God Announces Judgment on Edom
Study note
God begins by declaring war against Edom. The Edomites lived in the high cliffs of Mount Seir, a region of steep rock walls and natural fortresses. They believed no army could reach them. God tells them that their pride has blinded them and that even the highest fortress cannot protect them from His judgment.
1 This is the vision God gave the prophet Obadiah. The Lord GOD said concerning Edom: "We have received a report from the LORD — a messenger has been sent to the nations, saying, 'Get up! Let us march against Edom in battle!'" The vision of Obadiah. Thus saith the Lord GOD concerning Edom; We have heard a rumour from the LORD, and an ambassador is sent among the heathen, Arise ye, and let us rise up against her in battle.
2 "Look at you — I have already made you the tiniest among the nations. Other peoples look at you with total contempt." Behold, I have made thee small among the heathen: thou art greatly despised.
3 "Your arrogance has fooled you, Edom. You live high up in the rocky cliffs with your fortress perched among the mountains. You tell yourself, 'Nobody can bring me down from here.'" The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee, thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high; that saith in his heart, Who shall bring me down to the ground?
4 "Even if you soar as high as an eagle and build your nest among the stars, I will haul you back down," the LORD says. Though thou exalt thyself as the eagle, and though thou set thy nest among the stars, thence will I bring thee down, saith the LORD.
Edom Will Be Completely Stripped
Study note
God compares what is coming to what thieves or grape harvesters normally do. Even thieves leave some things behind, and grape pickers leave a few grapes on the vine. But Edom's destruction will be total. Even the nations Edom trusted as allies will turn against them.
5 "If regular thieves broke into your house at night — oh, what total ruin is coming to you! — they would only take what they wanted and leave the rest. If grape pickers harvested your vineyard, they would at least leave a few grapes behind." If thieves came to thee, if robbers by night, (how art thou cut off!) would they not have stolen till they had enough? if the grapegatherers came to thee, would they not leave some grapes?
6 "But look how thoroughly Esau has been ransacked! Every hidden treasure has been found and carted off." How are the things of Esau searched out! how are his hidden things sought up!
7 "All your allies have turned against you. They pushed you right out to the border. Your so-called friends tricked you and overpowered you. The people you shared meals with set a secret trap right under your nose. And Edom never saw any of it coming." All the men of thy confederacy have brought thee even to the border: the men that were at peace with thee have deceived thee, and prevailed against thee; they that eat thy bread have laid a wound under thee: there is none understanding in him.
Edom's Wisdom and Strength Will Fail
Study note
Edom was known in the ancient world for its wise leaders. Teman was one of Edom's most important cities. God declares that neither wisdom nor military strength will save them when His judgment arrives.
8 "On that day," the LORD says, "I will wipe out the wise leaders of Edom. I will strip all understanding from the hills of Esau." Shall I not in that day, saith the LORD, even destroy the wise men out of Edom, and understanding out of the mount of Esau?
9 "Your toughest warriors, O Teman, will be paralyzed with fear. Everyone in the mountains of Esau will be slaughtered." And thy mighty men, O Teman, shall be dismayed, to the end that every one of the mount of Esau may be cut off by slaughter.
Edom's Crime Against Israel
Study note
This section describes exactly what Edom did wrong. When the Babylonians attacked and destroyed Jerusalem around 586 BC, the Edomites did not help their brother nation. Instead, they watched with joy, looted the city, and blocked the escape routes so fleeing Israelites were captured. God lists each of these betrayals as an accusation.
10 "Because of the violence you committed against your own brother Jacob, you will be buried under an avalanche of shame. You will be destroyed permanently." For thy violence against thy brother Jacob shame shall cover thee, and thou shalt be cut off for ever.
11 "On the day when you stood there watching, foreigners ransacked Israel's wealth and marched through Jerusalem's gates, casting lots for the city. You, Edom, were no different from the enemy." In the day that thou stoodest on the other side, in the day that the strangers carried away captive his forces, and foreigners entered into his gates, and cast lots upon Jerusalem, even thou wast as one of them.
12 "You should not have gloated when disaster hit your brother. You should not have celebrated when Judah was destroyed. You should not have taunted them when they were suffering." But thou shouldest not have looked on the day of thy brother in the day that he became a stranger; neither shouldest thou have rejoiced over the children of Judah in the day of their destruction; neither shouldest thou have spoken proudly in the day of distress.
13 "You should not have waltzed through the gates of my people on their worst day. You should not have smirked at their pain. You should not have helped yourself to their belongings during their catastrophe." Thou shouldest not have entered into the gate of my people in the day of their calamity; yea, thou shouldest not have looked on their affliction in the day of their calamity, nor have laid hands on their substance in the day of their calamity;
14 "You should not have blocked the escape routes to cut off the fleeing survivors. You should not have handed over the ones who got away during that terrible time." Neither shouldest thou have stood in the crossway, to cut off those of his that did escape; neither shouldest thou have delivered up those of his that did remain in the day of distress.
The Day of the Lord for All Nations
Study note
God expands His message beyond Edom to include all nations. The 'Day of the Lord' is a time when God will judge every nation for how they treated His people. The punishment will match the crime: what they did to others will be done to them.
15 "The Day of the LORD is approaching for every nation. Whatever you dished out to others will be served right back to you. Your own actions will boomerang onto your own head." For the day of the LORD is near upon all the heathen: as thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee: thy reward shall return upon thine own head.
16 "Just as you partied on my holy mountain, every nation will drink from the cup of God's judgment. They will drink and drink and vanish as though they never existed." For as ye have drunk upon my holy mountain, so shall all the heathen drink continually, yea, they shall drink, and they shall swallow down, and they shall be as though they had not been.
Israel Will Be Restored
Study note
The book ends with a message of hope for Israel. Mount Zion, the hill in Jerusalem where the temple stood, will once again be a sanctuary. God's people will reclaim their land and spread into the territories around them. The final verse declares that the kingdom will belong to the Lord.
17 "But on Mount Zion there will be people who are saved, and it will be holy ground. The descendants of Jacob will take back everything that belongs to them." But upon mount Zion shall be deliverance, and there shall be holiness; and the house of Jacob shall possess their possessions.
18 "Jacob's descendants will become a roaring fire, and Joseph's descendants will become a blazing torch. But Esau's descendants will be nothing but dry straw. Jacob and Joseph will ignite them and burn them up completely, until nothing is left of Esau's line. The LORD has spoken." And the house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, and the house of Esau for stubble, and they shall kindle in them, and devour them; and there shall not be any remaining of the house of Esau; for the LORD hath spoken it.
19 People from the Negev will take over Esau's mountains. People from the western foothills will claim the Philistine territory. They will also possess the fields of Ephraim and Samaria, and Benjamin will take Gilead. And they of the south shall possess the mount of Esau; and they of the plain the Philistines: and they shall possess the fields of Ephraim, and the fields of Samaria: and Benjamin shall possess Gilead.
20 The exiled Israelites will occupy the Canaanite land all the way to Zarephath. The exiles from Jerusalem living in Sepharad will take over the towns of the Negev. And the captivity of this host of the children of Israel shall possess that of the Canaanites, even unto Zarephath; and the captivity of Jerusalem, which is in Sepharad, shall possess the cities of the south.
21 Rescuers will climb Mount Zion to govern the mountains of Esau. And the kingdom — all of it — will belong to the LORD. And saviours shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the LORD's.