Obadiah · Chapter 1

V. 1. Obadiah-His name speaks a servant or a worshipper of the Lord, but who he was we know not. We-The prophets, have heard. A rumour-Not an uncertain report, but it comes from God. Is sent-By the Lord first, and next by Nebuchadnezzar who executed on Edom what is here foretold. The nations-Those that were with, or subject to Nebuchadnezzar.

Verse 1. We have heard a rumour] See Jeremiah 49:14, where the same expressions are found. The prophet shows that the enemies of Idumea had confederated against it, and that Jehovah is now summoning them to march directly against it.

Verses 1-4. The vision of Obadiah — The name of this prophet signifies, a servant, or a worshipper, of the Lord. Such he undoubtedly was, and also a prophet, but what he was in other respects we are not informed. It is not improbable that he had other visions, or revelations, from God, besides this which is here recorded, but this only has been preserved for the benefit of future ages. Thus saith the Lord — This declaration includes his commission and authority to prophesy, together with the certainty of what he declares; concerning Edom — Or, against Edom; that is, both the people and the country, so named from their progenitor Esau, called Edom, Genesis 25:30. This country, which was a part of Arabia Petræa, is called Idumea, Isaiah 34:5, 6. We — That is, other prophets, as well as I, have heard a rumour — Not an uncertain report, but a true and important revelation from God. And an ambassador is sent among the heathen — Or nations. For an explanation of this and the three following verses, see notes on Jeremiah 49:14-16, where nearly the same words occur; only what Jeremiah speaks in the singular number, is expressed here in the plural, to intimate that Obadiah had received the same commission from God which was signified to Jeremiah before. I have made thee small among the heathen — Or, nations. Thou art contemptible in the sight of the Chaldeans and their confederates, who think they can easily subdue thee. “Idumea was a country, if compared with the dominions of flourishing states, very moderate in extent, and inconveniently situated. The land of Moab occupied the eastern part of the sea of Sodom. Next to this country Idumea turned toward the south; though it did not border on all Canaan southward, but only on its eastern part. The rest lay open to Arabia Petræa, by which Idumea was situated southward, made a part of it, and went far into it.” — Vitringa, on Isaiah 34:6. “The country of the Idumeans was properly circumscribed by that mountainous tract which enclosed Canaan to the south near the sea of Sodom, as appears from the whole sacred history: whence mount Hor, situated there, is said to have been on the edge, border, or extremity of the land of Edom, Numbers 20:23. It is true, that about the time of Solomon, the Idumeans occupied some part of the Elanitic gulf of the Red sea, whence a tract of that coast was called the land of Edom, 1 Kings 9:26. But all the prophets who speak of Edom about these times, restrain their lands to mount Seir, in the tract which I have marked out. Vitringa, on Isaiah 21:1.” — Archbishop Newcome. The pride of thy heart hath deceived thee, &c. — Thou valuest thyself too much upon the strength of thy situation, being placed among rocks which thou thinkest inaccessible by the enemy. That saith in his heart, Who shall bring me down? — Namely, from those lofty rocks in which I dwell? Who can climb up to them but myself? Or who can find out the way into the secret caverns where I have made my habitation? Though thou exalt thyself as the eagle, &c. — Upon the highest mountains, that seem to reach up to heaven; thence will I bring thee down — From thy height of power and pre-eminence.

Verse 1. The vision of Obadiah. This is reckoned a higher mode of revelation than that of dreams. The Chaldaic paraphrase reads, “The prophecy of Obadiah.”

Concerning Edom. He joins his voice to his contemporary prophets against this country, as may be seen in Isaiah 21:11. Amos 1:11. Joel 1:19.

1. The prophecy has two titles: (1) “The vision of Obadiah”; (2) “Thus saith the Lord Jehovah concerning Edom” (compare Nahum 1:1). The first is the title of the whole book, supplied either by the prophet himself or, what seems more probable, by the collector of the Minor Prophets. The second, which is intimately connected with what follows, contains the opening words of the prophet’s denunciation of Edom, which serve at the same time as an introduction to the quotation from the more ancient oracle (see p. 291), the quotation itself beginning with “We have heard.” The first title gives only the name of the author, and this is all we know concerning him (see on verse 20). Vision — The use of this word, like that of the verb to see, goes back to the period when the ecstatic vision was a common method of receiving the divine truth. It signifies properly that which appears before the mental eye of the prophet during a trance; but in the greater part of the Old Testament the word is used in a wider sense of all prophetic perception of divine truth, whatever the process. Here, as in other places, it is used in a still wider sense, as the heading of an entire prophetic book (Isaiah 1:1; 2:1; Nab. 1:1; compare 1 Chronicles 21:9). Obadiah — See Introduction, p. 286. Thus saith the Lord Jehovah — A common formula claiming divine authority for a prophetic message. It is clear, however, that no theory concerning the manner in which the truth was made known can be based upon the use of the verb say. Like see, it has a narrower and a wider meaning, and in the prophetic books it is used in the wider sense (see on vision). Concerning Edom — Directly or indirectly the entire book deals with Edom (see on Amos 1:11). In bitter resentment the prophet announces her doom, and while rejoicing in the downfall of Edom he glories in the future exaltation of the people of God.

Now follows the quotation from the earlier oracle, which Obadiah applies to his own period (see p. 291). We have heard — The parallel passage in Jeremiah 49:14, reads, “I have heard.” Which is the original, it may be difficult to decide, and it matters little. In one case the author speaks as an individual, in the other he identifies himself with his countrymen. Rumor — R.V., “tidings”; literally, that which is heard (Isaiah 28:9; 53:1). The tidings are those revealed by Jehovah to his people, in order to prepare them for impending emergencies (Amos 3:7). The rest of verse 1 gives the contents of the tidings. It has commonly been interpreted as meaning that Jehovah communicates a message to his people, and that at the same time he dispatches a herald to the surrounding nations with a similar message, to stir them up against Edom. Against this interpretation two objections may be raised: (1) It finds no support in the rest of the prophecy; (2) It takes unwarranted liberty with the text (see below). The difficulties vanish if a different meaning is given to 1b. Jehovah sends to his people a message which reveals to them that an ambassador has been sent by Edom to the surrounding nations to persuade them to join Edom in a sudden attack upon Judah.

This interpretation does complete justice to the language, and it may enable us to fix, approximately at least, the date of the earlier prophecy. The closing years of Jehoash were troublesome times for Judah; Hazael of Syria threatened Jerusalem, and in order to save the city Jehoash paid an enormous tribute (2 Kings 12:17ff.). Dissatisfaction arose in the capital, and a revolt broke out which resulted in the king’s death. These internal disturbances would be an opportune moment for a foreign invasion, and Edom, the long-time enemy, would quickly recognize it. It is worthy of note that immediately following the statement that Amaziah established himself upon the throne and punished the murderers of his father, 2 Kings 14:7, continues, “He slew of Edom in the Valley of Salt ten thousand, and took Sela by war.” Might not the severity of the king be explained by the discovery of a plot such as is alluded to in Obadiah 1:1? And… is sent — An object clause depending on “we have heard tidings”; a better rendering would be “that… is sent” (G.-K., 157a). Ambassador — Or, herald. He was sent to stir up the nations to war. Heathen — Better, R.V., “nations”; a designation of all nations outside of Israel. Arise ye, and let us rise up — These words are not to be understood as giving both the appeal of the herald, “Arise ye,” and the reply of the nations, “and (or, yea) let us rise up.” The entire sentence belongs to the herald; he urges the nations to rise, and then, associating the power he represents with them, he calls out, “Yea, let us rise” (compare Jeremiah 49:14, where the second verb is omitted). Against her — Ordinarily interpreted as referring to Edom; if so, the feminine form of the pronoun is peculiar, since “the writer always uses the masculine in referring to Edom.” Some remove the peculiarity by changing the form of the pronoun; it seems better, however, to interpret the pronoun as referring to Judah (see above). True, Judah is not mentioned by name, while Edom is; but it must be remembered that this is a quotation removed from its context, in which the name may have been found.

In verse 2 Jehovah appears as the speaker. Having revealed to his people the conspiracy of Edom, he comforts them by assuring them that the scheme cannot succeed, since he has resolved to take the part of Judah against Edom. Behold — Calls attention to the denunciation contained in Obadiah 1:2-9. I have made thee small — A prophetic perfect. Jehovah has already decided upon the humiliation of Edom, and this decision makes the result as certain as if it had already been accomplished. Thou art greatly despised — Also a prophetic perfect. When Edom’s glory is brought low she will be despised by the other nations. Among the heathen — R.V., “nations”; which she sought to stir up against Judah (verse 7). Greatly — Jeremiah 49:15, reads “among men,” which would give perfect parallelism with “among the nations.” Here Jeremiah may have preserved the original; the Obadiah reading may be due to a later corruption.

Calvin, Pusey, and others favor a different interpretation of verse 2. They think that the tenses refer to the past. The divine providence assigned to Edom a humble position among the nations of the earth, but in their pride (verse 3) the Edomites exalted themselves contrary to Jehovah’s purpose; therefore Jehovah must bring them down (verse 4). The first interpretation seems preferable.

V. 2. Small-Thou art a small people. In comparison with other nations. Despised-What ever these Edomites had been, now they were despised.

Verse 2. I have made thee small among the heathen] God ever attributes to himself the rise and fall of nations. If they be great and prosperous, it is by God’s providence; if they be low and depressed, it is by his justice. Compared with the Assyrians, Chaldeans, Egyptians, Syrians, Arabs, and other neighbouring nations, the Idumeans were a small people.

Verses 1-4. The vision of Obadiah — The name of this prophet signifies, a servant, or a worshipper, of the Lord. Such he undoubtedly was, and also a prophet, but what he was in other respects we are not informed. It is not improbable that he had other visions, or revelations, from God, besides this which is here recorded, but this only has been preserved for the benefit of future ages. Thus saith the Lord — This declaration includes his commission and authority to prophesy, together with the certainty of what he declares; concerning Edom — Or, against Edom; that is, both the people and the country, so named from their progenitor Esau, called Edom, Genesis 25:30. This country, which was a part of Arabia Petræa, is called Idumea, Isaiah 34:5, 6. We — That is, other prophets, as well as I, have heard a rumour — Not an uncertain report, but a true and important revelation from God. And an ambassador is sent among the heathen — Or nations. For an explanation of this and the three following verses, see notes on Jeremiah 49:14-16, where nearly the same words occur; only what Jeremiah speaks in the singular number, is expressed here in the plural, to intimate that Obadiah had received the same commission from God which was signified to Jeremiah before. I have made thee small among the heathen — Or, nations. Thou art contemptible in the sight of the Chaldeans and their confederates, who think they can easily subdue thee. “Idumea was a country, if compared with the dominions of flourishing states, very moderate in extent, and inconveniently situated. The land of Moab occupied the eastern part of the sea of Sodom. Next to this country Idumea turned toward the south; though it did not border on all Canaan southward, but only on its eastern part. The rest lay open to Arabia Petræa, by which Idumea was situated southward, made a part of it, and went far into it.” — Vitringa, on Isaiah 34:6. “The country of the Idumeans was properly circumscribed by that mountainous tract which enclosed Canaan to the south near the sea of Sodom, as appears from the whole sacred history: whence mount Hor, situated there, is said to have been on the edge, border, or extremity of the land of Edom, Numbers 20:23. It is true, that about the time of Solomon, the Idumeans occupied some part of the Elanitic gulf of the Red sea, whence a tract of that coast was called the land of Edom, 1 Kings 9:26. But all the prophets who speak of Edom about these times, restrain their lands to mount Seir, in the tract which I have marked out. Vitringa, on Isaiah 21:1.” — Archbishop Newcome. The pride of thy heart hath deceived thee, &c. — Thou valuest thyself too much upon the strength of thy situation, being placed among rocks which thou thinkest inaccessible by the enemy. That saith in his heart, Who shall bring me down? — Namely, from those lofty rocks in which I dwell? Who can climb up to them but myself? Or who can find out the way into the secret caverns where I have made my habitation? Though thou exalt thyself as the eagle, &c. — Upon the highest mountains, that seem to reach up to heaven; thence will I bring thee down — From thy height of power and pre-eminence.

V. 3. The pride-The Edomites were, as most mountaineers are, a rough hardy, and daring people. And proud above measure. Deceived thee-Magnifying thy strength above what really it is.

Verse 3. The pride of thine heart] St. Jerome observes that all the southern part of Palestine, from Eleutheropolis to Petra and Aialath, was full of caverns hewn out of the rocks, and that the people had subterranean dwellings similar to ovens. Here they are said to dwell in the clefts of the rock, in reference to the caverns above mentioned. In these they conceived themselves to be safe, and thought that no power brought against them could dislodge them from those fastnesses. Some think that by [ls sela, rock, Petra, the capital of Idumea, is intended.

Verses 1-4. The vision of Obadiah — The name of this prophet signifies, a servant, or a worshipper, of the Lord. Such he undoubtedly was, and also a prophet, but what he was in other respects we are not informed. It is not improbable that he had other visions, or revelations, from God, besides this which is here recorded, but this only has been preserved for the benefit of future ages. Thus saith the Lord — This declaration includes his commission and authority to prophesy, together with the certainty of what he declares; concerning Edom — Or, against Edom; that is, both the people and the country, so named from their progenitor Esau, called Edom, Genesis 25:30. This country, which was a part of Arabia Petræa, is called Idumea, Isaiah 34:5, 6. We — That is, other prophets, as well as I, have heard a rumour — Not an uncertain report, but a true and important revelation from God. And an ambassador is sent among the heathen — Or nations. For an explanation of this and the three following verses, see notes on Jeremiah 49:14-16, where nearly the same words occur; only what Jeremiah speaks in the singular number, is expressed here in the plural, to intimate that Obadiah had received the same commission from God which was signified to Jeremiah before. I have made thee small among the heathen — Or, nations. Thou art contemptible in the sight of the Chaldeans and their confederates, who think they can easily subdue thee. “Idumea was a country, if compared with the dominions of flourishing states, very moderate in extent, and inconveniently situated. The land of Moab occupied the eastern part of the sea of Sodom. Next to this country Idumea turned toward the south; though it did not border on all Canaan southward, but only on its eastern part. The rest lay open to Arabia Petræa, by which Idumea was situated southward, made a part of it, and went far into it.” — Vitringa, on Isaiah 34:6. “The country of the Idumeans was properly circumscribed by that mountainous tract which enclosed Canaan to the south near the sea of Sodom, as appears from the whole sacred history: whence mount Hor, situated there, is said to have been on the edge, border, or extremity of the land of Edom, Numbers 20:23. It is true, that about the time of Solomon, the Idumeans occupied some part of the Elanitic gulf of the Red sea, whence a tract of that coast was called the land of Edom, 1 Kings 9:26. But all the prophets who speak of Edom about these times, restrain their lands to mount Seir, in the tract which I have marked out. Vitringa, on Isaiah 21:1.” — Archbishop Newcome. The pride of thy heart hath deceived thee, &c. — Thou valuest thyself too much upon the strength of thy situation, being placed among rocks which thou thinkest inaccessible by the enemy. That saith in his heart, Who shall bring me down? — Namely, from those lofty rocks in which I dwell? Who can climb up to them but myself? Or who can find out the way into the secret caverns where I have made my habitation? Though thou exalt thyself as the eagle, &c. — Upon the highest mountains, that seem to reach up to heaven; thence will I bring thee down — From thy height of power and pre-eminence.

Ver. 3. The pride of thy heart hath deceived thee. Dwelling in mount Seir, and having abundance of rocks for fortresses, Edom boasted of exemption from the sword, and of her splendid palaces.

3, 4. It was the pride and arrogance of Edom that caused her to scheme against the people of Jehovah. This arrogance was based very largely upon the almost impregnable position of the Edomite strongholds; but, says Jehovah, these natural defenses will not be able to withstand the divine attacks. Pride — Not the rock-castles, though these furnished the basis for the pride. For the sake of emphasis the subject is, contrary to common Hebrew usage, placed first. Clefts of the rock — The word translated “rock” — Hebrews sela’ — might be understood as a proper noun, Sela, which is the name of the ancient capital of Edom, changed at a later time to Petra, a word of similar import. If so, the reference would be to the rock-hewn dwellings of the capital. “Sela was situated on either side of a deep ravine, which runs winding like a stream through precipitous and overhanging cliffs for a distance of not less than a mile and a half. The cliffs are honeycombed with caverns, and in these caverns, reached by artificial means of access, the Edomites dwelt” (compare Hastings’s Dictionary of the Bible, article “Sela”). It is more probable, however, that the allusion is to the rocky features of the entire country. Who shall bring me down to the ground? — To the proud Edomites their position seemed impregnable; they might laugh at every attempt to displace them. “The great strength of a position such as Sela’s was shown during the war of the independence of Greece, in the case of the monastery of Megaspelion, which was situated, like Sela, on the face of a precipice. Ibrahim Pasha was unable to bring its defenders down by assault from below or above, and though ungarrisoned it baffled his utmost efforts.” The failure of the natural strongholds of Edom to protect the inhabitants would bring out more prominently the irresistible power of Jehovah (Jeremiah 49:16).

V. 4. Bring thee down-God who is in the heavens would throw thee down. When men could not marshal armies against thee, stars should fight in their courses against thee. Nothing can stand which God will cast down, Jeremiah 49:16,17.

Verse 4. Though thou exalt thyself as the eagle] Though like this bird thou get into the highest cliff of the highest rock, it will not avail thee. To defend thee, when Jehovah has determined thy destruction, thy deepest caves and highest rocks will be equally useless. See Jeremiah 49:16.

Verses 1-4. The vision of Obadiah — The name of this prophet signifies, a servant, or a worshipper, of the Lord. Such he undoubtedly was, and also a prophet, but what he was in other respects we are not informed. It is not improbable that he had other visions, or revelations, from God, besides this which is here recorded, but this only has been preserved for the benefit of future ages. Thus saith the Lord — This declaration includes his commission and authority to prophesy, together with the certainty of what he declares; concerning Edom — Or, against Edom; that is, both the people and the country, so named from their progenitor Esau, called Edom, Genesis 25:30. This country, which was a part of Arabia Petræa, is called Idumea, Isaiah 34:5, 6. We — That is, other prophets, as well as I, have heard a rumour — Not an uncertain report, but a true and important revelation from God. And an ambassador is sent among the heathen — Or nations. For an explanation of this and the three following verses, see notes on Jeremiah 49:14-16, where nearly the same words occur; only what Jeremiah speaks in the singular number, is expressed here in the plural, to intimate that Obadiah had received the same commission from God which was signified to Jeremiah before. I have made thee small among the heathen — Or, nations. Thou art contemptible in the sight of the Chaldeans and their confederates, who think they can easily subdue thee. “Idumea was a country, if compared with the dominions of flourishing states, very moderate in extent, and inconveniently situated. The land of Moab occupied the eastern part of the sea of Sodom. Next to this country Idumea turned toward the south; though it did not border on all Canaan southward, but only on its eastern part. The rest lay open to Arabia Petræa, by which Idumea was situated southward, made a part of it, and went far into it.” — Vitringa, on Isaiah 34:6. “The country of the Idumeans was properly circumscribed by that mountainous tract which enclosed Canaan to the south near the sea of Sodom, as appears from the whole sacred history: whence mount Hor, situated there, is said to have been on the edge, border, or extremity of the land of Edom, Numbers 20:23. It is true, that about the time of Solomon, the Idumeans occupied some part of the Elanitic gulf of the Red sea, whence a tract of that coast was called the land of Edom, 1 Kings 9:26. But all the prophets who speak of Edom about these times, restrain their lands to mount Seir, in the tract which I have marked out. Vitringa, on Isaiah 21:1.” — Archbishop Newcome. The pride of thy heart hath deceived thee, &c. — Thou valuest thyself too much upon the strength of thy situation, being placed among rocks which thou thinkest inaccessible by the enemy. That saith in his heart, Who shall bring me down? — Namely, from those lofty rocks in which I dwell? Who can climb up to them but myself? Or who can find out the way into the secret caverns where I have made my habitation? Though thou exalt thyself as the eagle, &c. — Upon the highest mountains, that seem to reach up to heaven; thence will I bring thee down — From thy height of power and pre-eminence.

4. No human expedient can prevent the execution of the divine purpose. Though thou exalt thyself — R.V., “Though thou mount on high.” The verb is transitive, and the object “thy nest” should be supplied: “Though thou place high thy nest as the eagle” (so Jeremiah 49:16). The eagle builds his nest in places almost inaccessible to men, but God can reach it; and though the nests of the Edomites should be among the stars, Jehovah will find it easy to bring them down (Amos 9:2; compare Job 20:6, 7; Isaiah 14:13).

In verses 5, 6 the prophet pictures the completeness of the destruction by a comparison of the calamity to come with familiar experiences. Thieves… robbers… grape-gatherers — R.V. brings out the thought more satisfactorily by reading the first question of verse 5, “would they not steal only till they had enough?” The second reads, “would they not leave some gleaning grapes?” Thieves and robbers, it is true, take and carry off whatever they can lay their hands on; but when they have satisfied their desire they go away leaving some things behind. In a similar manner grape-gatherers do not pick every single berry or grape; with (Leviticus 9:10; Deuteronomy 24:21) or without intention they leave some gleanings. Not so Edom’s conqueror; he will leave behind nothing but waste and desolation. How art thou cut off! — A parenthetical exclamation by the prophet, forced from him by the awful character of the judgment, which, in his prophetic vision, he sees already accomplished. How are the things of Esau searched out! — Literally, How are they searched out, Esau! An expression of amazement at the completeness of the ruin. Every corner of Edom will be searched thoroughly and the plunder will be carried off. Hidden things — R.V., “hidden treasures.” The treasures stored in the treasure houses hewn in the rock in inaccessible places. These hiding places will be discovered and the treasures will be taken away as booty. Edom will be completely despoiled (Jeremiah 49:9).

V. 5. If thieves-If thieves by day had spoiled thee, they would not have thus stripped thee. Robbers-If robbers in the night had been with thee, they would have left somewhat behind them. ‘Till they had enough-But here is nothing left. Some grapes-But here have been those that have cut up the vine.

Verse 5. If thieves came to thee] That is, if thieves entered thy dwellings, they would not have taken every thing; they would have laid hold on thy wealth; and carried off as much as they could escape with conveniently; if grape-gatherers entered thy vineyards, they would not have taken every bunch; some gleanings would have been left. But the Chaldeans have stripped thee bare; they have searched out all thy hidden things, Obadiah 1:6, they have left thee nothing. Hour art thou cut off! Thou art totally and irretrievably ruined! The prophet speaks of this desolation as if it had already taken place.

Verses 5-9. If thieves come unto thee — See note on Jeremiah 49:9. How are his hidden things sought up! — Those treasures and riches which he took all possible care to conceal, that they might not be discovered by the enemy. All the men of thy confederacy have brought thee even to the border — Thy confederates marched out with thee, until thou wast come to the borders of thy country, and then they perfidiously joined with the enemy’s forces, and thereby deceived thee. And prevailed against thee — Namely, treacherously. They that eat thy bread have laid a wound under thee — Those that were maintained at thy cost, as thine allies, have given thee a secret blow. There is none understanding — Thou wast not aware of it. Shall I not, in that day, even destroy the wise men, &c. — At that time, when these evils shall come upon them, their prudence and skill shall altogether forsake them, and the wisest among them shall not know what to do, or shall give unsatisfactory, or foolish, counsel. When God designs a people for destruction, he causes such circumstances to arise, such a multiplicity of dangers, and so unexpectedly, to surround them, that their greatest wisdom is confounded, and the most skilful among them are quite at a loss how to act. See note on Jeremiah 49:7. And thy mighty men, O Teman, shall be dismayed, &c. — Teman was one of the grandsons of Esau, after whom some city and district in Idumea was named. Here it seems to be used to signify the whole country of Idumea. Certain it is that the Idumeans were looked upon as a strong and valiant people. Josephus says, they went as unconcernedly and as cheerfully into battle as to a banquet; but here it is threatened that a panic fear should seize upon this courageous nation, so that they should be entirely discouraged, and not able to stand against their enemies, or defend themselves; the consequence of which would be, a great slaughter of them.

Ver. 5. If thieves came by night, to thy house, or to thy vintage, they would have stolen only till they had enough, and left all the rest behind. But, oh Edom, the Chaldeans will leave nothing whatever. The mountains of Idumea were favourable to the culture of the vine.

V. 6. Esau-The father of this people, put for his posterity. Sought up-All that the Edomites had laid up in the most secret places, are seized and brought forth by soldiers.

Verses 5-9. If thieves come unto thee — See note on Jeremiah 49:9. How are his hidden things sought up! — Those treasures and riches which he took all possible care to conceal, that they might not be discovered by the enemy. All the men of thy confederacy have brought thee even to the border — Thy confederates marched out with thee, until thou wast come to the borders of thy country, and then they perfidiously joined with the enemy’s forces, and thereby deceived thee. And prevailed against thee — Namely, treacherously. They that eat thy bread have laid a wound under thee — Those that were maintained at thy cost, as thine allies, have given thee a secret blow. There is none understanding — Thou wast not aware of it. Shall I not, in that day, even destroy the wise men, &c. — At that time, when these evils shall come upon them, their prudence and skill shall altogether forsake them, and the wisest among them shall not know what to do, or shall give unsatisfactory, or foolish, counsel. When God designs a people for destruction, he causes such circumstances to arise, such a multiplicity of dangers, and so unexpectedly, to surround them, that their greatest wisdom is confounded, and the most skilful among them are quite at a loss how to act. See note on Jeremiah 49:7. And thy mighty men, O Teman, shall be dismayed, &c. — Teman was one of the grandsons of Esau, after whom some city and district in Idumea was named. Here it seems to be used to signify the whole country of Idumea. Certain it is that the Idumeans were looked upon as a strong and valiant people. Josephus says, they went as unconcernedly and as cheerfully into battle as to a banquet; but here it is threatened that a panic fear should seize upon this courageous nation, so that they should be entirely discouraged, and not able to stand against their enemies, or defend themselves; the consequence of which would be, a great slaughter of them.

V. 7. Thy confederacy-Thy confederates have marched with thee until thou wert come to the borders of thy country. Deceived thee-Proved treacherous. Prevailed-Treacherously. A wound-A snare armed with sharp points. No understanding-Thou wast not aware of it.

Verse 7. All the men of thy confederacy] The Chaldeans are here intended, to whom the Idumeans were attached, and whose agents they became in exercising cruelties upon the Jews.

Have brought thee even to the border] Have hemmed thee in on every side, and reduced thee to distress. Or, they have driven thee to thy border; cast thee out of thy own land into the hands of thine enemies. The men that were at peace with thee] The men of thy covenant, with whom thou hadst made a league.

That eat thy bread] That professed to be thy firmest friends, have all joined together to destroy thee.

Have laid a wound] Placed a snare or trap under thee. See Newcome. There is none understanding in him.] Private counsels and public plans are all in operation against thee; and yet thou art so foolish and infatuated as not to discern thy own danger.

Verses 5-9. If thieves come unto thee — See note on Jeremiah 49:9. How are his hidden things sought up! — Those treasures and riches which he took all possible care to conceal, that they might not be discovered by the enemy. All the men of thy confederacy have brought thee even to the border — Thy confederates marched out with thee, until thou wast come to the borders of thy country, and then they perfidiously joined with the enemy’s forces, and thereby deceived thee. And prevailed against thee — Namely, treacherously. They that eat thy bread have laid a wound under thee — Those that were maintained at thy cost, as thine allies, have given thee a secret blow. There is none understanding — Thou wast not aware of it. Shall I not, in that day, even destroy the wise men, &c. — At that time, when these evils shall come upon them, their prudence and skill shall altogether forsake them, and the wisest among them shall not know what to do, or shall give unsatisfactory, or foolish, counsel. When God designs a people for destruction, he causes such circumstances to arise, such a multiplicity of dangers, and so unexpectedly, to surround them, that their greatest wisdom is confounded, and the most skilful among them are quite at a loss how to act. See note on Jeremiah 49:7. And thy mighty men, O Teman, shall be dismayed, &c. — Teman was one of the grandsons of Esau, after whom some city and district in Idumea was named. Here it seems to be used to signify the whole country of Idumea. Certain it is that the Idumeans were looked upon as a strong and valiant people. Josephus says, they went as unconcernedly and as cheerfully into battle as to a banquet; but here it is threatened that a panic fear should seize upon this courageous nation, so that they should be entirely discouraged, and not able to stand against their enemies, or defend themselves; the consequence of which would be, a great slaughter of them.

Verse 7 takes us back to verse 1. There we are told that Edom attempted to instigate a conspiracy against Judah; verse 7 states that her attempts will be futile; the allies in which she puts her trust will prove her ruin. The erroneous interpretation of verse 1 (see above) is responsible for many wild statements concerning the meaning of verse 7; if the interpretation suggested above is accepted the difficulties vanish. There certainly is no reason for separating verse 7 from the preceding verses; verses 1-9 form one continuous oracle. All the men of thy confederacy — Those who joined or were expected to join the confederacy planned by Edom (verse 1); hence identical with “the nations” (verse 1). Have brought thee even to the border — R.V., “on thy way, even to the border”; margin, “have driven thee out.” This marginal reading is accepted by several recent writers, and the driving out of the Edomites is interpreted of their expulsion from their borders by Arab tribes during the sixth or fifth century B.C. Others understand the words as signifying that the allies sent “their troops with them as far as the frontier and then ordered them to turn back.” Neither view is correct. The meaning is rather that the ambassadors whom Edom had sent to negotiate the alliance, and who thus represented the nation, were sent back to the frontier with due respect and ceremonies, with fair speeches and pleasing promises. In reality not one of the nations cared to entangle herself in such an alliance. The men that were at peace with thee — The surrounding nations; identical with “men of thy confederacy” and “the nations” (verse 1). The Edomites expected to experience no difficulty in persuading their friendly neighbors to join the conspiracy. Have deceived thee — By making fair promises when they had no intention of keeping them. Prevailed against thee — Standing by itself this expression might mean that “these very nations with whom they have hitherto been on terms of amity and peace shall turn their forces against them and prevail.” But this is not the meaning in this passage. Jeremiah 38:22, offers a good parallel. There R.V. margin reads, “The men of thy peace (the identical expression) have deceived thee, and have prevailed over thee: now that thy feet are sunk in the mire, they are turned away back.” The meaning of this passage is that the false advisers got the king into trouble and then left him to his fate. This is the thought of Obadiah. The nations made fair promises and thus encouraged the scheme of Edom; they overcame any scruples or hesitancy on the part of the latter; but when the real crisis arrives Edom will have to fight her battles alone. They that eat thy bread have laid a wound under thee — R.V., “lay a snare under thee”; literally, thy bread they lay a snare under thee. A very difficult and much-discussed expression. Following the rather free renderings of A.V. and R.V., it is commonly interpreted in the sense that those who are bound to the Edomites by sacred ties of hospitality will make a treacherous assault upon them. Keil translates, “They make thy bread a wound under thee,” but his interpretation closely resembles the one just given (see below). Nowack considers the case hopeless, while other recent writers have suggested more or less radical emendations. Thus Marti reads, “they will settle in thy place”; Winckler, “thy flesh they will devour, thy sustenance they will take away.” Cheyne substitutes proper names in accord with his peculiar Yerachmeelite theory. The difference of opinion among scholars is due to uncertainty with regard to two points. In the first place, it is not certain what part of the sentence is “thy bread”; in the next, the meaning of masor cannot be fully determined. Does it mean snare or wound? Evidently “thy bread” is not the subject of the verb, for the former is in the singular while the latter is in the plural. Hence Keil takes it to be the first object of the verb. Then he continues: “And consequently the subject of the previous clause still continues in force: they who befriended thee make thy bread, that is, the bread which they ate from thee or with thee, into a wound under thee, that is, an occasion for destroying thee.” Recognizing the need of a more lucid interpretation, he adds: “We have not to think of common meals of hospitality here,… but the words are to be taken figuratively, after the analogy of Psalm 41:10, which floated before the prophet’s mind,… as denoting conspiracies on the part of those who were allied to Edom, and drew their own sustenance from it, the rich trading nation, to destroy that very nation.” Keil thus understands masor to mean “wound,” and for this he finds support in such passages as Hosea 5:13; Jeremiah 30:13; compare Isaiah 1:6. Others supply from the preceding clause only “men,” and combining this with “thy bread” read. “men of thy bread” — that is, men who have eaten bread with thee and thus are bound to thee by the sacred ties of hospitality; or, men who draw their sustenance from thee (so A.V. and R.V.). Hitzig reaches the same result by supplying a participial form, “they that eat thy bread.” Whatever rendering we may give to the Hebrew, the expression remains peculiar. A smoother reading is offered by LXX., which omits the first troublesome word entirely, carries the subject over from the preceding clause, and translates masor “snare,” giving to it a meaning not found elsewhere in the Old Testament. Following the LXX. we may read, “The men that were at peace with thee have deceived thee, and have prevailed against thee; they have placed a snare under thee.” Ordinary intelligence should have recognized the deception, but Edom was blind; hence the exclamation, There is none understanding in him — That is, in Edom (masculine throughout, see on verse 1). This does not mean, “in consequence of the calamity which thus bursts upon the Edomites they lose their wonted discernment, and know neither what to do nor how to help themselves”; nor is it equivalent to “all this is caused by thy want of understanding”; it is simply an exclamation of amazement that the Edomites should fail to see the evident deception. The change in the same address from the second person to the third is not uncommon in Hebrew prophecy, and in the present case it is quite natural, since the exclamation is not addressed directly to Edom, nor to anyone else in particular.

In verse 8 the prophet explains the lack of wisdom. Jehovah will cause the wise men to cease. This thought is expressed by a rhetorical question, equivalent to Surely I will destroy. In that day — The day in which the events recorded in verse 7 will take place. Destroy the wise men — This threat is not to be understood as meaning that the wise men will suffer death, but that they will be destroyed as wise men; in other words, their wisdom and understanding will be withdrawn. As a result they will be unable to discover the schemes of “the nations,” or give counsel to their own rulers. For the sake of emphasis the same thought is repeated. Understanding — Or, discernment; the power to see and estimate things correctly. Mount of Esau — Mount Seir. After the occupation of the territory southeast of the Dead Sea by the descendants of Esau the two names came to be used interchangeably. Some commentators seem to think that the parallel passage in Jeremiah 49 shows no acquaintance with this verse. It is quite probable, however, that Jeremiah 49:7, reflects the thought of this passage (compare Isaiah 19:3, 11; 29:14). Eliphaz, one of Job’s “wise” friends, was an Edomite (Job 2:11); and later traditions seem to imply that the Edomites boasted in the possession of special wisdom. In presenting a list of nations claiming extraordinary wisdom, Baruch 3:22, says, “The Agarenes that seek wisdom upon earth, the merchants of Meran and Teman, the authors of fables and the seekers out of understanding, none of these have known the way of wisdom, or remember her paths.”

Verse 8. Shall I not—destroy the wise men] It appears, from Jeremiah 49:7, that the Edomites were remarkable for wisdom, counsel, and prudence. See on the above place.

Verses 5-9. If thieves come unto thee — See note on Jeremiah 49:9. How are his hidden things sought up! — Those treasures and riches which he took all possible care to conceal, that they might not be discovered by the enemy. All the men of thy confederacy have brought thee even to the border — Thy confederates marched out with thee, until thou wast come to the borders of thy country, and then they perfidiously joined with the enemy’s forces, and thereby deceived thee. And prevailed against thee — Namely, treacherously. They that eat thy bread have laid a wound under thee — Those that were maintained at thy cost, as thine allies, have given thee a secret blow. There is none understanding — Thou wast not aware of it. Shall I not, in that day, even destroy the wise men, &c. — At that time, when these evils shall come upon them, their prudence and skill shall altogether forsake them, and the wisest among them shall not know what to do, or shall give unsatisfactory, or foolish, counsel. When God designs a people for destruction, he causes such circumstances to arise, such a multiplicity of dangers, and so unexpectedly, to surround them, that their greatest wisdom is confounded, and the most skilful among them are quite at a loss how to act. See note on Jeremiah 49:7. And thy mighty men, O Teman, shall be dismayed, &c. — Teman was one of the grandsons of Esau, after whom some city and district in Idumea was named. Here it seems to be used to signify the whole country of Idumea. Certain it is that the Idumeans were looked upon as a strong and valiant people. Josephus says, they went as unconcernedly and as cheerfully into battle as to a banquet; but here it is threatened that a panic fear should seize upon this courageous nation, so that they should be entirely discouraged, and not able to stand against their enemies, or defend themselves; the consequence of which would be, a great slaughter of them.

V. 9. Teman-A principal city of Idumea.

Verse 9. Thy mighty men, O Teman] This was one of the strongest places in Idumea; and is put here, as in Amos 1:12, and elsewhere, for Idumea itself.

Mount of Esau] Mount Seir.

Verses 5-9. If thieves come unto thee — See note on Jeremiah 49:9. How are his hidden things sought up! — Those treasures and riches which he took all possible care to conceal, that they might not be discovered by the enemy. All the men of thy confederacy have brought thee even to the border — Thy confederates marched out with thee, until thou wast come to the borders of thy country, and then they perfidiously joined with the enemy’s forces, and thereby deceived thee. And prevailed against thee — Namely, treacherously. They that eat thy bread have laid a wound under thee — Those that were maintained at thy cost, as thine allies, have given thee a secret blow. There is none understanding — Thou wast not aware of it. Shall I not, in that day, even destroy the wise men, &c. — At that time, when these evils shall come upon them, their prudence and skill shall altogether forsake them, and the wisest among them shall not know what to do, or shall give unsatisfactory, or foolish, counsel. When God designs a people for destruction, he causes such circumstances to arise, such a multiplicity of dangers, and so unexpectedly, to surround them, that their greatest wisdom is confounded, and the most skilful among them are quite at a loss how to act. See note on Jeremiah 49:7. And thy mighty men, O Teman, shall be dismayed, &c. — Teman was one of the grandsons of Esau, after whom some city and district in Idumea was named. Here it seems to be used to signify the whole country of Idumea. Certain it is that the Idumeans were looked upon as a strong and valiant people. Josephus says, they went as unconcernedly and as cheerfully into battle as to a banquet; but here it is threatened that a panic fear should seize upon this courageous nation, so that they should be entirely discouraged, and not able to stand against their enemies, or defend themselves; the consequence of which would be, a great slaughter of them.

Ver. 9. Thy mighty men, oh Teman, shall be dismayed. Duke Teman was grandson of Esau. Genesis 36:15. Teman was also the name of the capital, which too much confided in its strength. The jews, it is not doubted, had oppressed them; but when Jerusalem fell under the invader, the Edomites indulged in indecent exultations. They even sent an army of mighty men to join the Chaldeans, and to slaughter the fugitive jews: a most unbrotherly part towards Jacob. Nothing is more strongly marked as an object of divine displeasure than the sin of cruelty or unkindness towards brethren, and in this instance an awful retaliation was denounced. Psalm 137:7-9.

9. Mighty men — Warriors. When they realize at last that they have been entrapped, that wisdom and discernment have taken their flight, the warriors will lose heart, and the result will be the complete undoing of Edom. O Teman — The change to the direct address adds force and intensity to the threat. On Teman see comment on Amos 1:12. By slaughter — Ordinarily this is taken to refer to the slaughter to be inflicted upon Edom by her enemies; but according to the above interpretation there is nothing in this section (compare 17ff.) to indicate that the overthrow of Edom will be wrought by her enemies — Jehovah himself will strike the blow. Hence Ewald suggested the translation “without battle,” which is grammatically possible but makes an extremely weak conclusion of the threat. It seems better to carry the word over to verse 10 (so LXX., Peshitto, Vulgate). The preposition is the same as that before “violence” in verse 10, so that “for slaughter” might be read instead of “by slaughter,” the two together “for slaughter, for the violence done… ,” or even “for the slaughter and violence done”; the two words indicating two causes of the judgment to come. Keil objects to this change on the ground that, if adopted, the stronger and more specific term would precede the weaker and more general. In this Nowack agrees with Keil, and he gets out of the difficulty by rejecting “for slaughter” as a marginal gloss to “for violence,” “originating with a reader to whom the latter expression did not appear pointed enough” (so also Marti). However, the objection of Keil is not well founded, and the omissions suggested by the other two commentators mentioned are arbitrary. It is not true that the stronger and more specific term precedes the weaker and more general; the two words refer to two distinct crimes, of which the second, according to Jewish conceptions, was the more serious. Obadiah 1:10-14 evidently refer to the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 (see p. 288). In this calamity the afflictions of Israel were twofold: on the one hand, they suffered personal losses; on the other, their sanctuary was desecrated and destroyed. The author of Psalm 137 seems to be concerned with the religious afflictions; and the deep feeling manifesting itself in his imprecations was undoubtedly due to the fact that the religious losses were to him of far greater consequence than any temporal privations. Of the two expressions in this passage “slaughter” may well stand for the personal wrongs suffered, “violence” for the wrongs done to the religious life and institutions. Of these the second was felt more keenly than the former; therefore the order of the words is perfectly natural.

Causes of the judgment, 10-14.

In verse 10 the prophet who gave to the book its present form begins to speak. In the contents of Obadiah 1:1-9 he saw a message suitable to his own age; and since it expressed his own thoughts in a vivid and forceful manner, he adopted it for his own use. But the causes responsible for the threat at the earlier period were probably not the same as those which led him to proclaim the same judgment. The latter grew out of his own present historical situation; hence he must set them forth in his own language. This he does in 10ff., beginning (verse Obadiah 1:10) with the general statement that the judgment is made necessary by the hostility of Edom toward Judah, which statement is followed by a reiteration of the previous threat. In Obadiah 1:11-14 he describes in greater detail the crimes of Edom.

Verse 10. For thy violence against thy brother Jacob] By this term the Israelites in general are understood; for the two brothers,—Jacob, from whom sprang the Jews, and Esau, from whom sprang the Idumeans or Edomites,—are here put for the whole people or descendants of both. We need not look for particular cases of the violence of the Edomites against the Jews. Esau, their founder, was not more inimical to his brother Jacob, who deprived him of his birthright, than the Edomites uniformly were to the Jews. See 2 Chronicles 28:17, 18. They had even stimulated the Chaldeans, when they took Jerusalem, to destroy the temple, and level it with the ground. See Psalm 137:7.

Verses 10, 11. For thy violence against thy brother Jacob — Because of the injury thou hast done to the people of Judea, who are descended from Jacob, the brother of Esau, your progenitor: see note on Amos 1:11. Shame shall cover thee — Contempt and reproach shall be cast upon thee by all that hear of thy conduct; and thou shalt be cut off for ever — So great a slaughter shall be made of thy inhabitants, that thou shalt never recover it; and at last thou shalt be quite dispossessed of thy country: see note on Ezekiel 35:7-9. In the day that thou stoodest on the other side — Or, in the day that thou stoodest against him. That strangers carried away captive his forces — This may refer to the time when the Syrians spoiled Judea, overcame the Jewish forces, and made many captives of them. And foreigners entered into his gates — That is, into his cities. This seems to be spoken of the cities of Judea, which the Syrians took when they had spoiled the country, and laid siege to Jerusalem, as recorded in 2 Kings 16:5. And cast lots upon Jerusalem — Either this means that the Syrians and Israelites, whose armies were joined together, cast lots which of them should make the first assault on that city: or else, they cast lots about the spoils of Jerusalem, before they had taken it, making themselves quite sure of it, though the event proved they were mistaken. Or, as many learned men think, the taking of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar is here referred to; an event at which, as we learn from Psalm 137., the Edomites rejoiced: and then probably lots were cast what captives should fall to the share of each of the commanders. Thou wast as one of them — Thou, that wast a brother by birth, wast as cruel and injurious in thy actions as these strangers, and joined with them in every thing against thy brother.

10. Violence — As already stated (see on verse 9), “slaughter” (verse 9) should be connected with “violence”; the one referring to personal suffering, the other to the violence done to religious customs and institutions. Thy brother Jacob — Throughout the entire Old Testament the ancestor of the Israelites, Jacob, and the ancestor of the Edomites, Esau, are regarded as brothers. The reference to this intimate relationship makes the crime appear in even more glaring colors (see on Amos 1:11). The origin of the hostility between the two is traced to the time of their birth (Genesis 25:25, 26; compare 27:41). From the ancestors the hostility apparently descended upon their posterity; at any rate, the history of the two nations is marked by repeated outbreaks of hostility (for example, Numbers 20; Amos 1:11). The fact that the Israelites are urged repeatedly to observe a friendly and brotherly attitude toward Edom (Deuteronomy 2:4, 5; 23:7) may indicate that the natural tendency of Israel was not in the direction of returning good for evil. Shame — Or, disgrace. Cover — A picture of abundance. The disgrace will seem the greater because of the former boastfulness. Shalt be cut off — The punishment is described here in its ultimate completeness; it is described more fully in 15ff.

In Obadiah 1:11-14 the prophet proceeds to describe in greater detail the crimes of Edom. In the calamity that befell the people of Jehovah the Edomites proved themselves as hostile as the more active enemies. They manifested their hostility by maliciously rejoicing in the misfortune of Judah (Obadiah 1:12), by committing acts of robbery (Obadiah 1:12), and by cutting down fugitive Jews (Obadiah 1:14). In the day that thou stoodest on the other side — The next clause shows that this is the day of the calamity of Jerusalem. “Stoodest on the other side” might possibly refer to neutrality; they stood by idly when they should have rendered assistance to their brother. The context, however, favors a different interpretation; they stood on the side of the enemies, in a spirit of hostility, not neutrality (2 Samuel 18:13). Even thou wast as one of them — Though, at least in the beginning, not taking an active part in destroying and plundering the city and the people, the Edomites manifested the same hostile spirit, and therefore were as culpable as the “strangers” who did the actual work. Strangers… foreigners — The Chaldeans and their allies in the expedition against Judah in 588-586. Carried away… his forces — R.V., “his substance”; the forces or substance of Jacob. Since the verb is literally, carry into exile, and is used but rarely of the carrying away of booty, the reference may be to the carrying into exile of the military forces and of the inhabitants of the land, rather than to the carrying away of the spoil. Entered into his gates — The gates of Jacob, which cannot be limited to the gates of Jerusalem. The prophet means the gates of all the cities of Jacob; the enemies overran the whole land. The next sentence speaks of the calamity that befell Jerusalem. Cast lots upon Jerusalem — The city and its inhabitants and contents. The lots were cast for the purpose of dividing the spoil among the captors (see on Joel 3:3; compare Amos 7:17). If A.V. could be followed in the translation of the tenses in Obadiah 1:12-14 the interpretation of these verses would be an easy task; the verses would then be an expansion of the condemnation contained in verse 11. R.V., however, changes the translation, following more closely the Hebrew, so that Obadiah 1:12-14 are made to contain a series of warnings addressed to the Edomites. These warnings have created much difficulty for interpreters (see, for example, p. 290); however, if the verses are assigned to the proper historical situation the case becomes less complicated. Verse 11 evidently speaks of events connected with the destruction of Jerusalem, probably events of the recent past. But the humiliation of Judah was not the work of a single day. Jeremiah 41 makes it plain that for several months there were outbreaks of hostility against the small community left behind under Gedaliah. If the delivery of the oracle is placed in the period following the sack of the city by the Chaldeans, during the months or even years in which the Ammonites and other surrounding nations continued to harass the Jews, the interpretation becomes less difficult. In deep emotion the prophet beholds the continued hostility of Edom; the reference to past crimes (verse 11) rouses him still more; and moved by righteous indignation he warns the Edomites to abstain from further crimes, giving as one reason the fact that by persisting in wrongdoing they will only increase the severity of their judgment (Obadiah 1:15, 16).

Marti, who dates the verses in the fifth century, explains the warnings by saying that the author transposed himself in thought in the midst of the calamity, though in reality it was a thing of the past; and he holds that the practical force of the warnings is similar to that implied in the rendering of the A.V. This interpretation, however, seems less natural than the one suggested above.

The comments on Obadiah 1:12-14 are based upon the translation of R.V. The warnings in these verses proceed from the lower to the higher. The prophet warns Edom “not to rejoice in Judah’s troubles (12), nor to make common cause with the conquerors (13), nor to outdo and complete the work of the enemy (14).” A climax may be noticed also within verse

12. Look not — The Hebrew construction implies the idea of looking with pleasure and satisfaction — take delight in. Rejoice not — An advance over the preceding; to give expression to the delight. Speak proudly — Literally, make thy mouth great, in contempt and derision. This marks the climax. It “may refer either to proud, boastful words, or to mocking grimaces and contortions of the mouth.” The day of thy brother — The day when the calamities mentioned in verse 11 fell upon Jerusalem (compare Psalm 137:7, “the day of Jerusalem”). The other three clauses describe the day more definitely. The day of his disaster — The Hebrew word translated disaster occurs only here; a similar word is used in Job 31:3, in the same sense. Both come from the same root from which is derived the word foreigner (verse 11); hence the primary meaning of the word would seem to be “treatment such as is accorded to a stranger,” which in many cases would be cruel and unjust, or “treatment which makes of a person a stranger.” The expression used here may mean either “the day on which he received cruel treatment” or “the day on which he was made a stranger by being carried into exile.” The day of their destruction — Or, undoing. A stronger term than the preceding. Distress — The deplorable condition subsequent to the fall of the city.

In Obadiah 1:13 the prophet warns Edom not to make common cause with the conquerors who are plundering the city and state. Again the prophet presents the warning in the form of a climax, to enter in, to look upon, to seize. The gate of my people — Gate — city (Micah 1:9); here evidently Jerusalem. In the day of their calamity — Repeated three times for the sake of emphasis, to indicate the greatness of the calamity, and at the same time to call attention to the greater crime of Edom, “since it is precisely at the time of a brother’s calamity that such treachery and malicious joy is doubly culpable.” Yea, look not thou — Literally, look not thou, even thou. The emphasis is on the pronoun. “A brother should be the last to gloat over the misfortunes of a brother” (see on Amos 1:11). Neither lay ye hands on their substance — Do not join the foreign robbers in plundering the city (compare verse 11, where the same noun is used).

In Obadiah 1:14 the prophet reaches the climax. He warns them against seizing Jewish fugitives to murder them or deliver them up to their enemies. Stand thou not in the crossway — The place where one or more roads meet, or where one road divides into two or more. There the greatest number of fugitives could be seized. To cut off — Not merely to cut off their escape, but to murder them after they had escaped from the general slaughter. Deliver not up — To the enemy from whom they had escaped. The allusion may be to fugitives who took refuge in Edom. The terrors of the day of Jehovah, Obadiah 1:15, 16. In verse 10 the prophet announces judgment upon the Edomites for their ill treatment of Judah; in verse 11 he describes in greater detail their wrongdoings; in 12-14 he warns them to abstain from further violence. These warnings he backs up in Obadiah 1:15, 16 by calling attention to the day of Jehovah, when Edom and all other enemies of Jehovah will receive their just dues. For — Connects with verse 14 more directly than with verse 9. The day of Jehovah is near upon all the heathen — R.V., “all the nations.” Edom is joined here with the other enemies of Jehovah; but 15b sets her apart again from the rest. Though the transition from 15a to 15b is abrupt there is insufficient reason for rejecting the latter as out of harmony with the former. The seeming difficulty may be removed by regarding 15b as an attempt on the part of the prophet to emphasize the special guilt of the Edomites, which might possibly be overlooked, were they not singled out for condemnation. In a sense, therefore, 15b is a parenthetical clause. Day of Jehovah — See on Joel 1:15. As thou hast done — The latter part of verse 15 lays down the basis of recompense, the lex talionis (compare Ezekiel 35:15; Psalm 137:8; see on Joel 3:7). This idea is continued, in somewhat different form, in Obadiah 1:16. “With what measure ye mete, it shall be measured unto you.”

The interpretation of Obadiah 1:16 depends upon the determination as to who are the persons addressed with you. 1. Are they Edomites? “As ye Edomites have drunk in triumphant revelry and carousal on my holy mountain, rejoicing with unhallowed joy over its destruction, so shall (ye and) all the nations drink continually the wine of God’s wrath and indignation.” 2. Are they the Jews? “As ye have drunk (who are) upon my holy mountain; as even you who are my chosen people, and inhabit the mountain consecrated by my presence, have not escaped the cup of my wrath, so all the nations shall drink of that same cup, not with a passing salutary draught as you have done, but with a continuous swallowing down, till they have wrung out the dregs thereof and been brought to nothing by their consuming power.” Against the first and in support of the second interpretation it is urged: (1) The former would necessitate a change of meaning in drink; in the first sentence it would have to be understood literally, in the second figuratively. (2) In other parts of the book Edom is addressed in the singular, here in the plural. (3) The Edomites are a part of “all the nations” (15a); it would be peculiar to have them separated in verse 16 (15b is of a different nature). (4) “The contrast between the Edomites reveling upon Mount Zion and the nations drinking the cup of Jehovah’s wrath gives no sense.” (5) It is also urged that the second interpretation alone does justice to continually “by virtue of the contrast which it suggests between the Jews for whom the bitter draught was only temporary, for amendment and not for destruction, and the heathen who were to drink on until they perished.” (6) The parallel passage (see, however, p. 291) in Jeremiah 49:12 (compare Jeremiah 25:15-29; Lamentations 4:21, 22) is also quoted in support. But the second interpretation is by no means free from difficulties: (1) The rendering, “As ye have drunk who are upon my holy mountain,” is grammatically impossible; “upon my holy mountain” belongs to “as ye have drunk.” This objection, however, is valid only against the above-mentioned translation of the passage; a proper translation might remove the difficulty.

(2) Throughout the whole prophecy Edom seems to be addressed, never the people of Judah directly. (3) The parallelism with “even as thou hast done,” referring to Edom (verse 15), favors the first view. (4) The meaning which Jeremiah gives to the passage cannot determine the meaning of Obadiah. If the two passages are dependent the one on the other, which is by no means certain (p. 291), the borrower evidently took considerable liberty with the passage borrowed, and he may have gone so far as to alter the original meaning. On the whole, the first interpretation seems to be the more natural. It is in more perfect accord with the context, and it gives to the expression “drunk upon my holy mountain” its natural meaning. The use of drink in a twofold sense is not a serious objection; on the contrary, such change would be striking, and thus would add force to the prophetic message. The word continually would not lose its significance. Abrupt transitions from singular to plural, or plural to singular, are not uncommon in prophetic literature; and in this case the change may easily be accounted for by assuming that the prophet desired to include, in thought at least, all the nations. This assumption is supported by the fact that in Obadiah 1:15, 16 the Edomites and the other nations are thought of as intimately associated, both in oppressing Judah and in enduring the judgment. For these reasons we may consider the words addressed to the Edomites, and by implication to all the nations. As ye have drunk — There is nothing improbable in the thought that the Edomites joined the destroyers in carousals and revelry to celebrate the downfall of the Jewish nation and the capture of the city, and that they did this on the temple mountain. My holy mountain — See on Joel 2:1. So shall all the heathen [“nations”] drink — All who have manifested hostility toward the chosen people of God must drink the cup of the divine wrath. Continually — “So that the turn to drink never passes from the nations to Judah” (Isaiah 51:22, 23). Swallow down — R.V. margin, “talk foolishly.” Of these the former is to be preferred. They will be compelled to empty the cup to the bottom. A figurative description of the severity and completeness of the judgment. The result will be utter destruction for the nations that have been the enemies of Jehovah and of his people.

The exaltation of the Jews, Obadiah 1:17-21.

The judgment upon the nations is accompanied and followed by the restoration and glorification of Zion (compare Joel 2:32ff.). The prophet’s hope of the future embraces four elements: (1) the restoration of the remnant (Obadiah 1:17); (2) the annihilation of Edom (18); (3) the expansion of the territory of the Jews (Obadiah 1:19, 20); (4) the supremacy of Jehovah (21).

17a is rendered more accurately in R.V., “But in mount Zion there shall be those that escape, and it shall be holy.” For the interpretation of the first clause see on Joel 2:32. The nations are to be destroyed (16); even some Jews seem to be doomed, but not all; a remnant consisting of the loyal sons of Jehovah shall be saved (see on Amos 9:9). It — Mount Zion. Shall be holy — Literally, holiness; the noun is used instead of the adjective for the sake of emphasis (G.-K., 141c). The nations that defiled the temple mount (verse 16) having been destroyed, it will be consecrated to Jehovah, who sanctifies it by his presence; no unclean stranger will be allowed to pass through it and defile it again (Joel 3:17). The house of Jacob — Identical with “those that escape.” Since the prophetic expectation includes a reunion of Judah and Israel at the time of the restoration (Hosea 1:11; Ezekiel 37:15ff.; Zechariah 10:6, etc.), “house of Jacob” must include all Hebrews, whether of Israel or of Judah, who pass through the crisis unhurt (compare verse 18). Shall possess their possessions — Not the possessions of Edom and of the nations, which is promised in verses 18, 19, but their own former possessions (verse 20) which, through their sin, they had lost in 721 and 586. The restoration of the exiles to the promised land is considered by all prophets the first step toward the realization of the felicity of the new kingdom of God. Vocalizing the last word somewhat differently, LXX. renders “and the house of Jacob will possess those who possessed them,” that is, those who formerly robbed the Jews of their possessions. Several modern commentators accept this as original, but, since this thought is the burden of verses 18, 19, the above interpretation of verse 17 is to be preferred.

V. 11. In the day-During the war which the Babylonians made upon Judea. Stoodest-Didst set thyself in battle array against thy brother. Jerusalem-Upon the citizens and their goods. As one of them-As merciless and insolent as any of them.

Verse 11. Thou stoodest on the other side] Thou not only didst not help thy brother when thou mightest, but thou didst assist his foes against him. And cast lots] When the Chaldeans cast lots on the spoils of Jerusalem, thou didst come in for a share of the booty; “thou wast as one of them.”

Verses 10, 11. For thy violence against thy brother Jacob — Because of the injury thou hast done to the people of Judea, who are descended from Jacob, the brother of Esau, your progenitor: see note on Amos 1:11. Shame shall cover thee — Contempt and reproach shall be cast upon thee by all that hear of thy conduct; and thou shalt be cut off for ever — So great a slaughter shall be made of thy inhabitants, that thou shalt never recover it; and at last thou shalt be quite dispossessed of thy country: see note on Ezekiel 35:7-9. In the day that thou stoodest on the other side — Or, in the day that thou stoodest against him. That strangers carried away captive his forces — This may refer to the time when the Syrians spoiled Judea, overcame the Jewish forces, and made many captives of them. And foreigners entered into his gates — That is, into his cities. This seems to be spoken of the cities of Judea, which the Syrians took when they had spoiled the country, and laid siege to Jerusalem, as recorded in 2 Kings 16:5. And cast lots upon Jerusalem — Either this means that the Syrians and Israelites, whose armies were joined together, cast lots which of them should make the first assault on that city: or else, they cast lots about the spoils of Jerusalem, before they had taken it, making themselves quite sure of it, though the event proved they were mistaken. Or, as many learned men think, the taking of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar is here referred to; an event at which, as we learn from Psalm 137., the Edomites rejoiced: and then probably lots were cast what captives should fall to the share of each of the commanders. Thou wast as one of them — Thou, that wast a brother by birth, wast as cruel and injurious in thy actions as these strangers, and joined with them in every thing against thy brother.

V. 12. Looked-With joy on the affliction. A stranger-As a stranger, one who had no more right to any thing in the land. Proudly-Vaunting over the Jews, when Jerusalem was taken.

Verse 12. Thou shouldest not have looked] It shows a malevolent heart to rejoice in the miseries of those who have acted unkindly or wickedly towards us. The Edomites triumphed when they saw the judgments of God fall upon the Jews. This the Lord severely reprehends in Obadiah 1:12-15. If a man have acted cruelly towards us, and God punish him for this cruelty, and we rejoice in it, we make his crime our own; and then, as we have done, so shall it be done unto us; see Obadiah 1:15. All these verses point out the part the Edomites took against the Jews when the Chaldeans besieged and took Jerusalem, destroyed the temple, and divided the spoils.

Verse 12. But thou shouldest not have looked upon the day of thy brother — On his evil day. Thou oughtest not to have taken pleasure at the sight of thy brother’s calamity. So the expression of looking upon an enemy signifies, in many passages of Scripture, the beholding his fall with satisfaction: see the margin. In the day that he became a stranger — When he was driven from his own inheritance, and went captive into a strange land. Neither shouldest thou have rejoiced over the children of Judah, &c. — In the day when many of them were slain; nor have spoken proudly in the day of distress — Neither shouldest thou have insulted over them when they were in calamity, boasting of thy own felicity, while they were groaning under misery.

V. 13. Entered-As an enemy.

Verses 13, 14. Thou shouldest not have entered into the gate of my people, &c. — Thou shouldest not have entered into the cities of my people by way of spoiling them, or of feasting thy eyes with the slaughter, when their enemies made themselves masters of them. Neither shouldest thou have stood in the cross-way — Or, in the goings forth; to cut off those that did escape — Thou shouldest not have posted thyself in the passages that were left unguarded by the enemy, in order to cut off those who endeavoured to escape by such ways. Neither have delivered up those — Or shut up those, as the margin reads it, that did remain — The word rgs, here used, signifies to shut up all the ways of escaping to the conquered, in order to deliver them up to the enemy.

V. 14. The breaches-Of the walls, by which when the city was taken, some might have made their escape. Delivered-To the Chaldeans. Remain-Survived the taking of the city.

Verse 14. Neither shouldest thou have stood in the crossway] They are represented here as having stood in the passes and defiles to prevent the poor Jews from escaping from the Chaldeans. By stopping these passes, they threw the poor fugitives back into the teeth of their enemies. They had gone so far in this systematic cruelty as to deliver up the few that had taken refuge among them.

Verses 13, 14. Thou shouldest not have entered into the gate of my people, &c. — Thou shouldest not have entered into the cities of my people by way of spoiling them, or of feasting thy eyes with the slaughter, when their enemies made themselves masters of them. Neither shouldest thou have stood in the cross-way — Or, in the goings forth; to cut off those that did escape — Thou shouldest not have posted thyself in the passages that were left unguarded by the enemy, in order to cut off those who endeavoured to escape by such ways. Neither have delivered up those — Or shut up those, as the margin reads it, that did remain — The word rgs, here used, signifies to shut up all the ways of escaping to the conquered, in order to deliver them up to the enemy.

V. 15. The day-The time which the Lord hath appointed for the punishing of this, and other nations. As thou hast done-Perfidiously, cruelly, and ravenously, against Jacob.

Verse 15. The day of the Lord is near] God will not associate thee with him in the judgments which he inflicts. Thou also art guilty, and shalt have thy punishment in due course with the other sinful nations.

Verses 15, 16. For the day of the Lord is near upon all the heathen — The sacred writers call that the day of any persons, in which they do or suffer any thing very remarkable. Thus, verse 13, the day of thy brother, signifies that time in which he was remarkably afflicted. So the day of the Lord signifies that time in which he does something extraordinary; and here it means the time in which God would inflict a remarkable vengeance upon the enemies of Judah. By all the heathen, is meant all those nations who, together with the Idumeans, insulted over the calamities of the Jews, or had waged war against them without any just cause. As thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee — As thou hast rejoiced at the calamities of others, so shall others rejoice at thine: and as thou hast spoiled and plundered thy neighbours, so shalt thou be served thyself: see the margin. For as ye have drunk upon my holy mountain, &c. — Here is a sudden apostrophe to the Jewish people, who are here addressed. The sense is, As ye, who dwell on the mount which is sacred to me, have drunk of the cup of my indignation, or have suffered grievous calamities from my just displeasure, so also shall the nations among whom I am not known. They shall drink and swallow down — Or, they shall drink large draughts of it, even to the very dregs. By this is expressed their suffering calamities in an extraordinary degree. They shall be as though they had not been — They shall be utterly destroyed, so that there shall be no remains of them.

Ver. 15. The day of the Lord is near upon all the heathen. The Chaldean army presently reached Idumea, and carried Teman into captivity. Whatever mercy or forbearance the western nations of Syria might receive, the wars, the successive wars, between the kings of Egypt and of Syria, as described in the eleventh chapter of Daniel, made them the most unhappy of nations. The Lord visited the blood of guilty fathers upon the children, to the third and fourth generation. The race of Edom was cut off, as in ver. 18, till none remained.

V. 16. As ye-As ye, my own people, have drunk deep of the cup of affliction, so shall other nations much more, yea, they shall drink of it, ‘till they utterly perish.

Verse 16. For as ye have drunk] This address is to the Jews. As ye have been visited and punished upon my holy mountain in Jerusalem, so shall other nations be punished in their respective countries. See Jeremiah 49:12.

Verses 15, 16. For the day of the Lord is near upon all the heathen — The sacred writers call that the day of any persons, in which they do or suffer any thing very remarkable. Thus, verse 13, the day of thy brother, signifies that time in which he was remarkably afflicted. So the day of the Lord signifies that time in which he does something extraordinary; and here it means the time in which God would inflict a remarkable vengeance upon the enemies of Judah. By all the heathen, is meant all those nations who, together with the Idumeans, insulted over the calamities of the Jews, or had waged war against them without any just cause. As thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee — As thou hast rejoiced at the calamities of others, so shall others rejoice at thine: and as thou hast spoiled and plundered thy neighbours, so shalt thou be served thyself: see the margin. For as ye have drunk upon my holy mountain, &c. — Here is a sudden apostrophe to the Jewish people, who are here addressed. The sense is, As ye, who dwell on the mount which is sacred to me, have drunk of the cup of my indignation, or have suffered grievous calamities from my just displeasure, so also shall the nations among whom I am not known. They shall drink and swallow down — Or, they shall drink large draughts of it, even to the very dregs. By this is expressed their suffering calamities in an extraordinary degree. They shall be as though they had not been — They shall be utterly destroyed, so that there shall be no remains of them.

V. 17. Zion-Literally this refers to the Jews: typically to the gospel-church. Deliverance-A remnant that shall be delivered by Cyrus, a type of Israel’s redemption by Christ. Holiness-The temple, the city, the people returned from captivity shall be holy to the Lord. Their possessions-Their own ancient possessions.

Verse 17. But upon Mount Zion shall be deliverance] Here is a promise of the return from the Babylonish captivity. They shall come to Zion, and there they shall find safety; and it is remarkable that after their return they were greatly befriended by the Persian kings, and by Alexander the Great and his successors; so that, whilst they ravaged the neighbouring nations, the Jews were unmolested. See Calmet.

And there shall be holiness] They shall return to God, separate themselves from their idols, and become a better people than they were when God permitted them to be carried into captivity.

The house of Jacob shall possess] They were restored to their former possessions. But this may refer also to their future restoration under the Gospel, when they shall be truly converted, and become holiness to the Lord; for salvation and holiness shall be the characteristics of Zion-the Christian Church, for ever.

Verses 17, 18. But upon mount Zion shall be deliverance — Literally taken, this refers to the Jews; mystically, to the gospel church. By deliverance here may be first meant an asylum, or place of refuge, to escape the evil; and it may be spoken with a reference to the invasion of Judea by Sennacherib, and his being prevented by God from taking Jerusalem, (though he took all the other fenced cities of Judah,) so that all persons of the neighbouring places found a deliverance, or an asylum, there; and so escaped falling into the enemies’ hands. It may also, perhaps, chiefly refer to the restoration of the Jews from the captivity of Babylon. But yet this promise was more remarkably verified in the time of the first preaching of the gospel, when God’s law went forth out of Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem, Psalm 100:2; Isaiah 2:3; and when, through believing in Christ, and embracing the gospel, the Christians escaped the destruction that came upon the Jewish nation, concerning which see note on Joel 2:32. And there shall be another and more glorious completion of it at the restoration of the Jewish nation, which is foretold in this and the following verses, as it is in many other places. And there shall be holiness — So far as this refers to the Jews returned from captivity, it signifies that the temple, the city, and the people should be holy to the Lord. But the words more especially refer to gospel days; and are intended to express the holiness of the Christian Church, particularly after the conversion of the Jews, and during the millennium. The house of Jacob shall possess their possessions — Shall remain in possession of their own land or territories. The house of Jacob shall be a fire, &c. — This was fulfilled in part by the Jews under Hyrcanus and the Maccabees, who made great slaughter of the Idumeans; here expressed by the strong image of their being the fire and flame, and the Idumeans stubble. But the passage will be more fully accomplished when the Lord shall make his church as a fire to all its enemies.

Ver. 17. Upon mount Zion shall be deliverance. The christian church is his holy hill, the throne of the glory of Christ. Zion and the temple shall be restored, but Teman shall be destroyed.

V. 18. Shall kindle-This was fulfilled in part by Hyrcanus and the Maccabees, 1Macc 5:3, but will be more fully accomplished, when the Lord shall make his church as a fire to all its enemies.

Verse 18. The house of Jacob shall be a fire] After their return from captivity, the Jews, called here the house of Jacob and the house of Joseph, did break out as a flame upon the Idumeans; they reduced them into slavery; and obliged them to receive circumcision, and practise the rites of the Jewish religion. See 1Macc 5:3, &c.; 2Macc 10:15-23; and Joseph. Antiq., lib. xiii. c. 17.

There shall not be any remaining] As a people and a nation they shall be totally destroyed. This is the meaning; it does not signify that every individual shall be destroyed.

Verses 17, 18. But upon mount Zion shall be deliverance — Literally taken, this refers to the Jews; mystically, to the gospel church. By deliverance here may be first meant an asylum, or place of refuge, to escape the evil; and it may be spoken with a reference to the invasion of Judea by Sennacherib, and his being prevented by God from taking Jerusalem, (though he took all the other fenced cities of Judah,) so that all persons of the neighbouring places found a deliverance, or an asylum, there; and so escaped falling into the enemies’ hands. It may also, perhaps, chiefly refer to the restoration of the Jews from the captivity of Babylon. But yet this promise was more remarkably verified in the time of the first preaching of the gospel, when God’s law went forth out of Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem, Psalm 100:2; Isaiah 2:3; and when, through believing in Christ, and embracing the gospel, the Christians escaped the destruction that came upon the Jewish nation, concerning which see note on Joel 2:32. And there shall be another and more glorious completion of it at the restoration of the Jewish nation, which is foretold in this and the following verses, as it is in many other places. And there shall be holiness — So far as this refers to the Jews returned from captivity, it signifies that the temple, the city, and the people should be holy to the Lord. But the words more especially refer to gospel days; and are intended to express the holiness of the Christian Church, particularly after the conversion of the Jews, and during the millennium. The house of Jacob shall possess their possessions — Shall remain in possession of their own land or territories. The house of Jacob shall be a fire, &c. — This was fulfilled in part by the Jews under Hyrcanus and the Maccabees, who made great slaughter of the Idumeans; here expressed by the strong image of their being the fire and flame, and the Idumeans stubble. But the passage will be more fully accomplished when the Lord shall make his church as a fire to all its enemies.

18. The restored exiles will execute vengeance upon Edom. Several times the prophet has made it plain that Jehovah will destroy Edom; but, if the above suggested interpretation of verse 1 is correct, he has failed to state thus far how it is to be accomplished. This lack he supplies in verse 18, where he names the executors of the divine purpose. House of Jacob… house of Joseph — Though common usage may be urged against it, the context seems to require that the former should be interpreted as referring to the southern kingdom, the latter to the kingdom of the ten tribes. The two will become reunited at the time of the restoration (Hosea 1:11; Ezekiel 37:15ff.; Isaiah 11:13, 14), and will be used by Jehovah as instruments of judgment (Zechariah 9:13). Fire,… flame — The figure is based upon devastation wrought by prairie and forest fires, which are not uncommon in Palestine during the dry season (see on Joel 1:19; compare Isaiah 5:24; 10:17). Stubble — Which is readily devoured by the flames. The destruction will be so complete that no one will survive. Jehovah hath spoken it — Therefore nothing can prevent the carrying out of the threat (Joel 3:8).

The remaining verses of Obadiah present grave difficulties, and the details of interpretation are more or less uncertain. However, the general thought seems to be that Israel, having destroyed Edom, will enter upon an era of prosperity and territorial expansion. This expansion is made necessary by the large number of restored exiles. The old territory of Judah cannot hold them; they overflow in every direction. Lack of space forbids the consideration of the different translations, emendations, and interpretations proposed; all that can be done here is to point the way to the most probable interpretation.

An examination of verse 19 and a comparison of it with LXX. and with Joshua 15:20ff., where the divisions of the territory occupied by Judah are named, leads to the following observations: 1. The verbs in verse 19 are in the plural, while the nouns that are ordinarily considered the subjects are in the singular. This creates apparently a difficulty; but construction according to the sense rather than according to strict grammatical rules is not uncommon in the Old Testament (G.-K., 145b), especially when a noun expresses a collective idea. Hence the English translators are undoubtedly correct in making neghebh the subject and rendering it “they of the south,” the inhabitants of the Negeb. 2. The first verb is followed immediately by its subject; after the second verb the subject of the first must be supplied, which results in an unusually heavy and somewhat awkward sentence. 3. LXX. reads after the second verb to orov, “the mount,” which may be taken as subject in the Greek, and it omits the first, “the field of.” 4. In Joshua 15:20ff., the territory of Judah is divided into three sections (or four, but the fourth is very small); the first is called “South” or “Negeb” (verse 21), the second “Lowland” (33), the third “Hill Country” (48), Hebrews har, which corresponds to the Greek orov. Bearing in mind these considerations it seems legitimate to emend the text of verse 19 so that it will read: “And the Negeb (the inhabitants of the Negeb) shall possess Mount Esau, and the Lowland (shall possess) the Philistines; the Hill Country shall possess (the field of) Ephraim and the field of Samaria, and Benjamin (shall possess) Gilead.” Negeb — Commonly translated “south.” A geographical term, denoting the southern section of the Central Range of Palestine. It is generally spoken of as extending from south of Beer-sheba to the wilderness of Tih; the Old Testament, however, places its northern border near Hebron. The new inhabitants of this district will expand eastward and occupy the territory of Edom (see on verse 18). Lowland — Hebrews shephelah. Also a geographical term, denoting the low foothills between the Central Range and the Philistine Plain; the inhabitants of this region will spread to the west and southwest and occupy Philistia. Hill country — That portion of the territory of Judah which covered the Central Range, between the Shephelah and the Jordan valley or the Dead Sea. Its inhabitants will reach northward and claim the territory south of the Plain of Esdraelon, which before 721 had belonged to the northern kingdom, and part of which seems to have fallen to Judah after the deportation of the northern tribes (2 Kings 23:15). Nearly the entire territory here promised to Judah is allotted in Joshua 15 to that tribe. During its national existence Judah never possessed all this territory; here the prophet promises that subsequent to the day of Jehovah it will surely enter upon its possessions; yea, in the south at least, it will go even beyond its ideal borders (compare Genesis 28:14). Benjamin shall possess Gilead — The popular impression is that Benjamin joined Judah after the division subsequent to the death of Solomon, though 1 Kings 12:20, says, “There was none that followed the house of David, but the tribe of Judah only.” In reality the border line ran through the territory of Benjamin, the greater part belonging to the northern kingdom. Obadiah’s promise is for those Benjamites who allied themselves with Judah. They will share the prosperity of Judah; and while the latter will possess the territory west of the Jordan as far north as the Plain of Esdraelon, the former will receive the entire territory east of the Jordan.

V. 19. They-The Jews who live in the south parts of Canaan, next Idumea, shall after their return and victories over Edom, possess his country. Of the plain-The Jews who dwell in the plain country, shall enlarge their borders, possess the Philistines country, together with their ancient inheritance. The former was fully accomplished by Hyrcanus. And if this were the time of fulfilling the one, doubtless it was the time of fulfilling the other also. And all the land which the ten tribes possessed, shall again be possessed by the Jews. Gilead-Here is promised a larger possession than ever they had before the captivity; and it does, no doubt, point out the enlargement of the church of Christ in the times of the gospel.

Verse 19. They of the south] The Jews who possessed the southern part of Palestine, should render themselves masters of the mountains of Idumea which were contiguous to them.

They of the plain] From Eleutheropolis to the Mediterranean Sea. In this and the following verse the prophet shows the different districts which should be occupied by the Israelites after their return from Babylon. The fields of Samaria] Alexander the Great gave Samaria to the Jews; and John Hyrcanus subdued the same country after his wars with the Syrians. See Josephus, contra. App. lib, ii., and Antiq. lib. xiii., c. 18. Benjamin shall possess Gilead.] Edom lay to the south; the Philistines to the west; Ephraim to the north; and Gilead to the east. Those who returned from Babylon were to extend themselves everywhere. See Newcome; and see, for the fulfilment, 1Macc 5:9, 35, 45; 9:35, 36.

Verse 19. And they of the south shall possess the mount of Esau — The Jews that dwell in the southern parts of Judea, next Idumea, shall, after their return and victories over the Edomites, possess the mountainous part of their country, elsewhere called mount Seir: see Malachi 1:3. And they of the plain — The Jews who dwell in the plain country, lying toward that of the Philistines, shall possess their territories together with their own ancient inheritance. The Philistines were likewise ill neighbours to the Jews, who, it is here foretold, should at last conquer them and possess their land. The former part of this prediction was fully accomplished by Hyrcanus. And if this were the time of fulfilling the one, doubtless it was the time of fulfilling the other also. And they shall possess the fields of Ephraim, &c. — All the land which belonged to the ten tribes shall be possessed by the Jews after their restoration to their own country. And Benjamin shall possess Gilead — Benjamin, although one of the smallest tribes, shall enlarge his borders as far as the land of Gilead beyond Jordan. Here a larger possession is promised than ever they had before the captivity. But if Judah be considered as united with Benjamin, which perhaps it is, as those two tribes made but one people, all this was completely fulfilled in the time of Hyrcanus, as appears from Josephus, lib. 12.; 22. But no doubt the great enlargement of the church of Christ, in the times of the gospel, is mystically pointed out in this passage.

V. 20. The captivity-Those of the ten tribes that were carried away captive by Salmanesar. Of the Canaanites-All the country they anciently possessed with this addition, that what the Canaanites held by force, and the Israelites could not take from them, shall now be possessed by these returned captives. Zarephath-Near Sidon. Of Jerusalem-The two tribes carried captive by Nebuchadnezzar. Sepharad-Probably a region of Chaldea. The cities-All the cities which were once their own.

Verse 20. Zarephath] Sarepta, a city of the Sidonians, 1 Kings 17:9. That is, they should possess the whole city of Phœnicia, called here that of the Canaanites.

Which is in Sepharad] This is a difficult word. Some think the Bosphorus is meant; others, Spain; others, France; others, the Euphrates; others, some district in Chaldea; for there was a city called Siphora, in Mesopotamia, above the division of the Euphrates. Dr. Lightfoot says it was a part of Edom. Those who were captives among the Canaanites should possess the country of the Canaanites; and those whom the Edomites had enslaved should possess the cities of their masters. See Newcome and Lowth.

Verses 20, 21. And the captivity of this host, &c. — Those of the ten tribes that were carried away captive by Shalmaneser; shall possess that of the Canaanites — That is, all the countries they anciently possessed, with this addition, that what the Canaanites held by force, and the Israelites could not take from them, shall now be possessed by these returned captives. Even unto Zarephath — Or Sarepta, a city near Sidon, in the northern borders of Judea, 1 Kings 17:9. The Canaanites, properly so called, were the ancient inhabitants of that district: see Judges 1:32; Matthew 15:21, 22. And the captivity of Jerusalem — The two tribes of Judah and Benjamin, carried captive from Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar; which is in Sepharad — That is, as some suppose, a province of Babylon, in which the Jews resided during their captivity. Shall possess the cities of the south — All the cities which were once their own. And saviours shall come upon mount Zion, &c. — That is, deliverers. Taken literally, the expression may mean, the leaders of those captive troops who were to return from Babylon, such as Zerubbabel, Ezra, and Nehemiah. If understood mystically, these saviours are Christ, his apostles, and the other preachers of the gospel. To judge the mount of Esau — To avenge Israel upon the Edomites, or, figuratively speaking, the church of Christ upon all its enemies, here represented by Edom. Instead of saviours, the LXX., with a small alteration of the Hebrew points, read anaswzomenoi, those that are saved, or escape: namely, the same with the remnant often mentioned in the prophets, and particularly Joel 2:32, where see the note. And the kingdom shall be the Lord’s — This will be fulfilled when the last of the four monarchies, foretold Daniel 2:7, are destroyed, and the stone which smote the image becomes a great mountain, and fills the whole earth; when the God of Israel shall be honoured, obeyed, and worshipped by all mankind.

Verse 20 is another exceedingly difficult verse; it perplexed the English translators, as may be seen from the marginal notes in R.V. Nowack considers the text “hopelessly corrupt,” and his opinion is shared by other commentators. The most probable rendering of the present Hebrew text is offered in R.V. margin, “And the captives of this host of the children of Israel, that are among the Canaanites, even unto Zarephath, and the captives of Jerusalem, that are in Sepharad, shall possess the cities of the South (or Negeb).” In verse 19 the prophet seems to have in mind the great body of exiles in the far east; but we know that many Jews took refuge among the neighboring nations (Jeremiah 40:11, 12). Of two colonies made up of these fugitives the prophet seems to speak in verse 20. Israel,… Jerusalem — Most commentators think that the prophet distinguishes here between the descendants of the exiles coming from the northern kingdom, Israel, and those coming from the south, Judah, called here by the name of its capital, Jerusalem. It is better, however, to understand “Israel” as synonymous with “Jacob” (verse 18), denoting the people of Judah; and in distinction from “Jerusalem” the rural population, which scattered before the Chaldean armies. The one company addressed by the prophet is made up of these people, and the other is composed of former inhabitants of the capital. This host — The force of this is not quite clear, unless we assume that Obadiah is speaking of and to a company of which he himself is a member. To know that the prophet himself was an exile would add interest to his utterances. It has been explained also by assuming that he was addressing a definite company which he desired to comfort on its way into exile. The land of the Canaanites — Palestine; the prophet seems to think, however, especially of the northern portion, including a part of Phoenicia. There is nothing impossible or improbable in the thought that some of the Jews fled to these regions when they saw the Chaldeans approaching. Zarephath — In Luke 4:26, R.V. margin, “Sarepta” (compare 1 Kings 17:9-24). At one time a city of considerable size; now an Arabic village called Sarafend, about midway between Tyre and Sidon. Sepharad — The Targum of Onkelos and many Jewish authorities take Sepharad to mean Spain; hence the name of Spanish Jews, Sephardim, as distinguished from German Jews, who are called Ashkenazim. Keil thinks of Sparta. Most modern commentators identify it with a region in Asia Minor, mentioned several times in Persian inscriptions; Winckler understands the name to be a designation of the whole of Asia Minor. The latter, however, was not subject to the Chaldeans; it was first conquered by Cyrus, and was organized into a satrapy by Darius Hystaspis. If the last-mentioned interpretation is correct the name points to a date subsequent to the fall of Jerusalem; and it is the presence of this name that has led many commentators to give a very late date to the prophecy in its present form. Others identify it with a Shaparda in Media, mentioned in the annals of Sargon. Until new information is brought to light the place mentioned in Obadiah cannot be identified with absolute certainty; nor is it wise to base upon the presence of the name any conclusions as to the date of the prophecy. This uncertainty, however, does not affect the general sense of the utterance, which is that not only the exiles in Babylon but also those scattered throughout other portions of the world shall be brought back to their old homes in the south, from which the invasion of the Chaldeans had driven them. If this is the right interpretation of verse 20 its logical position would be before verse 18. An entirely different meaning is given to the verse by the translators of A.V., which agrees, in part at least, with R.V. They give to it the meaning that the first company of exiles named will come into possession of northern Palestine, including a part of Phoenicia, while the second will occupy the southern portion, the two together the entire promised land. Certainty cannot be had; the probability is that the text has suffered.

V. 21. Saviours-Deliverers, literally the leaders of those captive troops, who shall come up from Babylon, such as Zerubbabel, Ezra, and Nehemiah. Mystically, Christ and his apostles, and other preachers of the gospel. To judge-To avenge Israel upon Edom. The Lord’s-The God of Israel, Jehovah, shall be honoured, obeyed, and worshipped by all. NOTES ON THE BOOK OF

JONAH.

Probably Jonah himself was the penman of this book. In 2 Kings 14:25, we find, that he was of Gath-hepher in Galilee, a city that belongs to the tribe of Zebulon. We find also, that he was a messenger of mercy to Israel in the reign of Jeroboam the second. We have here a remarkable instance of God’s mercy, toward repenting sinners. And in Jonah we have a most remarkable type, of our Lord’s burial and resurrection.

CHAPTER 1.

Jonah disobeys the command of God, ver. 1-3. Is arrested by a storm, ver. 4-6. Discovered to be the cause of the storm, ver. 7-10. Cast into the sea and swallowed by a fish, ver. 11-17.

V. 2. That great city-It is said to have been one hundred and fifty furlongs in length, that is eighteen miles and three quarters, and eleven miles and one quarter in breadth.

V. 3. From the presence-From the place where God usually had shewed himself present, by revealing his word and will to his prophets. Perhaps he might think God would not put him upon this work, when he was got into a strange country.

V. 5. Into the sides-In some cabin or other, whither he went before the storm arose.

V. 6. Will think upon us-With pity and favour.

V. 7. Cast lots-“Lots are an appeal to heaven in doubtful cases, and therefore not to be used but where the matter is undeterminable in any other way.”

V. 8. Tell us-What hast thou done, for which God is so angry with thee, and with us for thy sake?

V. 9. I fear-I worship and serve the true God; the eternal and almighty God, who made and ruleth the heavens.

V. 13. Rowed hard-They were willing to be at any labour to save him. V. 14. Unto the Lord-Now they all cry to Jonah’s God, to Jehovah. And said-Let us not perish for taking away his life. Hast done-Sending the tempest, arresting the prophet by it, detecting him by lot, sentencing him by his own mouth, and confirming the condemning sentence by the continuance of the storm.

V. 16. Feared the Lord-Perhaps as Jonah’s casting over-board was a type of Christ’s death, so the effect it had upon the mariners might be a type of the conversion of the Heathen from idols unto God. Made vows-Probably they vowed, they would ever worship him whom Jonah preached, the Creator of heaven and earth.

V. 17. A great fish-The Hebrew word is, numbered, has appointed him for Jonah’s receiver and deliverer. God has the command of all his creatures, and can make any of them serve his designs of mercy to his people. JONAH

CHAPTER 2.

Jonah’s prayer and deliverance.

V. 2. Affliction-Straits with which he was encompassed, his body and mind being both shut up, the one by the monstrous dungeon of the fish’s belly, and the other by the terrors of the Almighty. Heardest my voice-Of which undoubtedly God gave him an assurance in his own soul. V. 4. I said-With myself, I thought in the midst of my fears and sufferings. Cast out-Cut off from all hope of life, and as it were forgotten of God. I will look-Toward heaven.

V. 5. The weeds-It seems to mean, my case was as hopeless as that of a man wrapt about with weeds in the depth of the sea.

V. 6. I went down-The fish carried him down as deep in the sea as are the bottoms of the mountains. With her bars-I seemed to be imprisoned where the bars that secured were as durable as the rocks, which they were made of. Yet-By what was first my danger, thou hast wonderfully secured me. From corruption-Or the pit, a description of the state of the dead. O Lord-In the assurance of faith, he speaks of the thing as already done. V. 7. Thine holy temple-Heaven, the temple of his glory, whence God gives the command for his delivery.

V. 8. They-Whoever they are that depend upon idols. Mercy-The Lord, who is to all that depend upon him, the fountain of living waters; who is an eternal fountain of mercy, and flows freely to all that wait for him. V. 9. Vowed-Which probably was to go to Nineveh, and preach what God commanded him. The Lord-He only can save.

V. 10. Spake-Though fishes understand not as man, yet they have ears to hear their Creator.

JONAH

CHAPTER 3.

Jonah’s mission renewed and executed, ver. 1-4. The humiliation and reformation of the Ninevites, ver. 5-9. Their sentence revoked, ver. 10. V. 3. Exceeding great-The greatest city of the known world at that day, it was then in its flourishing state greater than Babylon, whose compass was three hundred eighty-five furlongs, but Nineveh was in compass, four hundred and eighty. It is said, her walls were an hundred foot in height, her walls broad enough for three coaches to meet, and safely pass by each other; that it had fifteen hundred towers on its walls, each two hundred foot high, and one million, four hundred thousand men employed for eight years to build it. Of three days journey-To walk round the walls, allowing twenty miles to each day’s journey.

V. 4. Shall be overthrown-The threat is express. But there was a reserve with God, on condition of repentance.

V. 5. From the greatest-Great and small, rich and poor.

V. 6. The king-Probably Phul Belochus. His robe-Put off his rich apparel. V. 7. Taste any thing-Man and beast are to forbear to eat and drink, that the fast might be most solemn, that the cry of man, seconded with the cry of hungry cattle, might enter the ears of God, who preserveth man and beast.

V. 8. And beast-Their horses and camels, both which they adorned with rich and costly clothing, they must now in testimony of an hearty repentance, clothe with sackcloth; the clothing of beasts must witness for men. The violence-Oppression and rapine. In their hands-Which are practised by them.

JONAH

CHAPTER 4.

Jonah repines at God’s mercy, ver. 1-3. Is reproved, ver. 4. His discontent at the withering of the gourd, ver. 5-9. God improves it for his conviction, ver. 10, 11.

V. 1. It-The divine forbearance sparing Nineveh.

V. 2. Was not this-Did I not think of this? That thy pardon would contradict my preaching.

V. 3. Than to live-Disgraced and upbraided by hardened sinners, who will brand me for a liar.

V. 5. A booth-Some small and mean shed, probably of green boughs. ‘Till he might see-It seems the forty days were not fully expired. V. 6. Prepared-Commanded that in the place where Jonah’s booth stood, this spreading plant should spring up to be a shade when the gathered boughs were withered. To deliver-To give some ease to his mind. V. 7. Prepared-By the same power which caused the gourd suddenly to spring, and spread itself. It smote-Which early next morning, bit the root, so that the whole gourd withered.

V. 8. A east wind-A dry, scorching, blasting wind. Fainted-Overcome by the heat. Better to die-But Jonah must be wiser, and humbler, and more merciful too, e’er he die. Before God hath done with him, he will teach him to value his own life more, and to be more tender of the life of others. V. 9. I do well to be angry-If in the violence of this passion I should die (as some have) yet were I not to blame. What a speech! Verily the law made nothing perfect!

V. 10. Laboured-Thou didst not set it. Grow-Nor didst thou water or give growth to it.

V. 11. I-The God of infinite compassions and goodness. That great city-Wouldest thou have me less merciful to such a goodly city, than thou art to a weed? Who cannot discern-Here are more than six-score innocents who are infants. Much cattle-Beside men, women and children who are in Nineveh, there are many other of my creatures that are not sinful, and my tender mercies are and shall be over all my works. If thou wouldest be their butcher, yet I will be their God. Go Jonah, rest thyself content and be thankful: that goodness, which spared Nineveh, hath spared thee in this thy inexcusable frowardness. I will be to repenting Nineveh what I am to thee, a God gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and I will turn from the evil which thou and they deserve.

Verse 21. And saviours shall come up] Certain persons whom God may choose to be deliverers of his people; such as Zerubbabel, Ezra, Nehemiah, and the Maccabees.

Some think these saviours, מושיעים moshiim, mean the apostles of our Lord. Several MSS. have מושעים mushaim, the preserved; those that are saved, i.e., they who were delivered from the captivity; and those of Mount Zion shall judge, that is, shall execute judgment on the Edomites. And as the Asmonean princes joined the priesthood to the state, it might be what the prophet means when he says, “the kingdom shall be the Lord’s,” the high priest having both the civil and ecclesiastical power in his own hands. And these actually were masters of Edom, and judged and governed the mountain of Esau. And thus this prophecy appears to have had a very literal fulfilment.

But if we take the whole as referring to the times of the Gospel, which I believe is not its primary sense, it may signify the conversion and restoration of the Jews, and that under JESUS CHRIST the original theocracy shall be restored; and thus, once more, in the promised land, it may be said,—

hkwlmh hwhyl htyhw

hammeluchah laihovah vehayethah.

“And the kingdom shall belong to Jehovah”

Verses 20, 21. And the captivity of this host, &c. — Those of the ten tribes that were carried away captive by Shalmaneser; shall possess that of the Canaanites — That is, all the countries they anciently possessed, with this addition, that what the Canaanites held by force, and the Israelites could not take from them, shall now be possessed by these returned captives. Even unto Zarephath — Or Sarepta, a city near Sidon, in the northern borders of Judea, 1 Kings 17:9. The Canaanites, properly so called, were the ancient inhabitants of that district: see Judges 1:32; Matthew 15:21, 22. And the captivity of Jerusalem — The two tribes of Judah and Benjamin, carried captive from Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar; which is in Sepharad — That is, as some suppose, a province of Babylon, in which the Jews resided during their captivity. Shall possess the cities of the south — All the cities which were once their own. And saviours shall come upon mount Zion, &c. — That is, deliverers. Taken literally, the expression may mean, the leaders of those captive troops who were to return from Babylon, such as Zerubbabel, Ezra, and Nehemiah. If understood mystically, these saviours are Christ, his apostles, and the other preachers of the gospel. To judge the mount of Esau — To avenge Israel upon the Edomites, or, figuratively speaking, the church of Christ upon all its enemies, here represented by Edom. Instead of saviours, the LXX., with a small alteration of the Hebrew points, read anaswzomenoi, those that are saved, or escape: namely, the same with the remnant often mentioned in the prophets, and particularly Joel 2:32, where see the note. And the kingdom shall be the Lord’s — This will be fulfilled when the last of the four monarchies, foretold Daniel 2:7, are destroyed, and the stone which smote the image becomes a great mountain, and fills the whole earth; when the God of Israel shall be honoured, obeyed, and worshipped by all mankind.

Ver. 21. The kingdom shall be the Lord’s, when the jews may yet in part be restored to their own land, if they, as Paul says, abide not still in unbelief. The Hebrew prophets ever left some encouragement to the remnant, a hope in their end, when all the glory of the latter day shall break forth upon the church; when the sun of Zion shall no more go down, nor her moon wane.

21. With the enemies destroyed and the exiles restored, a life of permanent peace and prosperity will begin under the rule of earthly representatives of the Divine King. Saviours — The same name is given to the champions raised up by Jehovah during the period preceding the establishment of the monarchy (Judges 2:16; 3:9, 15, etc.). Nothing is said of the character and nature of these Messianic saviours; their types are the “saviours” of the Book of Judges, and in its general aspects their work may have been expected to resemble that of the latter. Judge — Rule (see on Amos 2:3). The saviours will rule on Mount Zion, the center of the kingdom of God during the Messianic age (verse 17; Isaiah 2:2-4), but their sway will extend beyond the borders of Judah. The territory of Edom, which will be in the possession of the restored exiles (verse 19), will be a part of the dominion of these “saviours”; but it should be noted that they will not rule over the Edomites, for they are annihilated (verse 18).

To this climax the prophet has been moving steadily from the beginning; the arrogance and unrighteous schemes of the Edomites (verse 1) will result in their own annihilation, and in the annexation of their territory by the despised Jews. The “saviours” in this verse correspond to the “Messianic king” of other prophetic utterances. The kingdom shall be Jehovah’s — Over these “saviours” Jehovah will be the supreme ruler; the expression of his purpose will be supreme law, obedience and loyalty to him will be the chief ambition. With reference to the Messianic significance of verse 21 and the fulfillment of the Messianic expectations see the remarks on Micah 4:5, and at the close of chapter 5.