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This verse contains the title of the book, the shortest title of any Old Testament prophetical book, as well as a summary of the Lord's decree against Edom. This revelation came as a vision (Heb. hazon; cf. 1 Sam. 3:1; Isa. 1:1; Nah. 1:1) to the prophet.
"The vision is to be sharply differentiated from common sight and things seen. It is the result of inspiration and is understood as having unique significance since it is given by God himself."12
The vision came to the prophet Obadiah ("servant of Yahweh"or "worshipper of Yahweh"). As mentioned in the introduction to this exposition, nothing is known about Obadiah other than his name. We must infer where and when he lived and ministered from clues in the book.
Adonai (i.e., sovereign) Yahweh (cf. Gen. 2:4; et al.) had made a pronouncement concerning the nation of Edom. This is an unusual title for the Lord.
"Yahweh was truly Lord. This entire prophecy gives one specific example of the exercise of his lordship."13
Edom was the nation that had developed from the descendants of Esau, the twin brother of Jacob (cf. Gen. 36:1). The Edomites occupied the territory east of the Arabah between the Dead Sea and the Gulf of Aqabah south of the Zered River and north of Ezion-geber (Elath). Its eastern boundary was the Arabian Desert. Edom was also known as Seir after Mount Seir, the prominent tableland that occupied the northeastern part of Edom's territory.
Those who had heard a report (message) from the Lord were God's people. Obadiah spoke to them and used an editorial "we."God was sovereignly and supernaturally summoning other nations against Edom, probably through "natural"means (i.e., the desire to defeat her and take over her territory). The envoy sent among the nations is probably a personification of the desire God had placed in these nations to destroy Edom. That desire, from the spiritual viewpoint, was His messenger.
