Edom is there, her kings and all her princes: Edom is the next country on the list of great nations who went to the underworld. It was a traditional enemy of the people of Judah (see the introductory comments on 25.12-14). However, Edom was not destroyed until about 30 years after this prophecy, so God is looking forward to the time when Edom will be destroyed and be in the world of the dead. Instead of all the people or army, the only Edomites mentioned as being in the underworld are her kings and all her princes, that is, her kings and all her other leaders. New Century Version says “its kings and all its leaders” (similarly Contemporary English Version), Good News Translation has “her kings and rulers,” and New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh translates “her kings and all her chieftains.”

Who for all their might are laid with those who are slain by the sword: For all their might (“despite their power” in New International Version) indicates that the Edomites were a great power, but that will not prevent them also going down into the depths of the underworld. Are laid is a passive verb; it does not specify who will lay them down. Some translators will need to say “they lie in the world of the dead.” For those who are slain by the sword, see verse 20.

They lie with the uncircumcised, with those who go down to the Pit: The verb lie again pictures the grave as a bed (see verses 19 and 25). For uncircumcised see verse 21; for the Pit, see verse 18.

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 .