Obadiah 1

Ob 1-21.

DOOM OF

EDOM FOR

CRUELTY TO

JUDAH,

EDOM'S

BROTHER;

RESTORATION OF THE

JEWS.

1. Obadiah--that is, servant of Jehovah; same as Abdeel and

Arabic Abd-allah.

We--I and my people.

heard--

(Isa 21:10).

and an ambassador is sent--Yea, an ambassador is already sent,

namely, an angel, to stir up the Assyrians (and afterwards the

Chaldeans) against Edom. The result of the ambassador's message on the

heathen is, they simultaneously exclaim, "Arise ye, and let us (with

united strength) rise," &c.

Jer 49:14

quotes this.

2. I have made thee small--Thy reduction to insignificance is

as sure as if it were already accomplished; therefore the past tense

is used [MAURER]. Edom then extended from Dedan of Arabia to Bozrah in

the north

(Jer 49:8, 13).

CALVIN explains it, "Whereas thou wast made by Me

an insignificant people, why art thou so proud"

(Ob 3)?

But if so, why should the heathen peoples be needed to subdue one so

insignificant?

Jer 49:15,

confirms MAURER'S view.

3. clefts of . . . rock--

(So 2:14;

Jer 48:28).

The cities of Edom, and among them Petra (Hebrew, sela, meaning

"rock,"

2Ki 14:7,

Margin), the capital, in the Wady Musa, consisted of houses

mostly cut in the rocks.

4. exalt thyself--or supply from the second clause, "thy nest"

[MAURER] (Compare

Job 20:6;

Jer 49:16;

Am 9:2).

set . . . nest among . . . stars--namely, on the loftiest hills which

seem to reach the very stars. Edom is a type of Antichrist

(Isa 14:13;

Da 8:10; 11:37).

thence will I bring thee down--in spite of thy boast

(Ob 3),

"Who shall bring me down?"

5. The spoliation which thou shalt suffer shall not be such as that

which thieves cause, bad as that is, for these when they have seized

enough, or all they can get in a hurry, leave the rest--nor such as

grape-gatherers cause in a vineyard, for they, when they have gathered

most of the grapes, leave gleanings behind--but it shall be utter, so as

to leave thee nothing. The exclamation, "How art thou cut off!"

bursting in amidst the words of the image, marks strongly excited

feeling. The contrast between Edom where no gleanings shall be left, and

Israel where at the worst a gleaning is left

(Isa 17:6; 24:13),

is striking.

6. How are the things of Esau searched out!--by hostile soldiers

seeking booty. Compare with

Ob 5, 6

here, Jer 49:9, 10.

hidden things--or "places." Edom abounded in such hiding-places, as

caves, clefts in the rock, &c. None of these would be left unexplored

7. Men of thy confederacy--that is, thy confederates.

brought thee . . . to the border--that is, when Idumean ambassadors

shall go to confederate states seeking aid, these latter shall conduct

them with due ceremony to their border, giving them empty compliments,

but not the aid required

[DRUSIUS]. This view agrees with the context,

which speaks of false friends deceiving Edom: that is, failing to

give help in need (compare

Job 6:14, 15).

CALVIN translates, "have driven," that is,

shall drive thee; shall help to drive thee to thy border

on thy way into captivity in foreign lands.

the men that were at peace with thee--literally, "the men of thy

peace." Compare

Ps 41:9;

Jer 38:22,

Margin, where also the same formula occurs, "prevailed against

thee."

they that eat thy bread--the poorer tribes of the desert who

subsisted on the bounty of Edom. Compare again

Ps 41:9,

which seems to have been before Obadiah's mind, as his words were

before Jeremiah's.

have laid a wound under thee--"laid" implies that their intimacy

was used as a SNARE laid with a view to

wound; also, these guest friends of Edom, instead of the cushions

ordinarily laid under guests at table, laid snares to

wound, that is, had a secret understanding with Edom's foe for that

purpose. MAURER translates, "a snare." But

English Version agrees with the Hebrew, which means,

literally, "a bandage for a wound."

none understanding--none of the wisdom for which Edom was famed (see

Ob 8)

to extricate him from his perilous position.

in him--instead of "in thee." The change implies the alienation of

God from Edom: Edom has so estranged himself from God, that He speaks

now of him, not to him.

8.

(Isa 49:7;

compare

Job 5:12, 13;

Isa 19:3;

Jer 19:7).

in that day . . . even destroy--Heretofore Edom, through its

intercourse with Babylon and Egypt, and from its means of information

through the many caravans passing to and fro between Europe and India,

has been famed for knowledge; but in that day at last ("even") I

will destroy its wise men.

mount of Esau--that is, Idumea, which was a mountainous region.

9. cut off by slaughter--MAURER

translates, "on account of the

slaughter," namely, that inflicted on Judea by Edom (compare

Ob 14).

The Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate connect these

words with

Ob 10,

"for the slaughter, for the violence (of which thou art guilty) against

thy brother Jacob." English Version, "cut off by

slaughter" (that is, an utter cutting off), answers well to

"cut off for ever"

(Ob 10).

However, the arrangement of the Septuagint gives a better

parallelism in

Ob 10.

"For the slaughter" (1) being balanced in just retribution by

"thou shalt be cut off for ever" (4); as "For thy

violence (not so bad as slaughter) against thy brother

Jacob" (2) is balanced by "shame (not so bad as being cut

off) shall cover thee" (3). Shame and extinction shall repay

violence and slaughter

(Mt 26:52;

Re 13:10).

Compare as to Edom's violence,

Ps 137:7;

Eze 25:12;

Am 1:11.

10. against thy brother--This aggravates the sin of Esau, that it

was against him who was his brother by birth and by circumcision. The

posterity of Esau followed in the steps of their father's hatred to

Jacob by violence against Jacob's seed

(Ge 27:41).

Jacob--not merely his own brother, but his twin brother; hence

the name Jacob, not Israel, is here put emphatically. Compare

De 23:7

for the opposite feeling which Jacob's seed was commanded to entertain

towards Edom's.

shame . . . cover thee--

(Ps 35:26; 69:7).

for ever--

(Isa 34:10;

Eze 35:9;

Mal 1:4).

Idumea, as a nation, should be "cut off for ever," though the

land should be again inhabited.

11. thou stoodest on the other side--in an attitude of hostility,

rather than the sympathy which became a brother, feasting thine eyes

(see

Ob 12)

with the misery of Jacob, and eagerly watching for his destruction. So

Messiah, the antitype to Jerusalem, abandoned by His kinsmen

(Ps 38:11).

strangers--the Philistines, Arabians in the reign of Jehoram, &c.

(2Ch 21:16);

the Syrians in the reign of Joash of Judah

(2Ch 24:24);

the Chaldeans

(2Ch 36:1-23).

carried . . . captive his forces--his "host"

(Ob 20):

the multitude of Jerusalem's inhabitants.

cast lots upon Jerusalem--

(Joe 3:3).

So Messiah, Jerusalem's antitype, had lots cast for His only earthly

possessions

(Ps 22:18).

12. looked on--with malignant pleasure, and a brutal stare. So the

antitypes, Messiah's foes

(Ps 22:17).

MAURER translates, as the Margin, "thou

shouldest not look" any more. English Version agrees with the

context better.

the day of thy brother--his day of calamity.

became a stranger--that is, was banished as an alien from his own

land. God sends heavy calamities on those who rejoice in the calamities

of their enemies

(Pr 17:5; 24:17, 18).

Contrast the opposite conduct of David and of the divine Son of David

in a like case

(Ps 35:13-15).

spoken proudly--literally, "made great the mouth"; proudly insulting

the fallen

(Eze 35:13,

Margin; compare

1Sa 2:8;

Re 13:6).

13. substance--translated "forces" in

Ob 11.

14. stood in the crossway, to cut off those of his--Judah's.

that did escape--The Jews naturally fled by the crossways.

(MAURER translates, "narrow mountain passes") well

known to them, to escape to the desert, and through Edom to Egypt; but

the Edomites stood ready to intercept the fugitives and either kill or

"deliver them up" to the foe.

15. For--resumptive in connection with

Ob 10,

wherein Edom was threatened with cutting off for ever.

the day of the Lord--the day in which He will manifest Himself as

the Righteous Punisher of the ungodly peoples

(Joe 3:14).

The "all" shows that the fulfilment is not exhausted in the punishment

inflicted on the surrounding nations by the instrumentality of

Nebuchadnezzar; but, as in

Joe 3:14,

and Zec 12:3,

that the last judgment to come on the nations confederate against

Jerusalem is referred to.

as thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee--the righteous principle

of retribution in kind

(Le 24:17;

Mt 7:2;

compare

Jud 1:6, 7; 8:19;

Es 7:10).

thy reward--the reward of thy deed (compare

Isa 3:9-11).

16. ye . . . upon my holy mountain--a periphrasis for,

"ye Jews" [MAURER], whom Obadiah now by a sudden

apostrophe addresses. The clause, "upon My holy mountain," expresses

the reason of the vengeance to be taken on Judah's foes; namely, that

Jerusalem is God's holy mountain, the seat of His temple, and Judah His

covenant-people.

Jer 49:12,

which is copied from Obadiah, establishes this view (compare

1Pe 4:17).

as ye have drunk, &c.--namely, the cup of wrath, being dispossessed

of your goods and places as a nation, by Edom and all the heathen; so

shall all the heathen (Edom included) drink the same cup

(Ps 60:3;

Isa 51:17, 22;

Jer 13:12, 13; 25:15-33; 49:12; 51:7;

La 4:21, 22

Na 3:11;

Hab 2:16).

continually--whereas Judah's calamity shall be temporary

(Ob 17).

The foes of Judah shall never regain their former position

(Ob 18, 19).

swallow down--so as not to leave anything in the cup of calamity; not

merely "drink"

(Ps 75:8).

be as though they had not been--not a trace left of their national

existence

(Job 10:19;

Ps 37:36;

Eze 26:21).

17. upon . . . Zion . . . deliverance--both in the literal sense and

spiritual sense

(Joe 2:32;

Isa 46:13; 59:20;

Ro 11:26).

MAURER as the Margin explains it, "there

shall be a remnant that shall escape." Compare

Isa 37:32;

to the deliverance from Sennacherib there described GROTIUS thinks Obadiah here refers. "Jerusalem shall not

be taken, and many of the neighboring peoples also shall find

deliverance there." Unlike Judah's heathen foes of whom no remnant

shall escape

(Ob 9, 16),

a remnant of Jews shall escape when the rest of the nation has

perished, and shall regain their ancient "possessions."

there shall be holiness--that is, Zion shall be sacrosanct or

inviolable: no more violated by foreign invaders

(Isa 42:1;

Joe 3:17).

18. fire--See the same figure,

Nu 21:28;

Isa 5:24; 10:17.

house of Jacob . . . Joseph--that is, the two kingdoms, Judah and

Ephraim or Israel [JEROME]. The two shall form one kingdom, their former

feuds being laid aside

(Isa 11:12, 13; 37:22-28;

Jer 3:18;

Ho 1:11).

The Jews returned with some of the Israelites from Babylon; and, under

John Hyrcanus, so subdued and, compelling them to be circumcised,

incorporated the Idumeans with themselves that they formed part of the

nation [JOSEPHUS, Antiquities, 13.17;

12.11]. This was but an earnest of the future union of Israel and Judah

in the possession of the enlarged land as one kingdom

(Eze 37:16,

&c.).

stubble--

(Mal 4:1).

19. they of the south--The Jews who in the coming time are to occupy

the south of Judea shall possess, in addition to their own territory,

the adjoining mountainous region of Edom.

they of the plain--The Jews who shall occupy the low country along

the Mediterranean, south and southwest of Palestine, shall possess, in

addition to their own territory, the land of "the Philistines," which

runs as a long strip between the hills and the sea.

and they shall possess the fields of Ephraim--that is, the rightful

owners shall be restored, the Ephraimites to the fields of Ephraim.

Benjamin shall possess Gilead--that is, the region east of Jordan,

occupied formerly by Reuben, Gad, and half Manasseh. Benjamin shall

possess besides its own territory the adjoining territory eastward,

while the two and a half tribes shall in the redistribution occupy the

adjoining territory of Moab and Ammon.

20. the captivity of this host--that is, the captives of this multitude

of Israelites.

shall possess that of the Canaanites--MAURER translates, "the captives . . . whom the

Canaanites (carried away captive into Phœnicia) even unto

Zarephath, shall possess the south," namely, Idumea as well as the

south

(Ob 19).

HENDERSON, similarly, "the captives that are among

the Canaanites," &c. But the corresponding clauses of the parallelism

are better balanced in English Version, "the ten tribes of

Israel shall possess the territory of the Canaanites," namely, Western

Palestine and Phœnicia

(Jud 3:3).

"And the captives of Jerusalem (and Judah) shall possess the southern

cities," namely, Edom, &c. Each has the region respectively adjoining

assigned to it; Israel has the western Canaanite region; Judah, the

southern.

even unto Zarephath--near Zidon; called Sarepta in

Lu 4:26.

The name implies it was a place for smelting metals. From this quarter

came the "woman of Canaan"

(Mt 15:21, 22).

Captives of the Jews had been carried into the coasts of Palestine or

Canaan, about Tyre and Zidon

(Joe 3:3, 4;

Am 1:9).

The Jews when restored shall possess the territory of their ancient

oppressors.

in Sepharad--that is, the Bosphorus

[JEROME, from his

Hebrew Instructor]. Sephar, according to others

(Ge 10:30).

Palæography confirms JEROME. In the

cuneiform inscription containing a list of the tribes of Persia

[NIEBUHR, Tab. 31.1], before Ionia and

Greece, and after Cappadocia, comes the name CPaRaD. It was therefore a

district of Western Asia Minor, about Lydia, and near the Bosphorus. It

is made an appellative by MAURER. "The Jerusalem

captives of the dispersion" (compare

Jas 1:1),

wherever they be dispersed, shall return and possess the southern

cities. Sepharad, though literally the district near the Bosphorus,

represents the Jews' far and wide dispersion. JEROME says the name in Assyrian means a boundary,

that is, "the Jews scattered in all boundaries and regions."

21. saviours--There will be in the kingdom yet to come no king, but

a prince; the sabbatic period of the judges will return (compare the

phrase so frequent in Judges, only once found in the times of the kings,

2Ch 14:1,

"the land had rest"), when there was no visible king, but God

reigned in the theocracy. Israelites, not strangers, shall dispense

justice to a God-fearing people

(Isa 1:26;

Eze 45:1-25).

The judges were not such a burden to the people as the kings proved

afterwards

(1Sa 8:11-20).

In their time the people more readily repented than under the kings

(compare

2Ch 15:17),

[ROOS]. Judges were from time to time raised up as

saviours or deliverers of Israel from the enemy. These,

and the similar deliverers in the long subsequent age of Antiochus, the

Maccabees, who conquered the Idumeans (as here foretold, compare

2 Maccabees 10:15,23),

were types of the peaceful period yet to come to Israel.

to judge . . . Esau--to punish (so "judge,"

1Sa 3:13)

. . . Edom (compare

Ob 1-9, 15-19).

Edom is the type of Israel's and God's last foes

(Isa 63:1-4).

kingdom shall be the Lord's--under Messiah

(Da 2:44; 7:14, 27;

Zec 14:9;

Lu 1:33;

Re 11:15; 19:6).

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