Obd 11-14 | NETfull | STEP | You stood aloof while strangers took his army captive, and foreigners advanced to his gates. When they cast lots over Jerusalem, you behaved as though you were in league with them.

Obadiah 11-14

11 You stood aloof ^{▼▼ Heb “in the day of your standing”; NAB “On the day when you stood by.”} while strangers took his army ^{▼▼ Or perhaps, “wealth” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT). The Hebrew word is somewhat ambiguous here. This word also appears in v. 13, where it clearly refers to wealth.} captive,
and foreigners advanced to his gates. ^{▼▼ The present translation follows the Qere which reads the plural (“gates”) rather than the singular.}
When they cast lots ^{▼▼ Casting lots seems to be a way of deciding who would gain control over material possessions and enslaved peoples following a military victory.} over Jerusalem, ^{▼▼ For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; Journey of Paul map 1-F4; Journey of Paul map 2-F4; Journey of Paul map 3-F4; Journey of Paul map 4-F4.}
you behaved as though you were in league ^{▼▼ Heb “like one from them”; NASB “You too were as one of them.”} with them.
12 You should not ^{▼▼ In vv. 12–14 there are eight prohibitions which summarize the nature of the Lord’s complaint against Edom. Each prohibition alludes to something that Edom did to Judah that should not have been done by one “brother” to another. It is because of these violations that the Lord has initiated judgment against Edom. In the Hebrew text these prohibitions are expressed by אַל (’al, “not”) plus the jussive form of the verb, which is common in negative commands of immediate urgency. Such constructions would normally have the sense of prohibiting something either not yet begun (i.e., “do not start to …”) or something already in process at the time of speaking (i.e., “stop…”). Here, however, it seems more likely that the prohibitions refer to a situation in past rather than future time (i.e., “you should not have …”). If so, the verbs are being used in a rhetorical fashion, as though the prophet were vividly projecting himself back into the events that he is describing and urging the Edomites not to do what in fact they have already done.} have gloated ^{▼▼ The Hebrew expression “to look upon” often has the sense of “to feast the eyes upon” or “to gloat over” (cf. v. 13).} when your relatives ^{▼▼ Heb “your brother” (so NAB, NIV, NRSV); NCV “your brother Israel.”} suffered calamity. ^{▼▼ Heb “in the day of your brother, in the day of his calamity.” This expression is probably a hendiadys meaning, “in the day of your brother’s calamity.” The Hebrew word נָכְרוֹ (nokhro, “his calamity”) is probably a word-play on נָכְרִים (nokherim, “foreigners”) in v. 11.}
You should not have rejoiced over the people of Judah when they were destroyed. ^{▼▼ Heb “in the day of their destruction” (so KJV, NASB, NIV); NAB, NRSV “on the day of their ruin.”}
You should not have boasted ^{▼▼ Or “boasted with your mouth.” The Hebrew text includes the phrase “with your mouth,” which is redundant in English and has been left untranslated.} when they suffered adversity. ^{▼▼ Heb “in the day of adversity”; NASB “in the day of their distress.”}
13 You should not have entered the city ^{▼▼ Heb “the gate.” The term “gate” here functions as a synecdoche for the city as a whole, which the Edomites plundered.} of my people when they experienced distress. ^{▼▼ Heb “in the day of their distress.” The phrase is used three times in this verse; the Hebrew word translated “distress” (אֵידָם, ’edam) is a wordplay on the name Edom. For stylistic reasons and to avoid monotony, in the present translation this phrase is rendered: “when they experienced distress,” “when they suffered distress,” and “when they endured distress.”}
You should not have joined ^{▼▼ Heb “you, also you.”} in gloating over their misfortune when they suffered distress. ^{▼▼ Heb “in the day of his distress.” In this and the following phrase at the end of v. 13 the suffix is 3rd person masculine singular. As collective singulars both occurrences have been translated as plurals (“they suffered distress…endured distress” rather than “he suffered distress…endured distress”).}
You should not have looted ^{▼▼ In the MT the verb is feminine plural, but the antecedent is unclear. The Hebrew phrase תִּשְׁלַחְנָה (tishlakhnah) here should probably be emended to read תִּשְׁלַח יָד (tishlakh yad), although yad (“hand”) is not absolutely essential to this idiom.} their wealth when they endured distress. ^{▼▼ See the note on the phrase “suffered distress” in the previous line.}
14 You should not have stood at the fork in the road ^{▼▼ The meaning of the Hebrew word פֶּרֶק (pereq; here translated “fork in the road”) is uncertain. The word is found in the Hebrew Bible only here and in Nah 3:1, where it means “plunder.” In the present context it seems to refer to a strategic intersection or fork in a road where bands of Edomites apprehended Israelites who were fleeing from the attack on Jerusalem. Cf. NAB, NIV, NLT “crossroads”; NRSV “crossings.”} to slaughter ^{▼▼ Heb “to cut off” (so KJV, NRSV); NASB, NIV “to cut down.”} those trying to escape. ^{▼▼ Heb “his fugitives”; NAB, CEV “refugees.”}
You should not have captured their refugees when they suffered adversity. ^{▼▼ Heb “in the day of distress” (so KJV, ASV).}