Obadiah
Obadiah front
Introduction to Obadiah
Part 1: General Introduction
Outline of the Book of Obadiah
- Yahweh will judge Edom (1:1-16)
- Yahweh will destroy Edom (1:1–9)
- Why Yahweh will destroy Edom (1:10–14)
- Yahweh will judge the nations (1:15–16)
- Yahweh will deliver his people (1:17–21)
What is the Book of Obadiah about?
After Babylon destroyed Jerusalem, the Edomites captured fleeing Jews. Then they gave these Jews over to Babylon. The Book of Obadiah is about Yahweh judging the Edomites for harming his people. This book would be comforting to the exiled people of Judah.
How should the title of this book be translated?
This book is traditionally titled “The Book of Obadiah” or just “Obadiah.” Translators may decide to use a clearer title such as “The Sayings of Obadiah.” (See: How to Translate Names)
Who wrote the Book of Obadiah?
The prophet Obadiah probably wrote this book. We know nothing more about Obadiah. His name in Hebrew means “Servant of Yahweh.”
Part 2: Important Religious and Cultural Concepts
What was Edom’s relationship to Israel?
Obadiah referred to Edom as Israel’s brother. This is because the Edomites descended from Esau, and the Israelites descended from Jacob. Jacob and Esau were brothers. This made Edom betraying Israel much worse.
Part 3: Important Translation Issues
How do I translate the concept of “pride”?
The Book of Obadiah speaks of the pride of Edom. This meant that the Edomites thought their enemies or Yahweh could not defeat them. (See: proud, pride, prideful)
Obadiah 1
Obadiah 1:1
חֲז֖וֹן עֹֽבַדְיָ֑ה
This is the title of the book. Here “vision” is used in the general sense of a message from Yahweh, rather than to indicate how Obadiah received that message. “Vision” here is a metaphor for a way of getting knowledge from God. (See: Metaphor) Alternate translation: “The message that God gave to Obadiah” or “The prophecy of Obadiah” (See: Biblical Imagery - Body Parts and Human Qualities)
עֹֽבַדְיָ֑ה
Some English translations call the prophet Abdias, but Obadiah is the form of his name most commonly used in English. (See: How to Translate Names)
כֹּֽה־אָמַר֩ אֲדֹנָ֨י יְהוִ֜ה לֶאֱד֗וֹם
This tells the reader that the entire book is a message about Edom.
יְהוִ֜ה
This is the name of God that he revealed to his people in the Old Testament. (See: How to Translate Names)
לֶאֱד֗וֹם
The people are being described by the name of something closely associated with them, the land they live in. Alternate translation: “the people of Edom.” (See: Metonymy)
שְׁמוּעָ֨ה שָׁמַ֜עְנוּ
You could translate this “I have heard” to show that Obadiah is speaking as one person among the many in the nations around Edom who have heard Yahweh’s message. Another alternative: “Yahweh our God has told me this.” (See: Pronouns)
וְצִיר֙…שֻׁלָּ֔ח
You can use the active form of the verb. Alternate translation: “I, Yahweh, have sent a messenger.” (See: Active or Passive)
וְצִיר֙…שֻׁלָּ֔ח
You could specify who sent the messenger. Alternate translation: “Yahweh has sent a messenger.” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)
ק֛וּמוּ וְנָק֥וּמָה עָלֶיהָ
The end of the verse is not spoken by Obadiah himself. Rather, those are the words of Yahweh’s messenger. They can be presented as a quotation with an introductory formula such as “saying,” or as indirect quotation as in UST. (See: Direct and Indirect Quotations)
ק֛וּמוּ
This phrase is used to tell people to get ready, in this case to attack Edom. (See: Idiom)
וְנָק֥וּמָה עָלֶיהָ
“Her” refers to the people of Edom. They are being described again by reference to something closely associated with them, their land. Alternate translation: “against the people of Edom.” (See: Metonymy)
לַמִּלְחָמָֽה
You could translate the abstract noun “battle” with a verb. Alternate translation: “to attack her.” (See: Abstract Nouns)
Obadiah 1:2
הִנֵּ֥ה קָטֹ֛ן נְתַתִּ֖יךָ
The addressee changes here. This is no longer the messenger speaking to the other nations. Yahweh is now speaking directly to Edom. You could add a phrase to indicate this, for example, “Yahweh says this to the people of Edom.”
הִנֵּ֥ה
This alerts the people of Edom to pay special attention to what follows. Alternate translation: “Look” or “Pay attention to what I am about to tell you.”
קָטֹ֛ן נְתַתִּ֖יךָ בַּגּוֹיִ֑ם בָּז֥וּי אַתָּ֖ה מְאֹֽד
These two phrases mean similar things and are used together to emphasize that Edom will lose its important status. (See: Parallelism)
קָטֹ֛ן נְתַתִּ֖יךָ בַּגּוֹיִ֑ם
Something insignificant is spoken of figuratively as if it were small in size and could easily be overlooked. Alternate translation: “insignificant among the nations” (See: Metaphor)
בָּז֥וּי אַתָּ֖ה מְאֹֽד
You could state this in the active form. Alternate translation: “the people of other nations will hate you” (See: Active or Passive)
Obadiah 1:3
לִבְּךָ֙
Here the heart is used figuratively to refer to a person’s thoughts and feelings. (See: Biblical Imagery - Body Parts and Human Qualities)
בְחַגְוֵי־סֶּ֖לַע
This means a place that is protected because it is surrounded by rocks.
מְר֣וֹם שִׁבְתּ֑וֹ
This says “his” as if Yahweh were talking aloud about Edom rather than to Edom, but it can be translated with “you” as part of Yahweh’s continuing words to the people. Alternate translation: “you who live in the clefts of the rock” (See: First, Second or Third Person)
אֹמֵ֣ר בְּלִבּ֔וֹ
This says “he” and “his,” as if Yahweh were talking aloud about Edom rather than to Edom, but it can be translated with “you” as part of Yahweh’s continuing words to the people. Alternate translation: “you who say in your heart” or “you who say to yourselves” (See: First, Second or Third Person)
בְּלִבּ֔וֹ
Here the heart is used figuratively to refer to a person’s thoughts and feelings. Alternate translation: “say to yourselves” or “think” (See: Biblical Imagery - Body Parts and Human Qualities)
מִ֥י יוֹרִדֵ֖נִי אָֽרֶץ
The question form shows how proud the Edomites were and how safe they felt. Alternate translation: “No one can bring me down to the ground” or “I am safe from all attackers.” (See: Rhetorical Question)
Obadiah 1:4
אִם־תַּגְבִּ֣יהַּ כַּנֶּ֔שֶׁר וְאִם־בֵּ֥ין כּֽוֹכָבִ֖ים שִׂ֣ים קִנֶּ֑ךָ
The two expressions have similar meanings. Yahweh is showing that what he is saying is important by saying it more than once in slightly different ways. (See: Parallelism)
אִם־תַּגְבִּ֣יהַּ כַּנֶּ֔שֶׁר וְאִם־בֵּ֥ין כּֽוֹכָבִ֖ים שִׂ֣ים קִנֶּ֑ךָ
The people of Edom think they are safe because they live up high in the mountains. Yahweh is saying that even if they lived much higher than it is actually possible for humans to live, they would still not be safe. Alternate translation: “And I tell you that even if you had wings and could fly higher than eagles fly, and if you could make your homes among the stars” (See: Hyperbole)
שִׂ֣ים קִנֶּ֑ךָ
You could use the active form of the verb. Alternate translation: “if you could make your homes.” (See: Active or Passive)
מִשָּׁ֥ם אוֹרִֽידְךָ֖
Yahweh’s response to the Edomites is that they would not be safe anywhere from his judgment and punishment. Alternate translation: “you would still not be safe there from the attackers that I am sending.” This is a spatial metaphor. “Bringing down” means humbling. (See: Metaphor)
Obadiah 1:5
אִם־גַּנָּבִ֤ים בָּאֽוּ־לְךָ֙ אִם־שׁ֣וֹדְדֵי לַ֔יְלָה
These two phrases mean the same thing. The repetition is used to emphasize the idea they are expressing. You could combine them. Alternate translation: “When thieves break into someone’s house during the night and rob them.” (See: Doublet)
אֵ֣יךְ נִדְמֵ֔יתָה
You could use the active form of the verb, and you could specify that the attackers the messenger has summoned will ruin Edom. Alternate translation: “But attackers will completely destroy your country!” (See: Active or Passive and Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)
אֵ֣יךְ נִדְמֵ֔יתָה
Yahweh adds this phrase in the middle of another sentence to express that the punishment of Edom is shocking. You could move the phrase to the end of the verse and make it its own sentence. Alternate translation: “But attackers will completely destroy your country!” (See: Exclamations)
אִם־גַּנָּבִ֤ים בָּאֽוּ־לְךָ֙ אִם־שׁ֣וֹדְדֵי לַ֔יְלָה
This is a rhetorical question. The question form is used for emphasis. Alternate translation: “they would only steal what they wanted” (See: Rhetorical Question)
הֲל֥וֹא יִגְנְב֖וּ דַּיָּ֑ם
Yahweh is implying that he will despoil Edom worse than thieves do when they plunder a house. You could state this explicitly. Alternate translation: “they would only steal what they wanted, but I will take everything from you!” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)
אִם־בֹּֽצְרִים֙ בָּ֣אוּ לָ֔ךְ הֲל֖וֹא יַשְׁאִ֥ירוּ עֹלֵלֽוֹת
This is a rhetorical question. The question form is used for emphasis. Alternate translation: “they would leave some grapes” (See: Rhetorical Question)
אִם־בֹּֽצְרִים֙ בָּ֣אוּ לָ֔ךְ הֲל֖וֹא יַשְׁאִ֥ירוּ עֹלֵלֽוֹת
Yahweh is implying that he will strip away Edom’s possessions more completely than grape harvesters strip vines. You could state this explicitly. Alternate translation: “they would leave some grapes, but I will take everything from you!” (See: Rhetorical Question)
Obadiah 1:6
אֵ֚יךְ נֶחְפְּשׂ֣וּ עֵשָׂ֔ו נִבְע֖וּ מַצְפֻּנָֽיו
You could use the active form for both of these passive verbs. Alternate translation: “these attackers will take away everything that is valuable. They will even find and take away the valuable things that you have hidden.” (See: Active or Passive)
אֵ֚יךְ נֶחְפְּשׂ֣וּ עֵשָׂ֔ו נִבְע֖וּ מַצְפֻּנָֽיו
You could state explicitly who will take away Edom’s valuables. Alternate translation: “These attackers will take away everything that is valuable. They will even find and take away the valuable things that you have hidden.” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)
עֵשָׂ֔ו
Here the name “Esau” refers to the people of Edom. They were the descendants of Esau, who was also known as Edom. All the people of Edom are being portrayed as if they were a single person, their ancestor. (See: Personification)
נֶחְפְּשׂ֣וּ
This means the enemies have search through Esau’s things, taken everything valuable, and left everything else in a mess or damaged.
Obadiah 1:7
עַֽד־הַגְּב֣וּל שִׁלְּח֗וּךָ
Alternate translation, “They will force you to leave your country.” However, since it is not specified whose border this is, another interpretation would be that the people of Edom will try to take refuge in the lands of their allies, but they won’t be allowed to.
כֹּ֚ל אַנְשֵׁ֣י בְרִיתֶ֔ךָ…אַנְשֵׁ֣י שְׁלֹמֶ֑ךָ לַחְמְךָ֗
All three phrases refer to Edom’s allies. Yahweh is showing that what he is saying is important by saying it more than once in similar ways. (See: Parallelism)
בְרִיתֶ֔ךָ
The word “your” refers to the nation of Edom.
לַחְמְךָ֗ יָשִׂ֤ימוּ מָזוֹר֙ תַּחְתֶּ֔יךָ
Hebrew says simply “your bread.” Hearers and readers are expected to understand the meaning and supply the missing words in their minds. (See: Ellipsis)
אֵ֥ין תְּבוּנָ֖ה בּֽוֹ
Yahweh could be saying this as an aside about the people of Edom, rather than speaking to them. (See: Aside) Alternately, the former allies could be saying this about Edom. Alternate translation: “Then they will say to you, ‘You are not as clever as you thought you were!’” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)
תְּבוּנָ֖ה
You could translate the abstract noun “understanding” with a verb. Alternate translation: “They will say to you, ‘You are not as clever as you thought you were!’” (See: Abstract Nouns)
בּֽוֹ
That is, Edom. All the people are being portrayed as if they were a single person, their ancestor. (See: Personification)
Obadiah 1:8
הֲל֛וֹא בַּיּ֥וֹם הַה֖וּא נְאֻם־יְהוָ֑ה וְהַאֲבַדְתִּ֤י חֲכָמִים֙ מֵֽאֱד֔וֹם וּתְבוּנָ֖ה מֵהַ֥ר עֵשָֽׂו
This is a rhetorical question. Yahweh uses the question form to emphasize that Edom’s destruction is certain. Alternate translation: “‘On that day,’ says Yahweh, ‘I will certainly destroy …’” (See: Rhetorical Question)
חֲכָמִים֙
The original audience would have known that Edom was famous for its wisdom. However, when Edom is destroyed, it will become clear that its people were not wise to think they were safe because they lived on rugged cliffs. (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)
וּתְבוּנָ֖ה
You could translate this abstract noun with a verb, for example, “No one will know what to do any more.” (See: Abstract Nouns)
מֵהַ֥ר עֵשָֽׂו
Most of the land of Esau was mountains, so this is one way of referring to the land of Edom. This was one of the mountains in Edom. It is sometimes identified with Mount Bozrah. Yahweh is referring to the whole territory by the name of one prominent part of it. Alternate translation: “the land of Edom.” (See: Synecdoche)
Obadiah 1:9
וְחַתּ֥וּ גִבּוֹרֶ֖יךָ תֵּימָ֑ן
Yahweh stops speaking to the people of Edom and addresses a region of the country, even though it cannot understand him. This shows that Yahweh feels very strongly about what he is saying. (See Apostrophe) Alternate translation: “The soldiers in the army of Edom will become terrified.” (See: Apostrophe)
תֵּימָ֑ן
Teman is the name of a region in the land of Edom. Yahweh is referring to the whole territory of Edom by the name of one part of it. (See Synecdoche) Alternate translation: “The soldiers in the army of Edom.”
לְמַ֧עַן
There is a cause-and-effect relationship here. The soldiers in the army of Edom will become “dismayed,” that is, they will give up and stop fighting. This will leave everyone else defenseless, and so they will all be destroyed. Alternate translation: “when your army stops fighting.” (See: Connect - Goal (Purpose) Relationship)
יִכָּֽרֶת־אִ֛ישׁ
“Cut off” here is a metaphor for being killed. The Edomites aren’t actually part of the mountain, but they live there, so it’s as if something is being cut off or taken away from the mountain. Alternate translation: “your enemies will completely destroy all you people.” (See: Metaphor)
יִכָּֽרֶת
You could use an active verb form, and you could specify who will do the action. Alternate translation: “your enemies will … destroy.” (See: Active or Passive and Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)
אִ֛ישׁ
Hebrew “man” means “every person” here. Alternate translation: “all you people.” (See: When Masculine Words Include Women)
אִ֛ישׁ
Yahweh says in v. 8 that he will destroy the wise men in Edom, and here in v. 9 that the mighty men will be “dismayed” (that is, they will give up trying to fight). The implication is that no one else will escape the invading armies either. Yahweh is basically challenging everyone in Edom by asking, “If the ones you would count on most to rescue you, the wise and the strong, will be destroyed by these attackers, how can anyone else think they will survive?” You can use similar words in verse 8 and 9 to show how this argument develops over these two verses.
מֵהַ֥ר עֵשָׂ֖ו
As in v. 8, Yahweh is referring to the whole territory by the name of this one part of it. Alternate translation: “who live the land of Edom.” (See: Synecdoche)
מִקָּֽטֶל
The abstract noun “slaughter” intensifies the idea of being “cut off” or killed. You could use an adverb to translate it. Alternate translation: “completely” (See: Abstract Nouns)
Obadiah 1:10
אָחִ֥יךָ
The term “brother” is being used here to refer to members of a related people group. Alternate translation: “your relatives who are the descendants of Jacob” (See: Biblical Imagery - Body Parts and Human Qualities)
יַעֲקֹ֖ב
Here the name “Jacob” refers to the people of Judah, who were his descendants. All the people are being portrayed as if they were a single person, their ancestor. (See: Personification)
תְּכַסְּךָ֣ בוּשָׁ֑ה
You could use a verb to translate the abstract noun “shame,” and “you” could do the action instead of receiving it. Alternate translation: “you will feel ashamed.” (See: Abstract Nouns)
תְּכַסְּךָ֣ בוּשָׁ֑ה
To be “covered” with something is an idiom for fully experiencing it. Alternate translation: “you will be completely ashamed” (See: Idiom)
וְנִכְרַ֖תָּ לְעוֹלָֽם
You could use an active form of the verb. Alternate translation: “your enemies will destroy you.” (See: Active or Passive)
וְנִכְרַ֖תָּ
You can specify who will do the action. Alternate translation: “your enemies will destroy you.” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)
וְנִכְרַ֖תָּ
As in v. 5, this is an idiom for being destroyed. Alternate translation: “destroyed.” (See: Idiom)
Obadiah 1:11
עֲמָֽדְךָ֣ מִנֶּ֔גֶד
This is a metaphor that gives the picture of a person just standing around and not helping. It figuratively means “did not help him.” You could say that as an Alternate Translation. (See: Metaphor)
שְׁב֥וֹת זָרִ֖ים חֵיל֑וֹ וְנָכְרִ֞ים בָּ֣אוּ שְׁעָרָ֗יו
These two phrases mean similar things. They are used together to emphasize that Judah was in a desperate situation. Invading armies were plundering it. (See: Parallelism)
חֵיל֑וֹ…שְׁעָרָ֗יו
“His” refers to “your brother Jacob” (v. 10), meaning the people of Judah. (See: Personification)
חֵיל֑וֹ
In this context, this Hebrew term could either mean “wealth” or “army.”
שְׁעָרָ֗יו
“Gates” means “city.” The gates, the first part of a city that you would come to, are being used to represent the whole city. Alternate translation: “all the cities of Judah” (See: Synecdoche)
וְעַל־יְרוּשָׁלִַ֨ם֙ יַדּ֣וּ גוֹרָ֔ל
This is a figurative way of saying that when all the cities of Judah were conquered, Jerusalem was the big prize. If something is so special that everybody wants to have it and you can't divide it up, you cast lots for it. Alternate translation: “they even plundered Jerusalem.” (See: Metaphor)
גַּם־אַתָּ֖ה כְּאַחַ֥ד מֵהֶֽם
Alternate translation: “you were just as bad as those foreigners, because you did nothing to help.” The people of Edom did not do exactly the same things as the “strangers” and “foreigners.” You could use the alternate translation to explain how the people of Edom were still “like” them. (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)
Obadiah 1:12
וְאַל
This phrase is used eight times in verses 12–14. It introduces a statement about how people should generally behave. But in these verses, the statements apply specifically to what the people of Edom have just done to the people of Judah. So an alternate translation in every case would be, “You should not have.” (For example, you could change “you should not rejoice” to “you should not have rejoiced.”)
וְאַל
Yahweh uses a repetitive series of sentences to show how badly the people of Edom have treated the people of Judah. A repetitive series is called a “litany.” This is a list of the charges against the people of Edom. Yahweh goes on to say in verses 15 and 16 that he has found them guilty of all these charges and will punish them. (See: Litany)
וְאַל־תֵּ֤רֶא
The Hebrew expression “see” is an idiom here for “enjoy looking at.” Alternate translation: “you should not have gloated over.” (See: Idiom)
בְיוֹם
This expression refers to a specific time when God punishes people for their sin.
אָחִ֨יךָ֙
As in v. 10, Yahweh describes the people of Judah as a “brother” to the descendants of Esau because Jacob was the brother of Esau (Edom). (See: Personification)
בְּי֣וֹם נָכְר֔וֹ
As in v. 10, Yahweh describes the people of Judah as a “brother” to the descendants of Esau because Jacob was the brother of Esau (Edom). (See: Personification)
לִבְנֵֽי־יְהוּדָ֖ה
Here the word “sons” does not refer only to men. It means all the descendants of Jacob’s son Judah, and more broadly all the Israelites from a number of different tribes who had come to live in the kingdom of Judah at this time. Alternate translation: “the Israelites.” (See: When Masculine Words Include Women)
וְאַל־תַּגְדֵּ֥ל פִּ֖יךָ
This is an idiom for bragging. Alternate translation: “you should not have boasted” (See: Idiom)
Obadiah 1:13
אֵידָ֔ם…אֵיד֑וֹ…אֵידֽוֹ
The Hebrew text says “their” in the first case, meaning the Judeans, and “his” in the second and third cases, meaning “your brother Judah.” But since that is a personification of the Judeans (see v. 10), you can say “their” in every case. (See: First, Second or Third Person)
אַל־תֵּ֧רֶא
The Hebrew expression “see” is an idiom here for “enjoy looking at.” Alternate translation: “you should not have gloated over” (See: Idiom)
גַם־אַתָּ֛ה
Yahweh accuses the people of Edom emphatically, likely in anger, and perhaps also to warn them not to claim to be innocent. You could make this a separate short sentence ending in an exclamation mark. Alternate translation: “Yes, you!” (See: Exclamations)
וְאַל־תִּשְׁלַ֥חְנָה בְחֵיל֖וֹ
Here the Hebrew has only the word “you,” but it is feminine and plural. So you should add something to show that it means “you women,” unless your language already marks the word “you” for gender and number. Alternate translation: “You women should not have taken away their valuable possessions.” (See: Forms of You)
Obadiah 1:14
הַפֶּ֔רֶק
This means a place where two roads come together. (See: Translate Unknowns)
לְהַכְרִ֖ית אֶת־פְּלִיטָ֑יו
This is a metaphor that means “killed.” It is likely a comparison to the way grain is cut down at harvest time. Alternate translation: “killed.” (See: Metaphor)
וְאַל־תַּסְגֵּ֥ר שְׂרִידָ֖יו
You can make explicit who the Edomites delivered the Judean survivors to. Alternate translation: “You should not have captured the survivors and turned them over to their enemies” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)
Obadiah 1:15
כִּֽי־קָר֥וֹב יוֹם־יְהוָ֖ה עַל־כָּל־הַגּוֹיִ֑ם כַּאֲשֶׁ֤ר עָשִׂ֨יתָ֙ יֵעָ֣שֶׂה לָּ֔ךְ גְּמֻלְךָ֖ יָשׁ֥וּב בְּרֹאשֶֽׁךָ
Bible experts are not certain whether verse 15 goes with verse 14 as the end of the previous section, or goes with verse 16 as the beginning of the new section.
כִּֽי־קָר֥וֹב יוֹם־יְהוָ֖ה עַל־כָּל־הַגּוֹיִ֑ם
Yahweh is giving the people of Edom the reason why they should have helped the Israelites instead of joining in attacking them. It’s because Yahweh will soon judge all nations for the way they have treated others. You can make this explicit: “You should have helped others, because” (See: Connect - Reason-and-Result Relationship and Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)
יוֹם־יְהוָ֖ה
This expression refers to a specific time when God punishes people for their sin. You can say explicitly that this is what Yahweh will do on that “day.” Alternate translation: “The time … when I, Yahweh, will judge and punish all the nations.” (See: Idiom and Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)
קָר֥וֹב…עַל
In this context, the expression means “near in time.” Alternate translation: “coming soon.”
כַּאֲשֶׁ֤ר עָשִׂ֨יתָ֙ יֵעָ֣שֶׂה לָּ֔ךְ
You can specify who will do the action. “I” means “I, Yahweh” as in the previous sentence. You can also specify the reference of “you.” Alternate translation: “I will do the same things to you people of Edom that you did to others” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)
יֵעָ֣שֶׂה לָּ֔ךְ
You can use the active form of the verb. Alternate translation: “I will do the same things to you” (See: Active or Passive)
גְּמֻלְךָ֖ יָשׁ֥וּב
This is a metaphor that means “the same things will happen to you.” You could use that as an alternate translation. It’s as if the Edomites have sent bad things out to others, but those things are now going to come back and hurt them. (See: Metaphor)
בְּרֹאשֶֽׁךָ
The “head” is being used to represent the whole person. Alternate translation: “you” (See: Biblical Imagery - Body Parts and Human Qualities and Synecdoche)
Obadiah 1:16
כִּ֗י כַּֽאֲשֶׁ֤ר שְׁתִיתֶם֙
As in verse 15, Yahweh is giving the people of Edom the reason why they should have helped the Israelites instead of joining in attacking them. It’s because Yahweh will soon judge all nations for the way they have treated others. You can make this explicit: “You should have helped others, because.” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)
כַּֽאֲשֶׁ֤ר שְׁתִיתֶם֙ עַל־הַ֣ר קָדְשִׁ֔י
- One possibility is that Yahweh is saying he has brought the people of Edom into court at Jerusalem, which is the place where he reigns, and found them guilty and punished them there. As noted earlier, Yahweh may be using the past tense to refer to something that will happen in the future. So an alternate translation would be, “I am going to punish you in the holy place where I reign.” 2. Another possibility is that this is referring to how the people of Judah suffered punishment when Jerusalem was destroyed. Alternate translation: “I punished you when Jerusalem was destroyed.” (See: Predictive Past)
כַּֽאֲשֶׁ֤ר שְׁתִיתֶם֙
- Here Yahweh may be using the past tense to refer to something that will happen in the future. In that case, this would be a reference to what Yahweh says in the previous verse, that the time is coming soon when he will judge and punish all the nations. Alternate translation: “I am going to punish you.” 2. Another possibility is that Yahweh is saying that Edom literally did drink to celebrate the defeat of the people of Judah, but they and the other nations will figuratively “drink” (be punished) in the future. No alternate translation would be needed for this second possible interpretation. (See: Predictive Past)
כַּֽאֲשֶׁ֤ר שְׁתִיתֶם֙
Drinking (often in the Old Testament “drinking a cup”) can be a metaphor for being punished. (See Biblical Imagery – Human Behavior) Alternate translation: “I will punish you.” (See: Biblical Imagery - Human Behavior)
כַּֽאֲשֶׁ֤ר שְׁתִיתֶם֙
“You” is plural. 1. It may mean “you people of Edom.” If so, this would be a continuation of what Yahweh tells them in v. 15, that he will do the same things to them that they did to others. Alternate translation: “I will punish you people of Edom.” 2. The plural could also be referring to all the other nations. Alternate translation: “I will punish you other nations.” 3. This could also be referring to the people of Judah, who figuratively “drank the cup of punishment” when Jerusalem was destroyed. Alternate translation: “I punished you people of Judah.” (See: Forms of You)
כַּֽאֲשֶׁ֤ר שְׁתִיתֶם֙
You can show that the people of Edom are not doing this by themselves by specifying that Yahweh is doing it to them. Alternate translation: “I will … punish you.” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)
הַ֣ר קָדְשִׁ֔י
This means “on Mount Zion” and therefore “in Jerusalem.” Jerusalem is being referred to by the name of something closely associated with it, the mountain that the city is built on. (See: Metonymy)
יִשְׁתּ֥וּ כָֽל־הַגּוֹיִ֖ם תָּמִ֑יד
Here once again drinking is a metaphor for punishment. Alternate translation: “I will punish them severely.” (See: Biblical Imagery - Human Behavior)
וְשָׁת֣וּ וְלָע֔וּ וְהָי֖וּ כְּל֥וֹא הָיֽוּ
These two words mean something similar and are used together to intensify the meaning. (See: Doublet) Alternate translation: “I will punish them severely.”
Obadiah 1:17
וּבְהַ֥ר צִיּ֛וֹן תִּהְיֶ֥ה פְלֵיטָ֖ה
The abstract noun remnant refers to the people who will still be alive in Jerusalem after Yahweh has finished punishing the other nations. As 1:16 says, those other nations will disappear completely, but the descendants of Jacob will continue as a people. Alternate translation: “some people in Jerusalem will escape.” (See: Abstract Nouns)
וְהָ֣יָה קֹ֑דֶשׁ
This is a figure of speech that refers to Jerusalem by the name of something closely associated with it, the mountain that the city is built on. Alternate translation: “in Jerusalem” (See: Metonymy)
וְהָ֣יָה קֹ֑דֶשׁ
The word “it” refers to “the mountain of Zion.” Alternate translation: “Jerusalem will be a holy place.”
וְיָֽרְשׁוּ֙ בֵּ֣ית יַֽעֲקֹ֔ב אֵ֖ת מוֹרָֽשֵׁיהֶם
“Possessions” is plural because it refers to each of the Israelite families and clans occupying the lands that were supposed to be passed down to them from generation to generation. But since it refers overall to the land that belongs to all of the descendants of Jacob, you can translate it with a singular word if that is clearer. Alternate translation: “the descendants of Jacob will each possess the land that belongs to them”
Obadiah 1:18
וְהָיָה֩ בֵית־יַעֲקֹ֨ב אֵ֜שׁ וּבֵ֧ית יוֹסֵ֣ף לֶהָבָ֗ה
The two expressions have similar meanings. Yahweh is showing that what he is saying is important by saying it more than once. However, the actual descendants of Joseph had been taken into exile by Assyria long before this, so they were not really present at this time. Since both expressions refer to all of the Israelites, you could say as an alternative, “The Israelites will be like a fire. Yes, they will be like a flame.” (See: Parallelism)
בֵית־יַעֲקֹ֨ב
Here the word "house" means all the people descended from a particular person. All of the descendants of Jacob are being described figuratively as if they were one household living together. (See: Biblical Imagery – Man-made Objects) Alternate translation: “the Israelites.” (See: Biblical Imagery - Man-made Objects)
וּבֵ֧ית יוֹסֵ֣ף
The descendants of Joseph are also being described figuratively as if they were one household. Joseph was the son of Jacob, and his descendants made up a large part of the people of Israel. So Yahweh is using his descendants to represent the whole nation. (See: Biblical Imagery - Man-made Objects and Synecdoche)
וּבֵ֤ית עֵשָׂו֙…לְבֵ֣ית עֵשָׂ֔ו
The descendants of Esau (Edom) are also being described figuratively as if they were one household. (See: Biblical Imagery – Man-made Objects) Alternate translation: “the people of Edom.”
אֵ֜שׁ…לֶהָבָ֗ה…לְקַ֔שׁ
Yahweh is saying figuratively that just as fire and flame burn up dry grass until it is all gone, the Israelites who survive will conquer all of Edom. (See: Biblical Imagery - Natural Phenomena)
אֵ֜שׁ…לֶהָבָ֗ה…לְקַ֔שׁ
Yahweh is saying that the Israelites are like fire and flame, that the people of Edom are like dry grass, and that the Israelites will do to the people of Edom what fire and flame do to dry grass. This is using the same figurative language to make a series of related points. (See: Biblical Imagery – Extended Metaphors)
לְקַ֔שׁ
This means the dry pieces of plants that are left in the ground after their stalks have been cut. Alternate translation: “dry grass” (See: Metaphor)
וְדָלְק֥וּ בָהֶ֖ם וַאֲכָל֑וּם
“Burn” and “consume” mean almost the same thing. Yahweh uses the words together to mean “burn them until they are all burned up.” Alternate translation: “burn them up completely.” (See: Doublet)
כִּ֥י יְהוָ֖ה דִּבֵּֽר
This means, “This will certainly happen because I, Yahweh, have said it will happen.” You could use that as an alternate translation. (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)
Obadiah 1:19
וְיָרְשׁ֨וּ…וְיָרְשׁוּ֙
Here “They” appears to refer to the people of Israel in general. Alternate translation: “The Israelites”
וְיָרְשׁ֨וּ…וְיָרְשׁוּ֙
This verse as a whole describes people living in different parts of Israel conquering the territories next to them. Alternate translation: “capture.”
הַנֶּ֜גֶב
The Negev is the southern Judean wilderness. That location is being used figuratively to mean the people who live there. The people are being described by the name of something closely associated with them, the land they live in. So “the Negev” actually means “the Israelites who live in the southern Judean wilderness.” You could say that as an alternate translation. (See: Metonymy)
הַ֣ר עֵשָׂ֗ו
This was one of the mountains in Edom. Yahweh is referring to the whole territory by the name of one prominent part of it. Alternate translation: “the land of Edom.” (See: Synecdoche)
וְהַשְּׁפֵלָה֙
The Shephelah means the western foothills in the land of Israel. That location is being used figuratively to mean the people who live there. The people are being described by the name of something closely associated with them, the land they live in. So “the Shephelah” actually means “the Israelites who live in the western foothills.” You could say that as an alternate translation. (See: Metonymy)
פְּלִשְׁתִּ֔ים
This means, “the region of Phoenicia.” You could say that as an alternate translation. (See: Metonymy)
וּבִנְיָמִ֖ן
This means “the people of the tribe of Benjamin.” All the people are being portrayed as if they were a single person, their ancestor. (See: Personification)
הַגִּלְעָֽד
This means “the region east of the Jordan River.” You could say that as an alternate translation. (See: Synecdoche)
Obadiah 1:20
וְגָלֻ֣ת הַֽחֵל־הַ֠זֶּה לִבְנֵ֨י יִשְׂרָאֵ֤ל
This means “people who were captured and taken away from their homes.” You could say that as an alternate translation. (See: Metonymy)
וְגָלֻ֣ת
Yahweh is saying that these people will return, and they will conquer territories as well. You could say that explicitly, for example, “The people who were captured and taken away from their homes will return, and they will capture …” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)
הַֽחֵל
This means “a large number of people.” You could say that as an alternate translation.
לִבְנֵ֨י יִשְׂרָאֵ֤ל
This actually means “the descendants of Israel.” Alternate translation: “the people of Israel.” (See: Biblical Imagery - Body Parts and Human Qualities)
כְּנַעֲנִים֙
This means “the land where the people of Canaan lived.” You could say that as an alternate translation. (See: Metonymy)
עַד־צָ֣רְפַ֔ת
Zarephath was a Phoenician city north of Israel on the coast of the Mediterranean between Tyre and Sidon. Alternate translation: “as far north as Zarephath” (See: How to Translate Names)
וְגָלֻ֥ת יְרוּשָׁלִַ֖ם
This means “the people of Israel who were captured and taken away from Jerusalem.” You could say that as an alternate translation. (See: Metonymy)
בִּסְפָרַ֑ד
This is the name of a place whose location is unknown. Some experts suggest that it refers to the city of Sardis in the region of Lydia. (See: How to Translate Names) Alternate translation: “They now live in Sepharad.”
יִֽרְשׁ֕וּ
Yahweh is saying that these people will also return and conquer territories. You could say that explicitly. Alternate translation: “return and occupy.” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)
הַנֶּֽגֶב
This means “the southern Judean wilderness. You could say that as an alternate translation.
Obadiah 1:21
וְעָל֤וּ מֽוֹשִׁעִים֙ בְּהַ֣ר צִיּ֔וֹן לִשְׁפֹּ֖ט אֶת־הַ֣ר עֵשָׂ֑ו
This means, “After Israel’s military leaders conquer the land of Edom, they will rule over it from high up in Jerusalem.” You could say that as an alternate translation. Even though the mountain of Zion is a figurative name for Jerusalem, it would be good to say something like “high” here, reflecting the imagery of “mountain.” Edom boasted that it was up high and no one could bring it down, but Yahweh is saying that he will bring it down and place his own people up high instead.
מֽוֹשִׁעִים֙
This means Israelite military leaders whom God will use to defeat the nation of Edom. Alternate translation: “military leaders.”
בְּהַ֣ר צִיּ֔וֹן
Yahweh is referring to Jerusalem figuratively by the name of something closely associated with it, the mountain that the city is built on. Alternate translation: “Jerusalem” (See: Metonymy)
הַ֣ר עֵשָׂ֑ו
This phrase refers to the mountainous territory where Esau, the brother of Jacob, went and settled. So it means “the hill country that came to belong to Esau and his descendants.” Alternate translation: “the land of Edom.” (See: Synecdoche)
וְהָיְתָ֥ה לַֽיהוָ֖ה הַמְּלוּכָֽה
This phrase emphasizes that Yahweh will personally rule over the kingdom. Alternate translation: “Yahweh will be their king”