When Schadenfreude Shows Up in Scripture
Today I read Ezekiel chapters 25 through 27, and it was a shift in tone from what came before. Instead of focusing on Israel, these chapters turn outward toward the nations surrounding it. The text names Ammon, Moab, Edom, Philistia, and especially Tyre. Each is called out for the way it responded to Israel's downfall.
What caught my attention most was the emphasis on how these neighboring nations reacted. Not because they were responsible for Israel's destruction, but because they seemed to enjoy it. The phrase used repeatedly is something like, "You clapped your hands and stamped your feet and rejoiced with glee at the destruction of my people Israel" (Ezekiel 25:6, NLT). That image feels visceral and uncomfortable. It doesn't describe military action. It describes celebration in the face of someone else's collapse.
Joy at a Job Loss? The Everyday Appeal of Downfall
There’s something human about that impulse, even if it’s not admirable. I can think of moments in modern life where people seem to revel in the failure of others—especially public figures, companies, or institutions that they already disliked. Whether it’s social media pile-ons or political defeats, there’s a kind of thrill in watching the "other side" fall. These chapters made me wonder: what does it say about us when we cheer for collapse?
Not the Crime, But the Commentary
In Ezekiel’s vision, these nations aren't being judged for what they did so much as how they felt. They mocked, they gloated, they took advantage of a power vacuum. The consequences described are harsh. Ammon will become "a pasture for camels" (25:5), Moab will lose its cities (25:9), and Edom will be struck down in revenge (25:14). The pattern continues into chapter 26 and 27, where the focus shifts to Tyre, a wealthy port city with strong trade networks. Tyre’s offense isn’t just arrogance or prosperity—it’s that it said, "Aha! The gateway to the world has been shut! Now everything is mine!" (26:2).
Tyre is portrayed as the friend who sees you lose your job and immediately starts applying for your position. The poetry in chapter 27 builds on this with a long, elaborate description of Tyre as a beautiful, bustling trading ship—one that is now sinking. It’s almost theatrical in tone. It reads less like a warning and more like a requiem.
Cheering or Checking Ourselves?
This brings up an uncomfortable question: What is the right response to someone else’s downfall? Not just enemies, but even competitors or people we feel have wronged us. Does it matter if they "deserve it"? Ezekiel doesn’t make much room for that kind of rationalizing. The message seems to be that gloating, taking advantage, or celebrating harm, even passively, is enough to warrant judgment.
It’s a heavy theme. But what I found most compelling wasn’t just the condemnation. It was how much attention is paid to the emotional posture of these nations. The text zooms in on the clapping, the mocking, the seizing of opportunity. It’s not just about what they did. It’s about how they responded to someone else's ruin.
I’m left thinking about how often we participate—quietly or publicly—in this same pattern. Schadenfreude is a common word in our culture, and Ezekiel 25–27 reads like an ancient meditation on it. These chapters don’t tell me how to feel, but they do ask me to notice what I feel when I see others fail.