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Texts -- Obadiah 1:1-5 (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 !

Pericope

NET
  • Oba 1:1-9 -- God's Judgment on Edom
    Edom's Approaching Destruction

Bible Dictionary

  • 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....

  • 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...

  • 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-...

  • 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...

  • 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...

  • 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:...

  • 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...

  • 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...

  • 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...

  • 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 ...

  • EAGLE

    [isbe] EAGLE - e'-g'-l (nesher; aetos; Latin aquila): A bird of the genus aquila of the family falconidae. The Hebrew nesher, meaning "to tear with the beak," is almost invariably translated "eagle," throughout the Bible; yet many ...

  • Character

    [nave] CHARACTER. of Saints Attentive to Christ's voice, John 10:3, 4; blameless and harmless, Phil. 2:15; bold, Prov. 28:1; contrite, Isa. 57:15; 66:2; devout, Acts 8:2; 22:12; faithful, Rev. 17:14; fearing God, Mal. 3:16; Acts ...

  • Confidence

    [nave] CONFIDENCE. Betrayed Instances of: Joshua, by the Gibeonites, Josh. 9:3-15. Eglon, by Ehud, Judg. 3:15-23. Ahimelech, by David, 1 Sam. 21:1-9. Abner, by Joab, 2 Sam. 3:27. Amasa, by Joab, 2 Sam. 20:9, 10. The worship...

  • Ambassador

    [ebd] In the Old Testament the Hebrew word tsir, meaning "one who goes on an errand," is rendered thus (Josh. 9:4; Prov. 13:17; Isa. 18:2; Jer. 49:14; Obad. 1:1). This is also the rendering of melits, meaning "an interpreter," in ...

Resources/Books

Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • 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...
  • 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...
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