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Texts -- Obadiah 1:1-18 (NET)

Context
God’s Judgment on Edom
1:1 The vision that Obadiah saw. The Lord God says this concerning Edom : We have heard a report from the Lord . An envoy was sent among the nations , saying, “Arise ! Let us make war against Edom!” 1:2 The Lord says, “Look ! I will make you a weak nation ; you will be greatly despised ! 1:3 Your presumptuous heart has deceived you– you who reside in the safety of the rocky cliffs , whose home is high in the mountains. You think to yourself, ‘No one can bring me down to the ground !’ 1:4 Even if you were to soar high like an eagle , even if you were to make your nest among the stars , I can bring you down even from there !” says the Lord . 1:5 “If thieves came to rob you during the night , they would steal only as much as they wanted ! If grape pickers came to harvest your vineyards, they would leave some behind for the poor ! But you will be totally destroyed ! 1:6 How the people of Esau will be thoroughly plundered ! Their hidden valuables will be ransacked ! 1:7 All your allies will force you from your homeland ! Your treaty partners will deceive you and overpower you. Your trusted friends will set an ambush for you that will take you by surprise ! 1:8 At that time ,” the Lord says , “I will destroy the wise sages of Edom ! the advisers from Esau’s mountain ! 1:9 Your warriors will be shattered , O Teman , so that everyone will be destroyed from Esau’s mountain !
Edom’s Treachery Against Judah
1:10 “Because you violently slaughtered your relatives , the people of Jacob , shame will cover you, and you will be destroyed forever . 1:11 You stood aloof while strangers took his army captive , and foreigners advanced to his gates . When they cast lots over Jerusalem , you behaved as though you were in league with them . 1:12 You should not have gloated when your relatives suffered calamity. You should not have rejoiced over the people of Judah when they were destroyed . You should not have boasted when they suffered adversity . 1:13 You should not have entered the city of my people when they experienced distress . You should not have joined in gloating over their misfortune when they suffered distress . You should not have looted their wealth when they endured distress . 1:14 You should not have stood at the fork in the road to slaughter those trying to escape . You should not have captured their refugees when they suffered adversity .
The Coming Day of the Lord
1:15 “For the day of the Lord is approaching for all the nations ! Just as you have done , so it will be done to you. You will get exactly what your deeds deserve . 1:16 For just as you have drunk on my holy mountain , so all the nations will drink continually . They will drink , and they will gulp down ; they will be as though they had never been . 1:17 But on Mount Zion there will be a remnant of those who escape , and it will be a holy place once again. The descendants of Jacob will conquer those who had conquered them. 1:18 The descendants of Jacob will be a fire , and the descendants of Joseph a flame . The descendants of Esau will be like stubble . They will burn them up and devour them. There will not be a single survivor of the descendants of Esau !” Indeed , the Lord has spoken it.

Pericope

NET
  • Oba 1:1-9 -- God's Judgment on Edom
    Edom's Approaching Destruction
  • Oba 1:10-14 -- Edom's Treachery Against Judah
  • Oba 1:15-21 -- The Coming Day of the Lord

Bible Dictionary

  • Ambassadors

    [nave] AMBASSADORS Sent by Moses to Edom, Num. 20:14; to the Amorites, Num. 21:21; by Gibeonites to the Israelites, Josh. 9:4; Israelites to various nations, Judg. 11:12-28; Hiram to David, 2 Sam. 5:11; and Solomon, 1 Kin. 5:1; Ben...

  • Obadiah

    [nave] OBADIAH 1. The governor of Ahab's house. Conceals in a cave one hundred prophets persecuted by Jezebel, 1 Kin. 18:3, 4. Meets Elijah and receives a commission from him, 1 Kin. 18:3-16. 2. Head of a family, 1 Chr. 3:21. 3....

  • Prophets

    [nave] PROPHETS Called Seers, 1 Sam. 9:19; 2 Sam. 15:27; 24:11; 2 Kin. 17:13; 1 Chr. 9:22; 29:29; 2 Chr. 9:29; 12:15; 29:30; Isa. 30:10; Mic. 3:7. Schools of, 1 Kin. 20:35; 2 Kin. 2:3-15; 4:1, 38; 9:1. Kept the chronicles, 1 Chr....

  • Vision

    [nave] VISION, a mode of revelation, Num. 12:6; 1 Sam. 3:1; 2 Chr. 26:5; Psa. 89:19; Prov. 29:18; Jer. 14:14; 23:16; Dan. 1:17; Hos. 12:10; Joel 2:28; Obad. 1; Hab. 2:2; Acts 2:17. Of Abraham, concerning his descendants, Gen. 15:1-...

  • Esau

    [nave] ESAU Eldest of twin sons born to Isaac and Rebekah. Birth of, Gen. 25:19-26; 1 Chr. 1:34. Called Edom, Gen. 36:1, 8. A hunter, Gen. 25:27, 28. Beloved by Isaac, Gen. 25:27, 28. Sells his birthright for some stew, Gen. 25...

  • Edom

    [ebd] (1.) The name of Esau (q.v.), Gen. 25:30, "Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage [Heb. haadom, haadom, i.e., 'the red pottage, the red pottage'] ...Therefore was his name called Edom", i.e., Red. (2.) Idumea (Isa....
    [nave] EDOM, signifies red. 1. A name of Esau, possibly on account of his being covered with red hair, Gen. 25:25, 30; 36:1, 8, 19. 2. A name of the land occupied by the descendants of Esau. It extended from the Gulf of Aqabah to t...

  • Edomites

    [nave] EDOMITES, called also Edom. Descendants of Esau, Gen. 36. Kings of, Gen. 36:31-39; Num. 20:14; 1 Chr. 1:43-50; Ezek. 32:29; Amos 2:1. Dukes of, Gen. 36:9-43; Ex. 15:15; 1 Chr. 1:51-54. Land of, Gen. 32:3; Deut. 2:4, 5, 12....

  • Teman

    [ebd] id. (1.) A grandson of Esau, one of the "dukes of Edom" (Gen. 36:11, 15, 42). (2.) A place in Southern Idumea, the land of "the sons of the east," frequently mentioned in the Old Testament. It was noted for the wisdom of its...
    [isbe] TEMAN - te'-man (teman, "on the right," i.e. "south"; Thaiman): The name of a district and town in the land of Edom, named after Teman the grandson of Esau, the son of his firstborn, Eliphaz (Gen 36:11; 1 Ch 1:36). A duke Te...
    [nave] TEMAN 1. Son of Eliphaz, Gen. 36:11, 15, 42; 1 Chr. 1:36, 53. 2. Called also Temani and Temanites. A people supposed to be descended from Teman, son of Eliphaz, Gen. 36:34; Job 2:11. Prophecies concerning, Jer. 49:7; Ezek....

  • Israel

    [nave] ISRAEL 1. A name given to Jacob, Gen. 32:24-32; 2 Kin. 17:34; Hos. 12:3, 4. 2. A name of the Christ in prophecy, Isa. 49:3. 3. A name given to the descendants of Jacob, a nation. Called also Israelites, and Hebrews, Gen. 4...

  • Pride

    [nave] PRIDE. Ex. 18:10, 11; Lev. 26:19; Deut. 8:11-14, 17-20; Judg. 9:14, 15; 1 Sam. 2:3-5; 1 Kin. 20:11; 2 Kin. 14:9, 10 2 Chr. 25:18, 19. Job 11:12; Job 12:2, 3; Job 13:2, 5; Job 15:1-13; Job 18:3, 4; Job 21:31, 32; Job 32:9-13...

  • Self-exaltation

    [nave] SELF-EXALTATION. Job 12:3; Ezek. 31:10-14; Obad. 3, 4; Luke 14:7-11; 2 Cor. 10:5, 17, 18; Gal. 6:3; 2 Thess. 2:4 See: Pride; Selfishness; Self-righteousness. Instances of Pharaoh, Ex. 9:17. Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, Num...

  • Deceit

    [nave] DECEIT Is a lie, Psa. 119:118. The tongue an instrument of, Rom. 3:13. Comes from the heart, Mark 7:22. Characteristic of the heart, Jer. 17:9. God abhors, Psa. 5:6. Forbidden, Prov. 24:28; 1 Pet. 3:10. Christ was perf...

  • Security

    [nave] SECURITY. For Debt See: Debt; Surety. False From the evils of sin. Promises peace and long life, Job 29:18. Is ignorant of God and truth, Psa. 10:4; 50:21. Trusts in lies, Isa. 28:15; Rev. 3:17. Is inconsiderate and f...

  • Rock

    [nave] ROCK Struck by Moses for water, Deut. 8:15; Psa. 78:15, 16, 20. Houses in, Jer. 49:16; Obad. 3; Matt. 7:24, 25. Oil from, Job 29:6; Deut. 32:13. Name of deity, Deut. 32:4. Figurative 2 Sam. 22:32, 47; 23:3; Psa. 18:2; 3...

  • CONFEDERATE; CONFEDERACY

    [isbe] CONFEDERATE; CONFEDERACY - kon-fed'-er-at, kon-fed'-er-a-si: "Confederate" as an adjective in the sense of united or leagued is twice the translation of berith "covenant," in several instances translated "league" (Gen 14:13,...

  • Sela

    [ebd] =Se'lah, rock, the capital of Edom, situated in the great valley extending from the Dead Sea to the Red Sea (2 Kings 14:7). It was near Mount Hor, close by the desert of Zin. It is called "the rock" (Judg. 1:36). When Amazia...

  • Theft

    [nave] THEFT. Ex. 20:15 Deut. 5:19; Matt. 19:18; Luke 18:20; Rom. 13:9. Ex. 21:16; Ex. 22:1-4, 10-15; Lev. 6:2-7; Lev. 19:11, 13; Deut. 23:24, 25; Psa. 50:18; Psa. 62:10; Psa. 119:61; Prov. 6:30, 31; Prov. 21:7; Isa. 61:8; Jer. 2:...

  • Zion

    [nave] ZION, called also Sion, stronghold of Jerusalem. Taken from the Jebusites by David, 2 Sam. 5:6-9; 1 Chr. 11:5-7. Called thereafter "the city of David,'' 2 Sam. 5:7, 9; 6:12, 16; 1 Kin. 8:1; 1 Chr. 11:5, 7; 15:1, 29; 2 Chr. 5...

  • Cave

    [ebd] There are numerous natural caves among the limestone rocks of Syria, many of which have been artificially enlarged for various purposes. The first notice of a cave occurs in the history of Lot (Gen. 19:30). The next we read ...

  • CROSSWAY

    [isbe] CROSSWAY - kros'-wa (perek, literally, "division"): A forking or dividing of the way. Obadiah warns Edom, "And stand thou not in the crossway, to cut off those of his that escape" (Obad 1:14). In Septuagint, "a mountain pass...
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Questions

  • They were descendants of Esau. They inhabited a fertile and rich country specially given to them (Deu. 2:5; Gen. 27:39). Their country was traversed by roads though it was mountainous and rocky (Num. 20:17; Jer. 49:16). They ...

Resources/Books

Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • The cloudy pillar led the Israelites, but apparently Moses had reason to believe that God was directing them eastward into the territory of Edom and from there north to Transjordan. Consequently he sent messengers to the King...
  • Really four men came to visit Job, though the writer did not mention Elihu's presence until chapter 32. Eliphaz seems to have been the eldest for several reasons. His name occurs first (2:11; 42:9), he spoke before the others...
  • 38:14 Shortly after this event Zedekiah had Jeremiah brought to him at one of the temple entrances, possibly the king's private entrance (cf. 2 Kings 16:18). He told the prophet that he was going to ask him a question and he ...
  • The Edomites lived to the southeast of Judah, south of Moab. The Zered River was their northern border, the Gulf of Aqabah (about 100 miles to the south) the southern, the Arabah the western, and the desert the eastern border...
  • 4:21 The Edomites, kinsmen of the Judahites, were rejoicing over Judah's destruction (cf. Ps. 137:7; Jer. 49:7-22; Ezek. 25:12-14; 35), but the same fate was sure to overtake them (Deut. 30:7). They would have to drink the cu...
  • 25:12 The Edomites had taken vengeance on the Judahites rather than helping them (cf. 36:1-7; Gen. 25:30; 27:41-46; 32:4; Lam. 4:21-22; Amos 1:11-12).25:13 For this reason the Lord promised to send judgment on them. He would ...
  • What follows in this chapter is another oracle against a foreign nation (cf. chs. 25-32). What is it doing here? Evidently the writer included this oracle here because it promises to desolate an enemy of Israel that wanted to...
  • Amos next moved from addressing chief cities to addressing countries, specifically countries with closer ethnic ties to the Israelites. Perhaps their closer relationship to Israel is why he mentioned countries rather than cit...
  • Since we do not know who the writer was, other than that his name was Obadiah, it is very difficult to date this book and to determine where it came from."This shortest book in the Old Testament, consisting of only twenty-one...
  • Since Obadiah's concern was Jerusalem, and since it seems likely that he lived in Judah, the original audience that received his prophecy may also have been the residents of Judah.Obadiah wrote to announce coming divine judgm...
  • The very fact that this book consists of only one chapter should alert us to its importance. If it was unimportant, God would not have preserved it, and it would have disappeared long ago. Its length also simplifies our task ...
  • I. Edom's coming judgment vv. 1-9A. The introduction to the oracle v. 1B. The breaching of Edom's defenses vv. 2-4C. The plundering of Edom's treasures vv. 5-7D. The destruction of Edom's leadership vv. 8-9II. Edom's crimes a...
  • Verses 2-9 contain three sections, which the phrase "declares the Lord"marks off (vv. 4, 8).v. 2 Yahweh called Obadiah's hearers to see that He would make Edom, which was already despised because of her character, small among...
  • vv. 5-6 Thieves robbed houses and grape pickers stripped vineyards, yet both left a little behind that they did not carry off. However, Yahweh's destruction of Edom would be so complete that nothing at all would remain of her...
  • "Obadiah's discussion nicely interweaves the themes of divine intervention and human instrumentality."21v. 8 The repetition of "declares the Lord"(cf. v. 4) reemphasizes Yahweh's initiative in this judgment. "That day"points ...
  • Verse 10 summarizes what verses 11-14 detail in the same way verse 1 did in relation to verses 2-9....
  • Pride was not the only reason God would humble Edom. The Edomites had also cursed the people whom God had purposed to bless, the Israelites (cf. Gen. 27:40-41; Exod. 15:15; Num. 20:14-21; Deut. 2:4; Judg. 11:17-18; 1 Sam. 14:...
  • v. 11 God cited one specific instance of Edom's violence against her brother, but as I explained in the introduction, which instance is unclear. Edom's treachery against Judah had taken place on a particular "day"in the past....
  • References to the work and word of the Lord frame this section. Obadiah announced that a reversal of rolls was coming for Edom and all the nations.v. 15 "The day of the Lord"here is a future day in which God will reverse the ...
  • This pericope (section of text), as the former one, also has a framing phrase: "the mountain of Esau"(vv. 19, 21). This mountain, of course, contrasts with the Lord's holy mountain, Zion (vv. 16-17).vv. 19-20 Obadiah predicte...
  • Prophetic revelation from Yahweh came to Micah concerning Samaria (the Northern Kingdom) and Jerusalem (the Southern Kingdom). These capital cities represent their respective nations and the people in them. These capital citi...
  • 3:10 The descendants of the Lord's dispersed ones, the Jews, would bring him offerings of worship from the farthest corners of the earth. The rivers of Ethiopia, probably the Nile and its tributaries, were at the edge of the ...
  • 14:1 "And I looked"(Gr. kai eidon) introduces three scenes in chapter 14 (vv. 1, 6, 14), as this phrase did twice in chapter 13 (vv. 1, 11). "Behold"(Gr. idou, cf. v. 14) calls special attention to the greatness of the sight ...
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