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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)