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Title (v1a)
The title of the book is the shortest of all the OT prophets, merely saying, ‘the vision of Obadiah’. A vision is often used as a general term for receiving a word from God.
It does not say who the prophet’s father was, where he came from, or give any indication of the time period or historical setting. There are thirteen different people mentioned in the Bible called Obadiah, making it one of the commonest names.
It is possible that Obadiah may not be the prophet's proper name, as Obadiah’s name means 'Servant or worshipper of Yahweh', so he may be an anonymous servant of God. Prophets are frequently referred to as a 'God's servants' (1 Kg 14:18, 2 Kg 17:23, Jer 7:25, Zech 1:6).
Section I. The pride of Edom will be judged (v1b-14)
Edom lay to the south and east from Judah, the nation descended from Esau, the brother of Jacob. Throughout their history there had been rivalry and conflict between these brother nations.
It is always debatable whether oracles to foreign nations were actually communicated to them, apart from the word from Jonah to Nineveh (Jonah 3:4). A word of judgement to an enemy nation served as a word of hope and salvation to Israel. An important message was that all nations will be held responsible before Almighty God for their actions towards other nations and peoples.
To begin, Obadiah declares that a report has been heard coming from the LORD to summon the nations to rise up in battle against Edom, to exercise God’s judgement on them (v1).
A. God’s word to the proud cliff-dwellers (v2-4)
God then addresses Edom directly, describing them as those who live in the clefts of the rock (v3). The Hebrew word for rock is ‘sela’, so there is a play on words with the main Edomite stronghold of Sela (2 Kg 14:7). This could be the site of the famous Nabataean capital of Petra, which also means ‘rock’ in Greek.
The land of Edom was mostly an upland plateau with an elevation up to 1200m (4000 feet), rising very steeply 1600m (5300 feet) from the Dead Sea. The land facing west towards Judah mostly consisted of volcanic rock cut into dry gullies and ravines.
Their mountain stronghold gave Edom a sense of security and pride, thinking that no one will be able to defeat them (v3). However, God declares that he will bring them down and make them least among the nations (v2).
The word for ‘pride’ (v3) used has the same root as the Hebrew word for ‘stew’ when Jacob cheated Esau of his birth-right (Gen 25:29). This action started the antagonism between the two brothers, which continued between the nations of Israel and Edom.
B. A day of total destruction (v5-9)
This oracle takes the form of a dirge, using a metre where the first line of the parallelism has three stresses, followed by two stresses in the second line (a 3 + 2 rhythm). The coming disaster would not be like some petty pillaging, it would be total destruction, with no gleanings left for the poor (v5-6). Her allies would desert her and turn against her (v7), and her defenders would fail (v8-9). Though famous for her treasuries of ancient Near Eastern wisdom, her wise men would be destroyed (Jer 49:7). One of Job’s comforters came from Teman, an area in northern Edom (Job 2:11; 4:1).
Reason for judgement on Edom (v10-14)
The main reason Edom will come under judgement is because of their treatment of Judah, their brother nation. “For the slaughter and violence done to your brother Jacob, shame shall cover you, and you shall be cut off forever” (v10). They were accused of standing aside on the day when strangers carried off Judah’s wealth, and behaving like them (v11). They not only acted as a bystander, rather than assisting their brother nation, but also joined in with the plunder. While Jerusalem burned, the Edomites looted the city (v13) and turned over the fleeing refugees to the enemy (v14).
Eight specific actions of the Edomites on the day of Judah’s calamity are condemned. Each have a similar wording, “you should not have ... on the day of ...”. These are actions which are condemned,
1. Gloating over your brother (v12a)
2. Rejoicing over the people of Judah (v12b)
3. Boasted (v12c)
4. Entered the gate of my people (v13a)
5. Joined in the gloating over Judah’s disaster (v13b)
6. Looted his goods (v13c)
7. Stood at crossings to cut off fugitives (v14a)
8. Handed over survivors (v14b)
Each of these actions increase in intensity climaxing in the worst action of callously handing over refugees to the enemy (v14). Because of this, the Edomites will also be ‘cut off’ forever (v10).
The day is described as a day of misfortune, ruin, distress, calamity and disaster for Judah. The event which fits best with this description is the fall and destruction of Jerusalem and the temple by Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians in 586 BC, when the Edomites rejoiced and joined in with the plundering of Jerusalem. After a breach was made in the walls of Jerusalem, king Zedekiah and his soldiers fled from the city but were pursued and captured by the Babylonians (2 Kg 25:4-5).
This hostility from the Edomites is recorded in Psalm 137, lamenting the exile in Babylon, “Remember, O Lord, against the Edomites the day of Jerusalem’s fall, how they said, ‘Tear it down! Tear it down! Down to its foundations" (Ps 137:7).
In the Book of Lamentations, Edom is sarcastically told to rejoice at Jerusalem's fall, but they will be next to receive God's cup of wrath, "Rejoice and be glad, O daughter Edom, you that live in the land of Uz; but to you also the cup shall pass; you shall become drunk and strip yourself bare." (Lam 4:21).
The prophet Ezekiel stated a similar theme, linking their hostility with the final punishment of Jerusalem, which would be 586 BC. "Thus says the Lord GOD: because Edom acted revengefully against the house of Judah and has grievously offended in taking vengeance upon them, therefore thus says the Lord GOD, I will stretch out my hand against Edom ..." (Ezek 25:12-14), "Because you cherished an ancient enmity, and gave over the people of Israel to the power of the sword at the time of their calamity, at the time of their final punishment ... I will make Mount Seir a waste and a desolation." (Ezek 35:5-7). God also condemned Edom, saying, "I am speaking in my hot jealousy against the rest of the nations, and against Edom, who, with wholehearted joy and utter contempt, took my land as their possession, because of its pasture, to plunder it." (Ezek 36:5).
The writer of the Book of 1 Esdras in the Apocrypha makes the same connection when he blamed the Edomites for burning the temple when Judea was laid waste by the Chaldeans, "You (King Darius) also vowed to build the temple, which the Edomites burned when Judea was laid waste by the Chaldeans" (1 Esdras 4:45).
Section II. The day of Yahweh (v15-21)
A day of universal judgement (v15-16)
The Day of Yahweh, or the Day of the LORD, will be the day of judgement on all nations, including Edom (v15a). Even though Yahweh was long-suffering and gracious, he cannot allow behaviour that violates his will to continue indefinitely.
Yahweh, is far more than merely being the God of the Hebrews, but is the God of all the nations, and they all will be held accountable to him. His principle of judgement is, “As you have done, it shall be done to you; your deeds shall return on your own head” (v15b), in this way justice will be done (Lev 24:19). This principle is known as ‘lex talonis’, which prevents revenge and feuding, where the punishment is worse than the crime.
God’s judgement is symbolised by the nations drinking the cup of God’s wine (v16). This is a common symbol for God’s judgement throughout the Bible, such as, “For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup with foaming wine, well mixed; he will pour a draught from it, and all the wicked of the earth shall drain it down to the dregs” (Ps 75:8). It is found many times in the prophets (eg. Jer 25:15-29).
The nations, including the Edomites, drank heavily from the cup of Judah’s misfortune (v16a). They took advantage of Jerusalem’s vulnerability and looted the city, showing no pity. Now, the cup they drank will be turned into the cup of Yahweh’s wrath, and it would come around the table to every nation (v16), including Edom (Lam 4:21).
A day of restoration for Judah (v17-21)
The Day of Yahweh is also a day of salvation, so Obadiah’s oracle ends with a note of hope for Judah. This deliverance will come from Mount Zion, the place where Yahweh promised to dwell forever, in contrast to the Edomite Mount Seir. There will be a remnant, those who escape the judgement, who will take possession of those who dispossessed them (v17). They will be like a fire that burns the house of Esau like stubble, leaving no survivors (v18).
The final oracle (v19-21) is written in prose, rather than poetry. The land of Israel will expand to the south to include the land of Esau, to the west into the land of the Philistines, to the north to Ephraim and Samaria, and to the east into Gilead (v19). The remnant of the exiles will possess the north including Zarephath and Phoenicia, and will one again live in the land of Negev (v20). The location of Sepharad (v20) is unknown. Several locations have been suggested, but the most likely is Saparda in Media (2 Kg 17:6). In contrast to the surviving remnant of Israel, there will be no survivors from Edom (v28), and their land will be ruled by the those from Judah who have been saved, so the whole kingdom will belong to Yahweh (v21b).
What happened in later history?
Many of these locations were acquired by Israel during the time of the Maccabees, including Philistia (1 Macc 10:84-89, 11:60-62), Gilead in 164 BC (1 Macc 5:9-54), Samaria in 153 BC (1 Macc 10:38) and the city of Samaria taken by John Hyrcanus in 106 BC.
In following years, the Edomites declined and many of their towns were abandoned. The area was occupied by the Arabic Nabataeans, who displaced the remaining Edomites. Some settled in the Negev which became known as Idumaea (1 Macc 4:29).
After Jerusalem was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BC, it lay in ruins until the return from the exile led by Zerubabbel after 539 BC. The true fulfilment of the promised salvation is more eschatological, when the Messianic Kingdom will be established, when all nations opposing God like the Edomites will have to submit to Yahweh.
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