Obadiah 1:11

1:11 You stood aloof ¹  while strangers took his army ²  captive,

and foreigners advanced to his gates. ³ 

When they cast lots ⁴  over Jerusalem, ⁵ 

you behaved as though you were in league ⁶  with them.

Obadiah 1:19

1:19 The people of the Negev ⁷  will take possession ⁸  of Esau’s mountain,

and the people of the Shephelah ⁹  will take

possession ¹⁰  of the land of ¹¹  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 ¹²  of Gilead. ¹³ 

[1:11]  ¹ tn Heb “in the day of your standing”; NAB “On the day when you stood by.”

[1:11]  ² tn Or perhaps, “wealth” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT). The Hebrew word is somewhat ambiguous here. This word also appears in v. 13, where it clearly refers to wealth.

[1:11]  ³ tc The present translation follows the Qere which reads the plural (“gates”) rather than the singular.

[1:11]  ⁴ sn Casting lots seems to be a way of deciding who would gain control over material possessions and enslaved peoples following a military victory.

[1:11]  ⁵ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[1:11]  ⁶ tn Heb “like one from them”; NASB “You too were as one of them.”

[1:19]  ⁷ 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.

[1:19]  ⁸ 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.

[1:19]  ⁹ 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.

[1:19]  ¹⁰ 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.

[1:19]  ¹¹ tn The words “the land of” are not present in the Hebrew text. They are supplied in the translation for clarity.

[1:19]  ¹² 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.

[1:19]  ¹³ sn Gilead is a mountainous region on the eastern side of the Jordan River in what is today the country of Jordan.