13.17. Here this phrase may be rendered “look toward” (New Century Version) or “turn toward” (New Living Translation [1996]). Mount Seir was the mountainous country south of the Dead Sea and east of southern Judah. It extended as far south as the Gulf of Aqaba and was occupied by the descendants of Esau. It is often called “Edom” (Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version, New Century Version). As in chapter 6, Ezekiel must speak God’s word to mountains. It may sound strange in some languages for God to speak to mountains, but every attempt should be made to retain this (see the comments on 6.2). If this is impossible in a language, it is acceptable to focus on the people instead by saying “the people of Edom” (Contemporary English Version).

And prophesy against it: God commands Ezekiel to speak his words of judgment against Edom. For prophesy against, Good News Translation has “denounce,” and Contemporary English Version uses “condemn.” Possible models for this whole clause are “and give its people my message about how I will judge them” and “and give its people my message of judgment.”

Quoted with permission from Gross, Carl & Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on Ezekiel. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2016. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .