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Obadiah One
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO OBADIAH 1
This
prophecy of Obadiah is the least of the minor prophets
consisting but of one
chapter; the subject of it is Edom
whose destruction is foretold
and is to be
considered as a type of the enemies of Christ and his kingdom
and especially
of the Roman antichrist. After the preface
the rumour of war
and preparation
for it
which would issue in the ruin of Edom
are observed
Obadiah 1:1;
because of their pride
confidence
and security
Obadiah 1:3; which
should be complete and entire
Obadiah 1:5;
notwithstanding their allies
who would deceive them; and the wisdom of their
wise men
which should be destroyed; and the strength of their mighty men
who
would be dismayed
Obadiah 1:7; and
this should come upon them
chiefly because of their ill usage of the Jews at
the time of Jerusalem's destruction
which is enlarged upon
Obadiah 1:10; and
this would be when all the nations round about them would be destroyed
Obadiah 1:15; and
then deliverance is promised to the Jews
who should not only enjoy their own
possessions
but the land of the Edomites
wasted by them
Obadiah 1:17; and
the book is concluded with a glorious prophecy of the kingdom of the Messiah
Obadiah 1:21.
Obadiah 1:1 The
vision of Obadiah.Thus says the Lord God concerning Edom (We have heard a report from
the Lord
And a messenger has been sent among the nations
saying
“Arise
and let
us rise up against her for battle”):
YLT
1Thus said the Lord Jehovah
to Edom
A report we have heard from Jehovah
And an ambassador among nations
was sent
`Rise
yea
let us rise against her for battle.'
The vision of Obadiah
.... Or the
prophecy
as the Targum; which was delivered unto him by the Lord in a vision;
it was not what he fancied or dreamed of
but what he saw
what he had a clear
discovery and revelation of made unto his mind; hence prophets are sometimes
called "seers". This was a single prophecy; though sometimes a book
consisting of various prophecies
is called a vision; as the prophecies of
Isaiah are called the vision of Isaiah
Isaiah 1:1;
thus saith the Lord God concerning Edom; by the mouth
of this prophet
who was divinely inspired by him; for Obadiah said not what
follows of himself but in the name of the Lord; and is a proof of the divine
authority of this book; the subject matter of which is Edom or Idumea
as in
the Septuagint version; a neighbouring country to the Jews
and very
troublesome to them
being their implacable enemies
though their brethren; and
were a type of the enemies of the Christian church
those false brethren
the
antichristian states; and particularly the head of them
the Romish antichrist
whose picture is here drawn and whose destruction is prophesied of
under the
name of Edom; for what has been literally fulfilled in Idumea will; be
mystically accomplished in antichrist. The Jews generally understand
by Edom
Rome
and the Christians in general; which
if applied only to the antichristians
is not amiss;
we have heard a rumour from the Lord; or "a
report"F14שמועה "auditum"
V. L. Pagninus
Montanus. ; a message from him
brought by the Spirit of God
as a spirit of prophecy; that is
I Obadiah
and Jeremiah
and other prophets
as Isaiah and Amos
who have had orders to prophesy against Edom; see Jeremiah 49:14; so
the angels
or Gospel ministers
will have a rumour or message concerning the
fall of antichrist Revelation 14:6;
and an ambassador is sent among the Heathen: either by the
Lord
as Jeremiah the prophet
according to some; or an angel
as others; or an
impulse upon the minds of the Chaldeans stirring them up to war against the
Edomites: or else by Nebuchadnezzar to the nations in alliance with him
to
join him in his expedition against them; or a herald sent by him to his own
people
to summon them together to this war
and to encourage them in it:
arise ye
and let us rise up in battle against her; come up from
all parts
join together
and invade the land of Idumea
and give battle to the
inhabitants of it
and destroy them; so the kings of the earth will stir up one
another to hate the whore of Rome
and make her desolate
Revelation 17:16.
Obadiah 1:2 2 “Behold
I will make you small among the nations; You shall be greatly despised.
YLT
2Lo
little I have made thee
among nations
Despised [art] thou exceedingly.
Behold
I have made thee
small among the Heathen
.... Or "a little one"
or "thing"F15קטן "parvium"
V. L. ; their number few
and
their country not large
as Aben Ezra
especially in comparison of other
nations; and therefore had no reason to be so proud
insolent
and secure
as
they are afterwards said to be; or rather
"I will make thee"; the
past for the future
after the prophetic manner
as Kimchi; that is weak and
feeble
as the Targum; reduce their numbers
destroy their towns and cities
and bring them into a low and miserable condition: or the sense is
that he
would make them look little
mean
and abject
in the sight of their enemies
who would conclude
upon a view of them
that they should have no trouble in
subduing them
and therefore should attack them without fear
and as sure of
success:
thou art greatly despised; in the eyes of the
nations round about; by their enemies
who looked upon them with contempt
because of the smallness of their number
their defenceless state and want of
strength to support and defend themselves; see Jeremiah 49:15; had
so the pope of Rome is little and despicable in the eyes of the monarchs of the
earth; and the antichristian Edom will be more so at the time of its general
ruin.
Obadiah 1:3 3 The
pride of your heart has deceived you
You who dwell in the clefts of the
rock
Whose habitation is high; You who say in your heart
‘Who will
bring me down to the ground?’
YLT
3The pride of thy heart hath
lifted thee up
O dweller in clifts of a rock
(A high place [is] his
habitation
He is saying in his heart
`Who doth bring me down [to] earth?')
The pride of thine heart
hath deceived thee
.... The Edomites were proud of their wealth and riches
which
they had by robberies amassed together; and of their military skill and
courage
and of their friends and allies; and especially of their fortresses
and fastnesses
both natural and artificial; and therefore thought themselves
secure
and that no enemy could come at them to hurt them
and this deceived them:
thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock; their country
was called Arabia Petraea
the rocky; and their metropolis Petra
the rock:
Jerom says that they that inhabited the southern part of the country dwelt in
caves cut out of the rock
to screen them from the heat of the sun: or
"thou that dwellest in the circumferences of the rock"F16בחגוי סלע "in gyris
sive
circuitionibus petrae"
so some in Vatablus. ; round about it
on the top
of it
in a tower built there
as Kimchi and Ben Melech. Aben Ezra thinks that
"caph"
the note of similitude
is wanting; and that the sense is
thou thoughtest that Mount Seir could secure thee
as they that dwell in the
clefts of a rock:
whose habitation is high; upon high rocks and
mountains
such as Mount Seir was
where Esau dwelt
and his posterity after
him. The Targum is
"thou
art like to an eagle that dwells in the clefts of the rock
whose habitation is
in a high place;'
this
they were proud of
thinking themselves safe
which deceived them; hence it follows:
that saith in his heart
who shall bring me down to the ground? what enemy
ever so warlike and powerful
will venture to invade my land
or besiege me in
my strong hold? or
if he should
he can never take it
or take me from hence
conquer and subdue me. Of the pride
confidence
and security of mystical Edom
or antichrist
see Revelation 18:7.
Obadiah 1:4 4 Though
you ascend as high as the eagle
And though you set your nest among the
stars
From there I will bring you down
” says the Lord.
YLT
4If thou dost go up high as
an eagle
And if between stars thou dost set thy nest
From thence I bring thee
down
An affirmation of Jehovah.
Though thou exaltest thyself
as the eagle
.... That soars aloft
flies on high
even out of sight
higher
than any other bird does: or
"exaltest thy habitation"; and makest
it as high as the eagle's nest; see Jeremiah 49:16;
and though thou set thy nest among the stars; even higher
than the eagle's; an hyperbolical expression
supposing that which never was or
can be done; yet
if it was possible
would not secure from danger: or should
their castles and fortresses be built upon the top of the highest mountains
which seem to reach the heavens
and be among the stars:
thence will I bring thee down
saith the Lord; this is said
in answer to the question put
or bold challenge made
in Obadiah 1:3; if men
cannot do it
God will; and
if he employs instruments to effect it
it shall
be done by them; all seeming difficulties are easily surmounted by an
omnipotent Being; what are the heights of mountains
or the strength of
fortresses
to him? thus the whore of Rome sits upon seven mountains
and
mystical Babylon reigns over the kings of the earth; yet shall be thrown down
and found no more
for the Lord is strong that judgeth her
Revelation 17:9.
Obadiah 1:5 5 “If
thieves had come to you
If robbers by night— Oh
how you will be cut off!— Would
they not have stolen till they had enough? If grape-gatherers had come to you
Would
they not have left some gleanings?
YLT
5If thieves have come in to
thee
If spoilers of the night
How hast thou been cut off! Do they not steal
their sufficiency? If gatherers have come in to thee
Do they not leave
gleanings?
If thieves came to thee
if robbers by night
.... Whether the one came by day
and the other by night
or both
by night
the same being meant by different words
whose intent is to plunder and
steal
and carry off what they can; thy condition would not be worse
nor so
bad as now it is: for
how art thou cut off! from being a nation
wholly destroyed; thy people killed
or carried captive; thy fortresses
demolished
towns and cities levelled with the ground
and all thy wealth and
substance carried off
and nothing left: these are either the words of God
or
of the prophet
setting forth their utter ruin
as if it was already; or of the
nations round about
wondering at their sudden destruction. Some render it
"how silent art thou!"F17איך נדמיתה "quomodo redactus es in silentium?"
Calvin; "quomodo siles?" some in Tarnovius; so Syr. that is
under
all these calamities: or
"how art thou asleep!" or
"stupefied!" as the Targum and Jarchi; not to be upon thy guard
against the incursions of the enemy
but careless
secure
and stupid
and now
stripped of everything: had common thieves and robbers broke in upon thee
would they not have stolen till they had enough? as much as
they came for
or could carry off; they seldom strip a house into which they
enter of everything in it; they come for some particular things
and
meeting
with them
they go off
and leave the rest:
if the grape gatherers come to thee
would they not leave some
grapes? that is
if men should come into thy vineyards
and gather the
grapes
and carry them off by force or stealth
would they take them all a way?
doubtless they would leave some behind; some would be hid under the boughs
and
be left unobserved by them: or the allusion is to gatherers of grapes
who
gather them for the owners
and at their direction
who were wont to leave some
clusters for the poor to glean after them; but in the case of Edom it is
suggested that nothing should be left
all should be clean carried off; the
destruction would he complete and entire. The Targum is
"if
spoilers as grape gatherers should come unto thee
&c.'
see
Jeremiah 49:9.
Obadiah 1:6 6 “Oh
how Esau shall be searched out! How his hidden treasures shall be sought
after!
YLT
6How hath Esau been searched
out! Flowed out have his hidden things
How are the things
of Esau searched out!.... Or how are the Esauites
the posterity of Esau
sought out!
though they dwelt in the clefts of the rocks
and hid themselves in caves and
dens
yet their enemies searched them
and found there
and plucked them out
from thence
so that none escaped:
how are his hid things sought
up! his riches
wealth and treasure
hid in fortresses
in rocks and
caves
where they were thought to be safe
and judged inaccessible; or that an
enemy would not have ventured in search of them there; and yet these should be
sought after and found by the greedy
and diligent
and venturous soldier
and
carried off; which was the case of the Edomites by the Chaldeans
and will be
of the antichristian states by the kings of the earth
Revelation 17:16;
see Jeremiah 49:10.
Obadiah 1:7 7 All
the men in your confederacy Shall force you to the border; The men at peace
with you Shall deceive you and prevail against you. Those who eat
your bread shall lay a trap[a] for you. No
one is aware of it.
YLT
7Unto the border sent thee
have all thine allies
Forgotten thee
prevailed over thee
have thy friends
Thy bread they make a snare under thee
There is no understanding in him!
All the men of thy
confederacy have brought thee even to the border
.... Or of
"thy covenant"F18אנשי בריתך "viri foederis tui"
V. L. Montanus
Vatablus
Burkius. ; that are in league with thee; thine allies
even all of
them
prove treacherous to thee
in whom thou trustedst; when they sent their
ambassadors to them
they received them kindly
promised great things to them
dismissed them honourably
accompanied them to the borders of their country
but never stood to their engagements: or those allies came and joined their
forces with the Edomites
and went out with them to meet the enemy
as if they
would fight with them
and them; but when they came to the border of the land
they left them
and departed into their own country; or went over to the enemy;
or these confederates were the instruments of expelling them out of their own
land
and sending them to the border of it
and carrying them captive; or they
followed them to the border of the land
when they were carried captive
as if
they lamented their case
when they were assisting to the enemy
as Kimchi; so
deceitful were they. The Targum is to the same purpose
"from
the border all thy confederates carried thee captiveF19So R. Sol.
Urbin. Ohel Moed
fol. 51. 2. and 52. 1. :'
the men that were at peace with thee have deceived thee
and
prevailed against thee; outwitted them in their treaties of peace
and got the advantage
of them; or they proved treacherous to them
and joined the enemy against them;
or they persuaded them to declare themselves enemies to the Chaldeans
which
proved their ruin; and so they prevailed against them:
they that eat thy bread: so the Targum
and Kimchi supply it; or it may be supplied from the preceding clause
"the men of thy bread"; who received subsidies from them
were
maintained by them
and quartered among them:
have laid a wound under thee; instead of supporting
them
secretly did that which was wounding to them. The word signifies both a
wound and a plaster; they pretended to lay a plaster to heal
but made a wound;
or made the wound worse. The Targum is
"they
laid a stumbling block under thee;'
at
which they stumbled and fell: or snares
as the Vulgate Latin version
whereby
they brought them to ruin:
there is none
understanding in him; in Esau
or the Edomites; they were so stupid
that they could
not see into the designs of their pretended friends
and prevent the execution
of them
and their ill effects.
Obadiah 1:8 8 “Will
I not in that day
” says the Lord
“Even destroy the wise men
from Edom
And understanding from the mountains of Esau?
YLT
8Is it not in that day -- an
affirmation of Jehovah
That I have destroyed the wise out of Edom
And
understanding out of the mount of Esau?
Shall I not in that day
saith the Lord
even destroy the wise men out of Edom
.... When they
shall be invaded by the enemy
and treacherously dealt with by their allies; so
that there shall be no wise counsellors at court to give advice what proper
methods should be taken at such a season; they should either be taken off by
death
or their wisdom should be turned into folly
and they be rendered
incapable of giving right counsel:
and understanding out of the mount of Esau? that is
men
of understanding
as the Targum
should be destroyed out of Edom or Idumea
which was a mountainous country; such as were well versed in politics
or
understood military affairs
and how to conduct at such a critical time; to
form schemes
and concert measures
and wisely put them in execution; and to be
deprived of all such must be a great loss at such a time
and add to their
distress and calamity; see Jeremiah 49:7.
Obadiah 1:9 9 Then
your mighty men
O Teman
shall be dismayed
To the end that everyone from the
mountains of Esau May be cut off by slaughter.
YLT
9And broken down have been thy
mighty ones
O Teman
So that every one of the mount of Esau is cut off.
And thy mighty men
O Teman
shall be dismayed
.... Teman was one part of the country of
Edom
so called from Teman
a son of Eliphaz
and grandson of Esau
Genesis 36:11; and
which it seems had been famous for men of might and courage: it abounded with
brave officers
and courageous soldiers
who should now be quite dispirited
and have no heart to go out against the enemy; and
instead of defending their
country
should throw away their arms
and run away in a fright. The Targum and
Vulgate Latin version render it
"thy
mighty men that inhabit the south;'
or
are on the south
the southern part of Edom
and so lay farthest off from the
Chaldeans
who came from the north; yet these should be at once intimidated
upon the rumour of their approach and invasion:
to the end that even one of the mount of Esau may be cut by
slaughter; that so there might be none to resist and stop the enemy
or
defend their country; but that all might fall by the sword of the enemy
and
none be left
even every mighty man
as Jarchi interprets it
through the
greatness of the slaughter that should be made.
Obadiah 1:10 10 “For
violence against your brother Jacob
Shame shall cover you
And you shall be
cut off forever.
YLT
10For slaughter
for violence
[to] thy brother Jacob
Cover thee doth shame
And thou hast been cut off -- to
the age.
For thy violence against
thy brother Jacob
.... Which is aggravated: by being against Jacob
an honest plain
hearted man
and whom the Lord loved; his brother
his own brother
a twin
brother
yea
his only brother; yet this is to be understood
not so much of
the violence of Esau against Jacob personally
though there is an allusion to
that; as of the violence of the posterity of the one against the posterity of
the other; and not singly of the violence shown at the destruction of
Jerusalem
but in general of the anger they bore
the wrath they showed
and
the injuries they did to their brethren the Jews
on all occasions
whenever
they had an opportunity
of which the following is a notorious instance; and
for which more especially
as well as for the above things
they are threatened
with ruin:
shame shall cover thee; as a garment; they shall
be filled with blushing
and covered with confusion
when convicted of their
sin
and punished for it:
and thou shalt be cut off for ever; from being a nation;
either by Nebuchadnezzar; or in the times of the Maccabees by Hyrcanus
when
they were subdued by the Jews
and were incorporated among them
and never
since was a separate people or kingdom.
Obadiah 1:11 11 In
the day that you stood on the other side— In the day that strangers carried
captive his forces
When foreigners entered his gates And cast lots for
Jerusalem— Even you were as one of them.
YLT
11In the day of thy standing
over-against
In the day of strangers taking captive his force
And foreigners
have entered his gates
And for Jerusalem have cast a lot
Even thou [art] as
one of them!
In the day thou stoodest
on the other side
.... Aloof off
as a spectator of the ruin of Jerusalem
and that
with delight and pleasure; when they should
as brethren and neighbours
have
assisted against the common enemy; but instead of this they stood at a
distance; or they went over to the other side
and joined the enemy
and stood
in opposition to their brethren the Jews:
in the day that the strangers carried away captive his forces; that is
at
the time that the Chaldeans took Jerusalem
and carried captive as many of the
forces of the Jews as fell into their hands; or when
"the
people spoiled his substance
'
as
the Targum; plundered the city of all its wealth and riches:
and foreigners entered into his gates; the gates of
their cities
particularly Jerusalem; even such who came from a far country
the Babylonians
who were aliens and strangers from the commonwealth of Israel;
whereas the Edomites were their near neighbours
and allied to them by blood
though not of the same religion; and by whom they helped against a foreign
enemy
instead of being used by them as they were:
and cast lots upon Jerusalem; either to know when they
should make their attack upon it; or else
having taken it
the generals of the
Chaldean army cast lots upon the captives
to divide them among them
so
Kimchi; see Joel 3:3; or
rather
the soldiers cast lots for the division of the plunder of the city
as
was usual at such times:
even thou wast as one of them; the Edomites
joined the Chaldeans
entered into the city with them
showed as much wrath
spite
and malice
as they did
and were as busy in dividing the spoil. So Aben
Ezra interprets these and the following verses of the destruction of the city
and temple of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar; but Kimchi expounds them of the
destruction of them by the Romans
at which he supposes many Edomites to be
present
and rejoiced at it: could this be supported
the connection would be
more clear and close between these words and those that follow
which respect
the Gospel dispensation
beginning at Obadiah 1:17; but
the Edomites were not in being then; and that there were many of them in the
Roman army
and that Titus himself was one
is all fabulous.
Obadiah 1:12 12 “But
you should not have gazed on the day of your brother In the day of his
captivity;[b] Nor should
you have rejoiced over the children of Judah In the day of their destruction; Nor
should you have spoken proudly In the day of distress.
YLT
12And -- thou dost not look
on the day of thy brother
On the day of his alienation
Nor dost thou rejoice
over sons of Judah
In the day of their destruction
Nor make great thy mouth
in a day of distress.
But thou shouldest not
have looked on the day of thy brother
.... The day of his
calamity
distress
and destruction
as afterwards explained; that is
with
delight and satisfaction
as pleased with it
and rejoicing at it; but rather
should have grieved and mourned
and as fearing their turn would be next: or
"do not look"F20אל תרא "ne aspicias"
Junius & Tremellius;
"ne aspicito"
Piscator; "ne spectes"
Cocceius. ; so some
read it in the imperative
and in like manner all the following clauses:
in the day that he became a stranger; were carried
into a strange country
and became strangers to their own: or
"in the day
of his alienation"F21ביום נכרו "diem alienationis ejus"
Junius &
Tremellius
Piscator
Mercerus; "in die alienationis ejus"
Calvin
Cocceius
Burkius. ; from their country
city
houses
and the house and worship
of God; and when strange
surprising
and unheard of things were done unto
them
and
among them:
neither shouldest thou have rejoiced over the children of Judah in
the day of their destruction; the destruction of the Jews
of the two
tribes of Judah and Benjamin
by the Chaldeans: this explains what is meant by
the Edomites looking upon the day of the calamity of the Jews
that it was with
pleasure and complacency
having had a good will to have destroyed them
themselves
but it was not in the power of their hands; and now being done by a
foreign enemy
they could not forbear expressing their joy on that occasion
which was very cruel and brutal; and this also shows that Obadiah prophesied
after the destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar:
neither shouldest thou have spoken proudly in the day of distress; or
"magnified thy mouth"F23ואל תגדל פיך "et non debebas
magnificare os tuum"
Pagninus; "ne magnifices"
Montanus
Junius & Tremellius; "ne magnificato"
Piscator; "ne magno
ore utaris"
Cocceius. ; opened it wide in virulent scoffing
and
insulting language; saying with the greatest fervour and vehemence
and as loud
as it could be said
"rase it
rase it to the foundation thereof"
Psalm 137:7.
Obadiah 1:13 13 You
should not have entered the gate of My people In the day of their calamity. Indeed
you should not have gazed on their affliction In the day of their calamity
Nor
laid hands on their substance In the day of their calamity.
YLT
13Nor come into a gate of My
people in a day of their calamity
Nor look
even thou
on its misfortune in a
day of its calamity
Nor send forth against its force in a day of its calamity
Thou shouldest not have
entered into the gate of my people in the day of their calamity
.... Or gates
as the Targum; the gates of any of their cities
and particularly those of
Jerusalem; into which the Edomites entered along with the Chaldeans
exulting
over the Jews
and insulting them
and joining with the enemy in distressing
and plundering them:
yea
thou shouldest not have looked on their affliction in the day
of their calamity: which is repeated
as being exceeding cruel and inhuman
and
what was highly resented by the Lord; that
instead of looking upon the
affliction of his people and their brethren with an eye of pity and compassion
they looked upon it with the utmost pleasure and delight:
nor laid hands on their substance in the day of their
calamity; or "on their forces"F24בחילו
"is exercitum ejus"
Drusius; "in copius eorum"
Castalio;
"in copiam ejus"
Cocceius. ; they laid violent hands on their armed
men
and either killed or took them captive: and they laid hands on their
goods
their wealth and riches
and made a spoil of them. The phrase
"in
the day of their calamity"
is three times used in this verse
to show the
greatness of it; and as an aggravation of the sin of the Edomites
in behaving
and doing as they did at such a time.
Obadiah 1:14 14 You
should not have stood at the crossroads To cut off those among them who
escaped; Nor should you have delivered up those among them who remained In the
day of distress.
YLT
14Nor stand by the breach to
cut off its escaped
Nor deliver up its remnant in a day of distress.
Neither shouldest thou
have stood in the crossing
.... In a place where two or more roads met
to stop the Jews that fled
let them take which road they would: or
"in
the breach"F25על הפרק
"in diruptione"
Junius & Tremellius
Tarnovius. ; that is
of the
walls of the city;
to cut off those of his that did escape; such of the
Jews that escaped the sword of the Chaldeans in the city
and attempted
to get
away through the breaches of the walls of it
or that took different roads to
make their escape; these were intercepted and stopped by the Edomites
who
posted themselves at these breaches
or at places where two or more ways met
and cut them off; so that those that escaped the sword of the enemy fell by
theirs; which was exceeding barbarous and cruel:
neither shouldest thou have delivered up those of his that did
remain in the day of their distress; or "shut up"F26ואל תסגר "neque
concludas"
Montanus
Mercerus
Tigurine version
Tarnovius. ; they shut
them up in their houses
or stopped up all the avenues and ways by which they
might escape
even such as remained of those that were killed or carried
captive; these falling into the hands of the Edomites
some they cut off
and
others they delivered up into the hands of the Chaldeans. Of the joy and rejoicing
of the mystical Edomites
the Papists
those false brethren and antichristians
at the destruction of the faithful witnesses and true Christians
and of their
cruelty and inhumanity to them
see Revelation 11:7.
Obadiah 1:15 15 “For
the day of the Lord
upon all the nations is near; As you have done
it shall be done to you;
Your reprisal shall return upon your own head.
YLT
15For near [is] the day of Jehovah
on all the nations
As thou hast done
it is done to thee
Thy deed doth turn
back on thine own head.
For the day of the Lord is
near upon all the Heathen
.... That is
the time was at hand
fixed
and determined by the Lord
and he had spoken of by his prophets
when he would
punish all the Heathens round about for their sins; as the Egyptians
Philistines
Tyrians
Ammonites
Moabites
and others; and so the Edomites
among the rest; for this is mentioned for their sakes
and to show that their punishment
was inevitable
and that they could not expect to escape in the general ruin;
see Jeremiah 25:17.
This destruction of Edom here prophesied of
and of all the Heathen
was
accomplished about five years after the destruction of Jerusalem
so that it
might be truly said to be near; and some time within this space Obadiah seems
to have prophesied; and the day of the Lord is not far off upon the Pagans
Mahometans
and all the "antichristian" states
When mystical Edom or Rome will
be destroyed; see Revelation 16:19;
as thou hast done
it shall be done unto thee; thy reward shall
return upon thine own head; this is particularly directed to Edom
upon
whom the day of the Lord's vengeance shall come; when he punished the Heathens
then the Edomites should be retaliated in their own way; and as they had
rejoiced at the destruction of the Jews
and had insulted them in their
calamities
and barbarously used them
they should be treated in like manner;
see Ezekiel 35:15; and
thus will mystical Babylon
or the mystical Edomites
be dealt with
even after
the same manner as they have dealt with the truly godly
the faithful
professors of Christ
Revelation 18:6.
Obadiah 1:16 16 For
as you drank on My holy mountain
So shall all the nations drink
continually; Yes
they shall drink
and swallow
And they shall be as though
they had never been.
YLT
16For -- as ye have drunk on
My holy mount
Drink do all the nations continually
And they have drunk and
have swallowed
And they have been as they have not been.
For as ye have drunk upon
my holy mountain
so shall all the Heathen drink continually
.... Which is
either spoken to the Edomites; and the sense be
according to the Targum
"as
ye have rejoiced at the blow (given unto or at the subversion and destruction)
of the mountain of my holiness
all people shall drink the cup of their
vengeance;'
or
punishment; and to the same sense Jarchi and Japhet interpret it; and so
Kimchi
"as
ye have made a feast
rejoicing at the destruction of my holy mountain
so thou
and all nations shall drink of the cup of trembling;'
but
Aben Ezra thinks the words are spoken to the Israelites
"as
ye have drank the cup
so shall all nations;'
the
cup of vengeance began with them
and so went round the nations
according to
the prophecy in Jeremiah 25:17
&c.
for
if judgment begins at the house and people of God
it may be expected it
will reach to others; wherefore Edom had no reason to rejoice at the
destruction of the Jews
since they might be assured by that the same would be
their case before long; and with this difference
that whereas the Jews only
drank this cup for a while
during the seventy years' captivity
these nations
and the Edomites among the rest
should be "continually" drinking it:
yea
they shall drink
and they shall swallow down; not only
drink of the cup
but drink it up; not only take it into their mouths
but
swallow it down their throats; not only sip at it
but "sup it
up"F1ולעו "absorbebunt"
V.
L. Junius & Tremellius
Piscator; "deglutient"
Montanus
Mercerus. Gussetius renders it "absorbebantur".
as it may be
rendered. The phrase denotes the fulness of their punishment
and their utter
and entire ruin and destruction
which the next clause confirms:
and they shall be as though they had not been; as now are
the Philistines
Moabites
Ammonites
and so the Edomites; their names are not
heard of in the world
only as they are read in the Bible; and thus it shall be
with mystical Babylon or Edom
it shall be thrown down
and found no more
Revelation 18:21.
Obadiah 1:17 17 “But
on Mount Zion there shall be deliverance
And there shall be holiness; The
house of Jacob shall possess their possessions.
YLT
17And in mount Zion there is
an escape
And it hath been holy
And the house of Jacob have possessed their
possessions.
But upon Mount Zion shall
be deliverance
.... Not only by Cyrus
at the end of the seventy years'
captivity; and by the Maccabees from the Idumeans
and other enemies; but by
the Messiah; for not merely temporal deliverance is here intended
unless as a
shadow
type
and figure; but spiritual deliverance from the law
sin
Satan
the world
death
hell
and wrath to come
by Christ; who is the Deliverer that
should both come to Zion and out of Zion
and who has wrought the above
deliverance for Zion
his church and people; and where it is preached and
proclaimed
and where those who are delivered come and dwell: or
"upon
Mount Zion shall be an escape"; or
"they that escape"F2תהיה פליטה "erit
evasio"
Vatablus
Piscator
Mercerus
Liveleus. ; the pollutions of the
world
the vengeance of divine justice
the curses of the law
and the
damnation of hell
by fleeing to Christ for refuge:
and there shall be holiness: that is
on Mount Zion
on the church
which is the holy hill of God
and where only holy persons
should dwell; and for whomsoever deliverance is wrought out
sooner or later
there will be in them holiness
both of heart and life; and indeed
without this
complete deliverance and salvation
which will be in heaven
will not be
enjoyed; hence those that are chosen to this salvation are chosen through
sanctification of the Spirit; and such as are redeemed and delivered by Christ
are purified to be a peculiar people
zealous of good works; and are
in
consequence of such deliverance and redemption
called with a holy calling
and
have principles of holiness implanted in them
and live holy lives and
conversations; and such kind of holiness
as it appeared in Zion
in the
churches of Christ in the first times of the Gospel
so it will be more
conspicuous among them in the latter day; see Isaiah 4:3 Zechariah 14:20;
or
"there shall be an Holy One"
or "thing"F3והיה קדש "erit
sanctus"
V. L. Liveleus
Drusius. ; the holy Jesus
who is holy in both
his natures
in all his offices
works
and words; the Lamb that should
and
has been
seen on Mount Zion; and the Holy Spirit of God
who dwells and abides
in his church
and among his people
to anoint and assist the ministers of the
word; to accompany the word with power
and make it successful; and to sanctify
and comfort the Lord's people in Zion; and there are the holy word of God
the
doctrines of grace according to godliness preached
and the sacred ordinances
of baptism and the Lord's supper administered. The Targum is
"and
they shall be holy;'
the
Lord's people: and so Kimchi interprets it of Israel being holy to the Lord;
and the house of Jacob shall possess their possessions: that is
either the Israelites shall possess the possessions of the Heathens
particularly of the Edomites; so the Targum
"and
they of the house of Jacob shall possess the substance of the people that
possessed them;'
see
Amos 9:11; which
was fulfilled spiritually in the first times of the Gospel
when the apostles
who were of the house of Jacob
and were Israelites indeed
preached the Gospel
to the Gentiles
and were the means of converting many of them
and of bringing
them into the Gospel church; which may be called the house of Jacob
when they
and theirs become their possession
and Christ
the master of this house
had
the Heathen given him for his inheritance
and the uttermost parts of the earth
for his possession
Psalm 2:8; or else
the sense is
that the people of God
true Christians
shall in Gospel times
possess their own possessions; God himself
who is their portion and
inheritance
and shall enjoy communion with him; Christ
and all that are his
all spiritual blessings in him; the Spirit and his graces
as the earnest of a
future and eternal inheritance; exceeding great and precious promises they are
heirs of
and a kingdom and glory hereafter; of which the possessions in the
land of Canaan
restored to the right owners of them in the year of jubilee
were a type. R. Moses says this prophecy has respect to the times of Hezekiah;
in which he is followed by Grotius
very wrongly; R. Jeshuah
better
to the
times of the second temple; but Japhet
best of all
to time to come
to the
times of the Messiah
to which it no doubt belongs: here begin the prophecies
concerning Christ
his church
and kingdom.
Obadiah 1:18 18 The
house of Jacob shall be a fire
And the house of Joseph a flame; But the house
of Esau shall be stubble; They shall kindle them and devour them
And no
survivor shall remain of the house of Esau
” For the Lord has spoken.
YLT
18And the house of Jacob hath
been a fire
And the house of Joseph a flame
And the house of Esau for
stubble
And they have burned among them
And they have consumed them
And
there is not a remnant to the house of Esau
For Jehovah hath spoken.
And the house of Jacob
shall be a fire
and the house of Joseph a flame
.... The former may
denote the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin
the latter the ten tribes
which
after the separation in Rehoboam's time were called Ephraim
and sometimes
Joseph; though they may here signify one and the same
since all the tribes will
be united
and become one people
at the time the prophecy refers to: the
meaning is
that the people of Judah and Israel shall have strength and power
to conquer and destroy their enemies
with as much ease
as flames of fire
consume chaff or stubble
or any such combustible matter they light upon
as it
follows:
and the house of Esau for stubble
and they shall kindle in them
and devour them; that is
the Israelites shall fall upon the Edomites
who will
be no more able to withstand them than stubble can stand before devouring
flames of fire
and shall utterly waste and destroy them:
and there shall not be any remaining of the house or Esau; they shall
all be cut off by
or swallowed up among
the Jews; not so much as a torch
bearer left
one that carries the lights before an army
as the Septuagint and
Arabic versions; which versions
and the custom alluded to
serve very much to
illustrate the passage. It was a custom with the Greeks
as we are toldF4Alex.
ab Alex. Genial. Dier. l. 5. c. 5.
when armies were about to engage
that
before the first ensigns stood a prophet or priest
bearing branches of laurels
and garlands
who was called "pyrophorus"
or the "torch
bearer"
because he held a lamp or torch; and it was accounted a most
criminal thing to do him any hurt
seeing he performed the office of an
ambassador; for those sort of men were priests of Mars
and sacred to him
so
that those that were conquerors always spared them: hence
when a total
destruction of an army
place
or people
was hyperbolically expressed
it used
to be said
not so much as a torch bearer or fire carrier escapedF5Herodot.
Urania
sive l. 8. c. 6. ; hence this phrase was proverbially used of the most
entire defeat of an army
or ruin of a people. So PhiloF6De Vita
Mosis
l. 1. p. 630. the Jew
speaking of the destruction of Pharaoh and his
host at the Red sea
says
there was not so much as a torch bearer left
to
declare the calamity to the Egyptians; and thus here
so general should be the
destruction of the Edomites
that not one should be left
no
nor a person in
such a post and office as described. The Targum of the whole is
"and
they of the house of Jacob shall be strong as fire
and they of the house of
Joseph strong like a; flame
but they of the house of Esau shall be weak as
stubble; and they shall have power over them
and kill them
and there shall be
none left of the: house of Esau.'
This
was fulfilled literally
either by Judas Maccabeus
when he went against the
children of Esau in Idumea
and smote them
and took their spoil
in the
Apocrypha:
"34
Then the host of Timotheus
knowing that it was Maccabeus
fled from him:
wherefore he smote them with a great slaughter; so that there were killed of
them that day about eight thousand men. 35 This done
Judas turned aside to
Maspha; and after he had assaulted it he took and slew all the males therein
and received the spoils thereof and burnt it with fire.' (1 Maccabees 5)
or
rather by Hyrcanus
who took the cities of Idumea
subdued all the Edomites
but permitted them to live in their own country
provided they would be
circumcised
and conform to the Jewish laws; which they did
as Josephus saysF7Antiqu.
l. 13. c. 9. sect. 1.
and coalesced and became the people with them
and were
reckoned as Jews
and no more as Edomites. But this prophecy had its
accomplishment spiritually
either in the first times of the Gospel
when the
apostles
who were Jews and Israelites
went forth into the Gentile world
and
among the enemies of Christ
preaching the word
which is like fire; and
when
attended with the spirit of judgment and of burning
enlightens the consciences
of men
melts their hearts
consumes their lusts
and is as a refiner's fire to
them
for
their purification; or
if not
it irritates
provokes
torments
and distresses
as fire does; and is either the savour of life unto life
or
the savour of death unto death; see Isaiah 4:4 Jeremiah 23:29; or
rather it will have its full and final accomplishment in the destruction of
antichrist
here signified by Esau and Edom
which will be by burning mystical
Babylon
the whore of Rome; the beast and false prophet will be burnt with
fire; the day of the
Lord will burn like an oven
and all the wicked will be
as stubble
which will be burnt by it
root and branch
so that none will
remain; see Revelation 17:16;
compare with Zechariah 12:6.
Kimchi
on Amos 9:12
says
this shall be in the days of the Messiah
the Edomites shall be all consumed
and the Israelites shall inherit their land:
for the Lord hath spoken it; and therefore it shall
most certainly be accomplished; what God has said shall be done
he will not
alter the thing that is gone out of his lips; heaven and earth shall sooner
pass away than one word of his.
Obadiah 1:19 19 The
South[c] shall
possess the mountains of Esau
And the Lowland shall possess Philistia. They
shall possess the fields of Ephraim And the fields of Samaria. Benjamin shall
possess Gilead.
YLT
19And they have possessed the
south with the mount of Esau
And the low country with the Philistines
And
they have possessed the field of Ephraim
And the field of Samaria
And
Benjamin with Gilead.
And they of the
south shall possess the land of Esau
.... That is
those Jews
that shall dwell in the southern part of the land of Judea shall seize upon the
country of Idumea
lying contiguous to them; they shall enlarge their border
and take that into their possession:
and they of the plain the Philistines; or of
Sephela
they that shall inhabit the plain
or champaign country of Judea
as
the parts of Lydda
Emmaus
and Sharon
were; these shall possess the country
of the Philistines
lying near unto them
as Azotus
Gaza
Ashkelon
Gath
and
Ekron:
and they shall possess the fields of Ephraim
and the fields of
Samaria; all the countries that the ten tribes inhabited
in the times of
their idolatry
before their captivity
which the Jews shall now be restored
unto:
and Benjamin shall possess Gilead; that tribe
shall be so enlarged as to take in the country of Gilead
which lay beyond
Jordan
formerly possessed by the
half tribe of Manasseh. Some think this was
fulfilled in the times of the Maccabees
when several of these places were
taken by Judas
in the Apocrypha:
"17.
Then said Judas unto Simon his brother
Choose thee out men
and go and deliver
thy brethren that are in Galilee
for I and Jonathan my brother will go into
the country of Galaad. 36. From thence went he
and took Casphon
Maged
Bosor
and the other cities of the country of Galaad. 38. So Judas sent men to espy
the host
who brought him word
saying
All the heathen that be round about us
are assembled unto them
even a very great host.' (1 Maccabees 5)
but
since the land of Judea
and the countries adjacent to it
were never as yet
inhabited by the Jews in the form and manner here mentioned
it rather respects
their settlement in their own land
in the latter day
when their borders will
be greatly enlarged; see Ezekiel 48:1; or it
may regard the enlargement of the church of Christ
either in the first times
of the Gospel
when that was spread in those parts
and met with success; see Acts 8:6; or rather
in the latter day
when Christ's kingdom will be from sea to sea
and his
dominion from the river to the ends of the earth
Psalm 72:8; and to
which also the following words belong.
Obadiah 1:20 20 And
the captives of this host of the children of Israel Shall possess the land
of the Canaanites As far as Zarephath. The captives of Jerusalem who are in
Sepharad Shall possess the cities of the South.[d]
YLT
20And the removed of this
force of the sons of Israel
That [is with] the Canaanites unto Zarephat
And
the removed of Jerusalem that [is] with the Sepharad
Possess the cities of the
south.
And the captivity of this
host of the children of Israel shall possess that of the Canaanites
even
unto Zarephath
.... That is
the host or army
the great number of the children
of Israel
that have been carried captive
upon their return shall possess that
part of the land of Israel which was inhabited formerly by the Canaanites
even
as far as to Zarephath
said to belong to Zidon
1 Kings 17:10; and
called Sarepta of Sidon; see Luke 4:26. It is
mentioned by PlinyF8Nat. Hist. l. 5. c. 19. along with Sidon
where
glass was made; and perhaps this place might have its name from the melting of
glass in it
from צרף
which signifies to melt
metals
glass
&c. it is called by JosephusF9Antiqu. l. 8. c.
13. sect. 2. Sarephtha; who says it was not far from Sidon and Tyre
and lay
between them: according to an Arabic geographerF11Scherif Ibn Idris
apud Reland. Palestina Illustrata
tom. 2. l. 3. p. 935.
it was twenty miles
from Tyre
and ten from Sidon. Here the Prophet Elijah dwelt for a time; and in
the times of JeromF12Epitaph. Paulae
fol. 51. M. was shown a little
tower
said to be his habitation
which travellers visited. Mr. MaundrellF13Journey
from Aleppo
&c. p. 48. Ed. 7. speaks of this place as three hours' journey
from Sidon
and is now called
"Sarphan
supposed (he says) to be the ancient Sarephath
or Sarepta
so famous for the
residence and miracles of the Prophet Elijah; the place shown us for this city consisted
of only a few houses on the tops of the mountains
within about half a mile of
the sea; but it is more probable the principal part of
the city stood below
in the space between the hills and the sea
there being ruins still to be seen
in that place
of a considerable extent?'
It
was once a place very famous for wine; the wine of Sarepta is often made
mention of by writersF14Vid. Roland. ut supra. ; perhaps vines might
grow upon the hills and mountains about it; and this being a city of Phoenicia
on the northern border of the land of Israel
is very fitly observed as the
limit of the possession of the Israelites this way;
and the captivity of Jerusalem
which is in Sepharad
shall
possess the cities of the south; the Jews
who were carried captive into
Babylon
to Sepharad; some place
though unknown
perhaps in the land of
Babylon. CalmetF15Dictionary
in the word "Sepharad".
conjectures it may be Sippara or Sipparat
in Mesopotamia
a little above the
division of the Euphrates: and the Septuagint version renders it Ephratha;
which perhaps is a corruption
of the Euphrates in the present copies: the
Vulgate Latin version translates it Bosphorus; and so Jerom
who says that the
Hebrew that taught him assured him that Bosphorus was called Sepharad; whither
Adrian is said to carry the Jews captive. Kimchi and Aben Ezra interpret it of
the present captivity of theirs by Titus
who upon their return to their land
shall possess the
southern part of it
which originally belonged to the tribe
of Judah
Joshua 15:20. If
Sepharad
in the Assyrian language
signifies a border
as Jerom says it does
it denotes
as some think
that part of Arabia which borders on the south of
Judea
that shall be inhabited by the Jews. Some render the words
"the
captivity of Jerusalem shall possess that which is in Sepharad
and the cities
of the south": but this is contrary to the accents
unless the words
"shall possess" be repeated
and so two clauses made
"the
captivity of Jerusalem shall possess that which is in Sepharad; they
shall possess the cities of the south". The Targum and Syriac version
instead of Sepharad
have Spain; and so the Jewish writers generally interpret
it. By the Canaanites they think are meant the Germans
and the country of
Germany; by Zarephath
France; and by Sepharad
Spain; so Aben Ezra
Jarchi
Kimchi
and Ben Melech
fancying that they who are now captives in these
countries shall one day possess them: but the prophecy only respects their
settlement in their own land
and some parts adjacent to it; or rather the
enlargement of the church of Christ in the world. A late learned writerF16Teelmanni
Specimen
& Explic. Parabol. p. 517.
is of opinion that some respect may
be had to this passage in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus
in which the
former makes mention of "five brethren" that he had
Luke 16:28; and are
by the said writer thus reckoned:
1.
the house of Jacob; 2. the house of Joseph
which are said to possess the
south
with the mountains of Esau
and the plain; 3. Benjamin
which shall
possess Gilead; 4. the captives from the Assyrian captivity; 5. the captives
from the Jerusalem captivity
namely
by Titus Vespasian
who shall possess the
cities of the south.
Obadiah 1:21 21 Then
saviors[e] shall come
to Mount Zion To judge the mountains of Esau
And the kingdom shall be the Lord’s.
YLT
21And gone up have saviours
on mount Zion
To judge the mount of Esau
And the kingdom hath been to
Jehovah!'
And saviours shall come
upon Mount Zion
.... Which according to some
is to be understood literally
either of Zerubbabel and Joshua
after the return of the Jews from the
Babylonish captivity
who were the restorers of
their civil and church state;
or rather of Judas Maccabeus and his brethren
who saved the people of the Jews
from Antiochus and his generals
called "saviours"
as the judges of
old were
Nehemiah 9:27; but
it is best to interpret these saviours of the apostles of Christ
and ministers
of the word; and especially of the preachers of the Gospel in the latter days;
called "saviours"
because they publish salvation
preach the Gospel
of it
show unto men the way of salvation; and so they
and the word preached
by them
are the means and instruments of the salvation of men; otherwise
Christ is the only Saviour of God's appointing and sending; and who came to
effect salvation
and is become the author of it
nor is it in any others; see 1 Timothy 4:16;
these in great numbers
in the latter day
wilt appear on Mount Zion
or in the
church of Christ
and
shall openly and publicly
as on a mountain
declare the
everlasting Gospel; these will be with Christ the Lamb
among the 144
000 upon
Mount Zion
Revelation 14:1.
Kimchi and Ben Melech say
these are the King Messiah and his companions
the
seven shepherds and eight principal men
Micah 5:5. Aben
Ezra says the words refer to time to come; according to Baalhatturim on Genesis 32:4; they
will be fulfilled about the end of the sixth Millennium
when they expect the
Messiah; and they are applied to times of the Messiah both by ancient and more
modern Jews. In their ancient book of ZoharF17In Gen. fol. 85. 1. it
is said
"when
the Messiah shall arise
Jacob shall take his portion above and below; and Esau
shall be utterly destroyed
and shall have no portion and inheritance in the
world
according to Obadiah 1:18; but
Jacob shall inherit two worlds
this world and the world to come; and of that
time is it written
"and saviours shall come upon Mount Zion"
&c.'
So
in the Jerusalem TalmudF18T. Hieros. Avoda Zara
fol. 40. 3.
"says
R. Hona
we do not find that Jacob our father went to Seir (see Genesis 33:14;) R.
Joden
the son of Rabbi
says
in future times (the world to come
the days of
the Messiah)
is it not said
"and saviours shall come upon Mount Zion
to
judge the mount of Esau?"'
And
to much the same purpose it is said in one of their ancient MidrassesF19Debarim
Rabba
fol. 234. 4. or expositions
"we
have turned over all the Scripture
and we do not find that Jacob stood with
Esau on Seir; he (God) said
until now it is with me to make judges and
saviours stand
to take vengeance on that man
as it is said
"and
saviours shall come up"
&c.'
And
the Cabalistic writersF20Kabala Denudata
par. 1. p. 283. thus
paraphrase the words
""and
saviours shall come up"; who are the Lord of hosts
and the God of hosts:
"on Mount Zion"; which is
the mystery of the living God: "to
judge the mount of Esau"; which is Mount Seir.'
So
MaimonidesF21Hilchot Melachim
c. 11. sect. 1.
quoting the passage
in Numbers 24:18
"Seir also shall be a possession for his enemies"
adds
by way of
explanation
this is the King Messiah
of whom it is said
"and saviours
shall come upon Mount Zion". The work and business of these saviours will
be
to judge the mount of Esau; to take vengeance on the
Edomites
for their ill usage of the children of Judah
as the Jewish
commentators generally interpret it: or rather
as Gospel ministers are these
saviours
it expresses their business; which as it is to declare that whoever
believes in Christ shall be saved
so that whoever does not shall be damned;
and to convince impenitent and believing sinners of their sin and danger
and
their need of Christ
judging and condemning
those that remain so: and
moreover
as Esau and Edom signify antichrist
the sense is
that they shall
publish proclaim the judgment of God upon antichrist
declare it to be near
yea
to be done; and shall express their approbation of the justice: of God in it
and shall call upon the saints to rejoice at it
Revelation 14:6;
yea
these saviours may include the Christian princes
that shall pour out the
vials of God's wrath upon the antichristian states;
and the kingdom shall be the Lord's: the Lord Christ's
who
is the one Jehovah with the Father and Spirit; meaning not the government of
the world
to which he has a natural right as Creator
and which is generally
ascribed to Jehovah the Father; nor the government of the church in this
present state
which is Christ's already
and ever was: but the government of
it in the latter day
when he will take to himself his great power
and reign;
when his kingdom will be more visible
spiritual
glorious; and extensive; when
the kingdoms of this world will become his
the Pagan
Papal
and Mahometan
kingdoms
even all the kingdoms and nations of the earth; he will be King over
all the earth; there will be but one Lord and King
and whose kingdom is an
everlasting one; it shall never come into other hands; this will continue till
the personal reign takes place
and that will issue in the ultimate glory; see Revelation 11:15.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)