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Book of Obadiah — Quick facts:

Purpose: To announce God’s judgment on Edom, who had rejoiced at and participated in Judah’s destruction

Author: Obadiah

Date: Around 586 BC

Setting: Probably very soon after the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians

Book of Obadiah — Overview:

Setting
The people of Edom were descended from Jacob’s brother, Esau (see Gen 25:30 ^a). The Edomites mostly inhabited the highlands east of the Arabah and south of the Dead Sea. Edom existed throughout most of Israel’s monarchy (around 1050–586 BC) and was often a vassal to the southern kingdom of Judah (2 Sam 8:14 ^b; 1 Kgs 11:14-16 ^c; 2 Kgs 8:20-22 ^d; cp. 2 Kgs 3:9-14 ^e). Edom was probably infiltrated and supplanted by Arab kingdoms around 600–400 BC. In postexilic and New Testament times, Edom resurfaced in southern Judah under the Greek name Idumea, whose most infamous citizen was Herod the Great, the self-styled “King of the Jews.”
As a nation, Edom replayed Esau’s original animosity toward Jacob. For example, Edom opposed Israel’s exodus from Egypt (Num 20:14-21 ^f; 21:4 ^g). Much later, when the kingdom of Judah was attacked and taken into exile by the Babylonians, Edom not only rejoiced in the event but also sided with the Babylonians against Israel, seeking to enrich themselves. This infidelity toward their “brother” Israel prompted Obadiah’s prophecy.

Summary
Obadiah is built around two related themes: the destruction of Edom, and the vindication and restoration of Judah.
In Obadiah’s introduction (1:1-9 ^h), a messenger is sent to call the nations to battle against Edom, and Edom’s judgment is announced. The overthrow of Edom would completely destroy the pride of this nation that was secure in its physical location and its intellectual achievements.
The second section (1:10-14 ⁱ) gives the reasons for Edom’s humiliation in a series of taunts. The errant nation had a duty to its brother Jacob that it not only ignored but actively repudiated.
In the third and final section (1:15-21 ^j), Obadiah envisions a coming day of the Lord that will culminate in a universal Kingdom belonging to God. Those who do evil will suffer terrible consequences (1:15-16 ^k), and those who have suffered unjustly will be restored (1:17-21 ^l). The people of Jerusalem will repossess the land inherited from their forefathers and will spill over their borders in every direction. Their nemesis, Edom, will be subjugated as an example of what happens to those who oppose the Lord’s rule, and the whole world will recognize the Lord as King.

Authorship and Date
Obadiah’s name means “servant of the Lord.” He is known only from his prophecy and from clues that the text provides as to his time and place. Several individuals in Old Testament Israel were named Obadiah, including King Ahab’s palace supervisor at an earlier time (1 Kgs 18:3-16 ^m).
Obadiah’s prophecy was motivated by the invasion of the kingdom of Judah. In 586 BC, the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar terminated Judah’s independence and exiled its last king, Zedekiah (2 Kgs 25:1-30 ⁿ). Outside of the book of Obadiah, there is little reference to Edom’s specific response to this event (see also Isa 34:5-10 ^o). Obadiah probably wrote his prophecy shortly after Jerusalem was destroyed in 586 BC.

Literary Features
Obadiah’s message about Edom echoes that of other prophets, and parts of it closely follow Jeremiah 49:9 ^p, 14-16 ^q. It should probably be read in conjunction with other prophecies regarding Edom’s future and may even function as an expansion of such passages as Joel 3:19 ^r and Amos 9:12 ^s.

Meaning and Message
On first reading, it is easy to regard Obadiah’s prophecy as little more than a prophetic tirade in which the Lord’s wrath is directed toward Israel’s enemies. The Lord’s wrath is real, and evil does not go unpunished, but the book has far more to say than this.
Nations, like individuals, should attend carefully to what they plant, because the time of harvest will quickly come. God is offended by wrongdoing, and he brings justice for the oppressed. What Edom did to Judah, whether actively or passively, would rebound on them according to the ancient law of retribution (lex talionis): “As you have done ... so it will be done to you” (1:15 ^t).
The day of the Lord will break in, bringing full justice to the oppressed, punishment to the oppressors, and the onset of a universal kingdom in which the Lord rules over all nations. On a local and historical level, this meant that Israel would be restored to her land and given sovereignty over the lands of Edom. On a universal level, Edom’s punishment was only part of a larger scenario of judgment. Not just Edom, but “all ... nations” (1:16 ^u) will drink the cup of the Lord’s wrath. When the Lord returns as King to a restored Jerusalem, Mount Zion will be at the very center of the new order.
This picture of God dominates Obadiah’s theology and forces modern readers to face a decision. Whom will we serve—a god who is indifferent to evil, or the God of justice that we find in Obadiah? Only a God who judges evil can reassure us that evil will not ultimately triumph. Obadiah looks forward to that new day when “the Lord himself will be king” (1:21 ^v). This hope of Israel became the hope of the whole world when Christ announced, “The Kingdom of God is near” (Mark 1:15 ^w; Luke 10:9-12 ^x; 21:31-33 ^y).
1:1 ^z The word vision introduces a prophetic book (Isa 1:1 ^aa; Nah 1:1 ^ab); it also defines what a prophet saw or sensed as a divine word (Ezek 12:26-27 ^ac; Dan 8:1 ^ad). A vision that did not come from the Lord was false (Jer 14:14 ^ae; 23:16 ^af), the ultimate proof being its lack of fulfillment (Ezek 12:22-24 ^ag). By contrast, true visions of near or distant events do come to fruition (Ezek 12:25 ^ah; Hab 2:3 ^ai). Prophetic visions came in various forms (dreams, extrasensory experiences; e.g., Dan 8:2 ^aj). The absence of visions is a mark of divine abandonment (Lam 2:9 ^ak; Ezek 7:26 ^al; Mic 3:6 ^am).

• Sovereign Lord is one of several names for the God of Israel.

• Obadiah was a common Hebrew name that meant “servant of the Lord.” The prophet Obadiah is unknown apart from this book.

• an ambassador was sent to the nations: In ancient warfare, allies would be contacted about joining a military coalition to punish an enemy or defend against attack. Here the Sovereign Lord calls the nations to redress Edom’s evil pride.

• Let’s assemble: This is a willing coalition, though ironically, they will be punished later for their own evil deeds (Obad 1:15-16 ^an).
Summary for Obad 1:2-4: 1:2-4 ^ao I will cut you down: Several messages of judgment rehearse Edom’s specific sins against Israel (1:10-14 ^ap; Jer 49:7-22 ^aq; Ezek 25:12-14 ^ar; 36:5 ^as;). Edom frequently appears among the nations that opposed Israel and the Lord (Isa 34 ^at; Ezek 35–36 ^au; Amos 9:1-15 ^av).

• down to size among the nations ... your own pride: Edom’s rocky topography mimicked Edom’s pride. The height of the mountain fortress that provided their security only emphasizes the height from which Edom would fall. Edomite princes were among the arrogant rulers of the nations (Ezek 32:29 ^aw; cp. Gen 36 ^ax; 1 Chr 1:43-54 ^ay).
Summary for Obad 1:5-7: 1:5-7 ^az The Babylonians completely destroyed Jerusalem. By sharing in the plunder, Edom deserved equal retribution (see 1:15-18 ^ba). 1:5 ^bb Edom’s destroyers would take everything, unlike thieves and harvesters. Thieves would leave anything that would hinder an immediate, successful escape; harvesters would always leave gleanings for the poor (Deut 24:19 ^bc; cp. Ruth 2 ^bd; Matt 12:1 ^be).
1:6 ^bf Edom: The Hebrew text uses the name of Esau, Jacob’s brother, indicating Edom’s violation of a fraternal relationship (1:10-14 ^bg).
1:7 ^bh allies (literally men of the covenant): Edom should have been the ally of its brother Israel, but instead, Edom had made a covenant with Babylon.

• promise you peace (literally men of peace, paralleling men of the covenant): It was poetic justice that Edom’s treachery with Israel was rewarded by Babylon’s treachery against Edom.
1:8 ^bi At that time (literally in that day): The Hebrew word yom, “day,” occurs twelve times in 1:8-15 ^bj, often translated “when” or “at that time.” The time referred to in 1:8 ^bk is the beginning of the end, when God steps in to reverse the fortunes of his people.

• wise person ... everyone who has understanding: Edom took pride in its wisdom tradition (cp. Jer 49:7 ^bl). For example, the book of Job is set in Edomite territory.
Summary for Obad 1:10-14: 1:10-14 ^bm Because of the violence you did ... in Israel: The basis for Esau’s condemnation is stated in 1:10 ^bn (cp. Isa 34 ^bo; Jer 49:7-22 ^bp; Joel 3:19 ^bq; Amos 1:11-12 ^br) and amplified in Obad 1:11-14 ^bs, where Edom’s treachery is described. In legal terms, the evidence of these verses supports the charge of covenant breaking.
1:11 ^bt Outside of this book, nothing specific is known of Edom’s role during the various Babylonian invasions of Judah (in 605, 597, and 586 BC). Responsibility toward one’s neighbor is a specific requirement of God’s law (e.g., Deut 22:1-4 ^bu; cp. Matt 25:41-46 ^bv), especially when there is either a specific “treaty of brotherhood” (Amos 1:9 ^bw) or a historical relationship that is regarded as fraternal (see study note on Obad 1:6).
Summary for Obad 1:12-14: 1:12-14 ^bx All societies are held accountable for sins such as those of Edom (see, e.g., the oracles against Israel’s neighbors in Amos 1:3–2:3 ^by). Among the sins that the Edomites committed against Judah were sharing with the Babylonians in plundering the land (Obad 1:13 ^bz) and either killing or repatriating Judah’s fugitives (1:14 ^ca). 1:12 ^cb The tribes of Israel were Edom’s relatives (literally brother; cp. Num 20:14 ^cc).

• Edom and other local nations had apparently deceived themselves into thinking that rapprochement with Nebuchadnezzar in 586 BC would bring them respite. Their time of judgment would come.
Summary for Obad 1:15-18: 1:15-18 ^cd The law of retribution (lex talionis) is that we harvest what we plant. Edom’s treachery, compounded by her pride, would be more than returned when the cup of vengeance came around to her lips. Justice would bring deliverance for Israel and punishment for Edom (see also Jer 49:7-22 ^ce; Ezek 32:29 ^cf; Mal 1:2-5 ^cg). 1:15 ^ch The day is near when I, the Lord, will judge (literally the day of the Lord is near): Although the day of the Lord was sometimes a temporal event (e.g., the forthcoming destruction of Edom; Joel’s locust plague, Joel 1:15 ^ci), in its final form that day encompasses God’s final retribution on all godless nations.

• As you have done: For those who experience judgment, their evil deeds shape their punishment.
1:17 ^cj Jerusalem would become a refuge for those who escape. A remnant of Judah remained in Jerusalem (see Jer 40:11-12 ^ck). The Lord’s mountain of refuge sharply contrasts with Edom’s failed cliff fortresses.

• their inheritance: The land God gave to Abraham (Gen 12:1-7 ^cl) would be returned to his descendants in perpetuity.

• the people of Israel: This promise of a return for the people of Judah but not for the Edomites was picked up by the prophet Malachi (Mal 1:4-5 ^cm).
1:18 ^cn The principle of retribution is expressed in the vivid image of a raging fire burning Edom to extinction. Edomite cities were burned by Babylonian king Nabonidus in 553 BC.
Summary for Obad 1:19-21: 1:19-21 ^co History yields to the day when the entire world will belong to the Lord as his kingdom. This message encourages God’s people and warns the nations that forget God.
Summary for Obad 1:19-20: 1:19-20 ^cp God’s people living in the Negev, the foothills of Judah, and Benjamin (three regions of Judah) would possess territories of their neighbors (Edom, the Philistine plains, Gilead). Restored Israel would recover Ephraim and Samaria (territory lost in 722–721 BC to Assyria) and expand its borders to those lands promised in the conquest (the Philistine plains, the land of Gilead, the Phoenician coast). See also Ezek 47:13-23 ^cq.
1:20 ^cr in the north: Hebrew in Sepharad, probably a colony of Jewish exiles in Asia Minor who would return to the Negev. The scene corresponds with some actual events but looks beyond any single movement of refugees to the end times.
1:21 ^cs to Mount Zion: God’s people would ascend his holy mountain to rule over (or to judge) the mountains of their ancient foe Edom as a precursor to the coming universal Kingdom.