Obadiah 1:1-15

Obadiah 1:1-Ezra : b. The Deserved Downfall of Edom.— The prophet declares that interpretation of current events which Yahweh has revealed to him. Other nations are combining against Edom ( Obadiah 1:1) and Yahweh will make their combination successful ( Obadiah 1:2; the perfect tenses are “ prophetic” ). Edom has been confident in the inaccessibility of his mountainous land ( Obadiah 1:3; see Intro. and read with VSS “ making high his habitation” ), but vainly does he build (his nest) on high (for the eagle, see on Jeremiah 4:13). This is no passing raid, for the work of the foe will be thorough (insert “ only” after “ steal” in Obadiah 1:5, to bring out the contrast; for the reference to the gleaning, perhaps suggested by the number of Edomite vineyards, cf. Deuteronomy 24:21). The secret treasures stored in mountain caves will be stolen ( Obadiah 1:6, which may be a gloss from Jeremiah 49:10; note change of person). The trusted allies (see Intro.) will drive the Edomites from their land ( Obadiah 1:7 mg.; “ prophetic” perfect). The last two clauses of Obadiah 1:7 yield no sense here, the Heb. of the former being “ thy bread they put a net” ; Obadiah 1:8 f. seems to have been added, with the appendix, to unite the earlier prophecy with the idea of the “ Day of Yahweh” prominent in the later (for Teman, see on Jeremiah 49:7, possibly the source of Obadiah 1:8). These Edomite disasters are a penalty for the conduct of the Edomites when Jerusalem was destroyed ( Obadiah 1:10, see Intro.). Edom stood aloof ( Obadiah 1:11 mg.), nay, even laid hands on Judah’ s property, and intercepted fugitives ( Obadiah 1:12-2 Chronicles :). Hence retribution ( Obadiah 1:15 b).