30:18 The Lord says,
“I will restore the ruined houses of the descendants of Jacob.
I will show compassion on their ruined homes. 1
Every city will be rebuilt on its former ruins. 2
Every fortified dwelling will occupy its traditional site. 3
31:38 “Indeed a time is coming,” 4 says the Lord, 5 “when the city of Jerusalem 6 will be rebuilt as my special city. 7 It will be built from the Tower of Hananel westward to the Corner Gate. 8 31:39 The boundary line will extend beyond that, straight west from there to the Hill of Gareb and then turn southward to Goah. 9 31:40 The whole valley where dead bodies and sacrificial ashes are thrown 10 and all the terraced fields 11 out to the Kidron Valley 12 on the east as far north 13 as the Horse Gate 14 will be included within this city that is sacred to the Lord. 15 The city will never again be torn down or destroyed.”
1:19 The people of the Negev 16 will take possession 17 of Esau’s mountain,
and the people of the Shephelah 18 will take
possession 19 of the land of 20 the Philistines.
They will also take possession of the territory of Ephraim and the territory of Samaria,
and the people of Benjamin will take possession 21 of Gilead. 22
1:20 The exiles of this fortress 23 of the people of Israel
will take possession 24 of what belongs to
the people of Canaan, as far as Zarephath, 25
and the exiles of Jerusalem 26 who are in Sepharad 27
will take possession of the towns of the Negev.
1:21 Those who have been delivered 28 will go up on Mount Zion
in order to rule over 29 Esau’s mountain.
Then the Lord will reign as King! 30
7:14 Shepherd your people with your shepherd’s rod, 31
the flock that belongs to you, 32
the one that lives alone in a thicket,
in the midst of a pastureland. 33
Allow them to graze in Bashan and Gilead, 34
as they did in the old days. 35
1 tn Heb “I will restore the fortunes of the tents of Jacob and will have compassion on his habitations.” For the meaning of the idiom “restore the fortunes of” see the translator’s note on 29:14. The “tents of Jacob” refers to their homes or houses (see BDB 14 s.v. אֹהֶל 2 and compare usage in Judg 19:9; Mal 2:12). The word “ruined” has been supplied in the translation to show more clearly the idea of restoration of their houses on their former sites in conformity to the concepts in the latter half of the verse.
2 sn Heb “on its tel.” A tel is a site where successive layers of occupation are built upon one another after the destruction or decay of the former city. The original site was not abandoned because it had been chosen for strategic purposes, such as proximity to water or ease of defense. Many modern archaeological sites have the designation “Tel” as a component of their name because of this practice.
3 tn Heb “according to its custom [or plan].” Cf. BDB 1049 s.v. מִשְׁפָּט 6.d and compare usage in 1 Sam 27:11.
4 tc The words “is coming” (בָּאִים, ba’im) are not in the written text (Kethib) but are supplied in the margin (Qere), in several Hebrew
5 tn Heb “Oracle of the
6 map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.
7 tn Heb “the city will be built to [or for] the
8 tn The word “westward” is not in the text but is supplied in the translation to give some orientation.
9 tn The words “west” and “southward” are not in the text but are supplied in the translation to give some orientation.
10 sn It is generally agreed that this refers to the Hinnom Valley which was on the southwestern and southern side of the city. It was here where the people of Jerusalem had burned their children as sacrifices and where the
11 tc The translation here follows the Qere and a number of Hebrew
12 sn The Kidron Valley is the valley that joins the Hinnom Valley in the southeastern corner of the city and runs northward on the east side of the city.
13 tn The words “on the east” and “north” are not in the text but are supplied in the translation to give orientation.
14 sn The Horse Gate is mentioned in Neh 3:28 and is generally considered to have been located midway along the eastern wall just south of the temple area.
15 tn The words “will be included within this city that is” are not in the text. The text merely says that “The whole valley…will be sacred to the
16 tn Heb “the Negev”; ASV “the South”; NCV, TEV “southern Judah.” The Hebrew text does not have the words “the people of,” but these words have been supplied in the translation for clarity. The place name “the Negev” functions as a synecdoche (container for contents) for the people living in the Negev.
17 sn The verb יָרַשׁ (yarash, “to take possession of [something]”) which is repeated three times in vv. 19-20 for emphasis, often implies a violent means of acquisition, such as through military conquest. Obadiah here pictures a dramatic reversal: Judah’s enemies, who conquered them then looted all her valuable possessions, will soon be conquered by the Judeans who will in turn take possession of their valuables. The punishment will fit the crime.
18 tn The Hebrew text does not have the words “the people of,” but they are supplied in the translation since “the Shephelah” functions as a synecdoche referring to residents of this region.
19 tn The phrase “will take possession” does not appear in this clause, but is implied from its previous use in this verse. It is supplied in the translation for the sake of smoothness.
20 tn The words “the land of” are not present in the Hebrew text. They are supplied in the translation for clarity.
21 tn The phrase “will take possession” does not appear in this clause, but is implied from its previous use in this verse. It is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
22 sn Gilead is a mountainous region on the eastern side of the Jordan River in what is today the country of Jordan.
23 tn Or “army” (TEV); KJV, NAB, NASB “host”; NIV “company.” Some text critics suggest revocalizing MT הַחֵל (hakhel, “the fortress”) to the place- name הָלָה (halah, “Halah”; so NRSV), the location to which many of the Israelite exiles were sent in the 8th century (2 Kgs 7:6; 18:11; 1 Chr 5:26). The MT form is from הַיִל (hayil, “strength”), which is used elsewhere to refer to an army (Exod 14:17; 1 Sam 17:20; 2 Sam 8:9), military fortress (2 Sam 20:15; 22:33), leaders (Exod 18:21) and even wealth or possessions (Obad 1:11, 13).
24 tn The Hebrew text has no verb here. The words “will possess” have been supplied from the context.
25 sn Zarephath was a Phoenician coastal city located some ten miles south of Sidon.
26 map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.
27 sn The exact location of Sepharad is uncertain. Suggestions include a location in Spain, or perhaps Sparta in Greece, or perhaps Sardis in Asia Minor. For inscriptional evidence that bears on this question see E. Lipinski, “Obadiah 20,” VT 23 (1973): 368-70. The reason for mentioning this location in v. 20 seems to be that even though it was far removed from Jerusalem, the Lord will nonetheless enable the Jewish exiles there to return and participate in the restoration of Israel that Obadiah describes.
28 tc The present translation follows the reading מוּשָׁעִים (musha’im, “those who have been delivered”; cf. NRSV, CEV) rather than מוֹשִׁעִים (moshi’im,“deliverers”; cf. NASB, NIV, NLT) of the MT (cf. LXX, Aquila, Theodotion, and Syriac).
29 tn Heb “to judge.” In this context the term does not mean “to render judgment on,” but “to rule over” (cf. NAB “to rule”; NIV “to govern”).
30 tn Heb “then the kingdom will belong to the
31 tn Or “with your scepter” (the Hebrew term can mean either “rod” or “scepter”).
32 tn Heb “the flock of your inheritance.”
33 tn Or “in the midst of Carmel.” The Hebrew term translated “pastureland” may be a place name.
34 sn The regions of Bashan and Gilead, located in Transjordan, were noted for their rich grazing lands.
35 tn Heb “as in the days of antiquity.”