A Prophetic Message against Edom

God’s message to the nations: ‘Attack Esau [Edom]!’

1:1

• A vision seen by Obadiah

[The vision is undated; it may be a pre-exilic prophecy or a post-exilic response to the fall of Jerusalem;

Jewish tradition: Prophet Obadiah may have been the Obadiah mentioned in 1 Kings 18:3-16;

Another tradition: Prophet Obadiah may have been an Edomite who converted to Judaism]

• This is what God has said about Edom [descendants of Esau];

we have heard God’s message to the nations:

‘You must attack Esau in battle!’ [cf. Jer 49:14]

God’s message to Edom

1:2

• [God says to Edom], ‘I will make you small and you will be despised!’

1:3-4

• ‘Your pride [in your lofty and strong position] has deceived you [cf. Jer 49:15-16]; I will bring you down!’

1:5-6

• ‘If thieves came, wouldn’t they only take until they had enough [& leave what they didn’t want]? [but] Esau will be totally plundered!’ [cf. Jer 49:9-10]

1:7

• ‘All your friends and allies will betray you!’

[This is how Edom had acted towards the Israelites, see Lam 1:2-3 and compare Obadiah 1:10-15]

1:8-9

• ‘In that day I will destroy Edom’s wise men [the kings & leaders],
• and I will break [or dismay, cf. Jer 49:22] the mighty ones [the warriors],
• so that everyone is cut off [or slaughtered]!’

The reason for Edom’s punishment

1:10

• Because Edom acted violently against Israel, they will be covered with shame & destroyed

[Edom was named after Esau, brother of Jacob, see Gen 25:29-30; Esau was father of the Edomites while his brother Jacob (who was also given the name Israel) was father of the Israelites; Esau had a history of violence towards Jacob before Jerusalem’s exile (e.g. 2 Chron 28:17) and other prophets had already pronounced that Edom would be judged for their actions, cf. Joel 3:19, Amos 1:11-12]

1:11-14

• When Jerusalem was captured and exiled [by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, see 2 Kgs 25:1-21], Edom gloated over the people of Judah, killed fugitives [who were fleeing] and handed over the survivors [to the Babylonian army] [See also Psalm 137:7, Ezekiel 35:5-15]

Punishment will come to all nations

1:15-16

• The ‘Day of Yahweh’ is near for all nations

[The phrase ‘Day of Yahweh’ or ‘Day of the Lord’ refers to any Day of Judgement. It sometimes refers to the Final Judgement Day, e.g. cf. Joel 2:1-11, Amos 5:16-20, Zeph 1:14-18, 1 Thess 5:2-3, 2 Pet 3:10]

• The [nations] will be repaid according to what they have done [e.g. cf. law in Lev 24:17-22]
• Just as the [nations] drank on God’s holy hill [to celebrate conquering Jerusalem] so they will drink [from the cup of God’s wrath] and will become as if they had never existed

[see Jer 25:15-16 for the cup of wrath against all nations; cf. Lam 4:21-22 for the cup against Edom]

The Israelites will claim the land of Edom

1:17

• On Mount Zion [the site of God’s temple in Jerusalem] will be deliverance and holiness for [God’s people] who will possess their possessions

[The Hebrew word yaresh, translated as ‘possess’, means to ‘occupy’ in the sense of driving out previous tenants to claim the ground, see also v19-20]

1:18

• The house of Jacob… [i.e. the southern kingdom of Judah & the tribe of Judah (Jacob’s son)]
• & the house of Joseph… [i.e. the northern kingdom of Israel & the tribe of Ephraim (Joseph’s son)]
• will become a flame to burn up the house of Esau [cf. Isa 34:8-10]
• so there will be no survivors from the house of Esau [cf. Eze 25:12-14]

1:19-21

• The Israelites will possess the mountains of Esau and the Philistine land [cf. Isaiah 11:12-14] and [repossess] the land within Israel; The kingdom will belong to God

Joel / Amos / OBA / Jon / Mic