Obadiah

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עֹבַדְיָהוּ - Ovadyah - Obadiah.

With Rabbi, Dr. Reuven Ben Avraham-Goossens, PhD.

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The prophet עֹבַדְיָהוּ - Ovadyah - Obadiah is one of the shortest books in the Tanakh, as it has just a single chapter with 21 verses, however its focus is all about single oracle against ‘Edom’ Israel’s kin through ‘Esov’ - אָסוֹב or ‘Esau’, highlighting both divine retribution for betrayal and the ultimate vindication of אֱלֹהִים (God’s) people.

For interest, this may be a single page Prophecy; however this study will be most comprehensive, as it really contains more than is generally thought!

Let us now look further into its Historical and Literary Context:

We do know and understand that the generally date of Obadiah is based on the aftermath of Yerushalayim’s fall in 586 BCE, when ‘Edom’ exploited Judah’s calamity by rejoicing over the city’s destruction as well as actively participating in its plunder. Situated southeast of Judah, the Edomite strongholds in ‘Mount Seir’ seemed impregnable an arrogance the prophet condemns.

Obadiah’s message very much echoes Yirmyahu - Jeremiah chapter 49:7–22, suggesting a shared tradition of prophetic warnings against ‘Edom’. Thus the fact is that Obadiah’s words certainly contains one big event and thus it contained an extremely powerful message!

Let us now look at Bereshit - Genesis chapter’s 12 and 25:

“Now יָהוָה (the LORD) said unto Abram: ‘Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto the land that I will show thee. And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and be thou a blessing. And I will bless them that bless thee, and him that curseth thee will I curse; and in thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed’”. Bereshit - Genesis 12:1-3 (JPS).

“And Yitzchak - Isaac was forty years old when he took Rivkah - Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean, of Paddan-Aram, the sister of Laban the Aramean, to be his wife. And Yitzchak entreated יָהוָה for his wife, because she was barren; and יָהוָה let Himself be entreated of him, and Rivkah his wife conceived. And the children struggled together within her; and she said: ‘If it be so, wherefore do I live?’ And she went to inquire of יָהוָה.

And יָהוָה said unto her: Two nations are in thy womb, and two peoples shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger. And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb. And the first came forth ruddy, all over like a hairy mantle; and they called his name Esov - אָסוֹב - Esau. And after that came forth his brother, and his hand had hold on Esov’s heel; and his name was called יעקב - Ya’aqov - Jacob. And Yitzchak was threescore years old when she bore them. And the boys grew; and Esov was a cunning hunter, a man of the field; and יעקב - Ya’aqov was a quiet man dwelling in tents. Now Yitzchak loved אָסוֹב - Esov because he did eat of his venison; and Rivkah loved יעקב - Ya’aqov” Bereshit - Genesis 25:20-28 (JPS).

אָסוֹב - Esau was born first, and יעקב - Ya’aqov was born clutching the foot of his firstborn brother. This would be their relationship in the future. They were not exactly two peas in a pod. Esau was the rugged outdoor kind of a Hunter, constantly living for today the good times, and plenty of food. Thus he was the practical one who lived for what he could see, touch, and eat.

Ya’aqov - Jacob on the other hand was more of what you may say, a mother’s boy. If he had lived today, he would have been the studious one, in other words he was we would call today ‘a bookworm.’ Ya’aqov - Jacob looked for the future, rather than the present, and he planned for it.

He waited this time and took his opportunity on that day when Esau was desperately hungry and Ya’aqov gave him a plate of lentil soup, in return for his birthright. Just as Ya’aqov was seizing his brother’s foot at birth, so he was seizing him now.

Esau of course had sold himself, for the truth is that he was not interested in the future, but was interested in the now, the I, me and myself, which sadly is very much like much of the world today with a general ideology of “Live now and pay later.”

Esau told Ya’aqov, “You are to be regarded as the elder son and heir” and that was just for a plate of ‘red’ soup. What a message we find in this incredible story.

Many Christian theologians believe, and I quote; “Jacob got his name so dirty, that God had to give him another name,” and believe me that proves that Christians in general have no sound understanding of the blessed Tanakh (Scriptures) at all!

Contrary to the accusations of some, Ya’aqov did not steal his birthright, but legally purchased it from his brother who “despised” it and that was why יָהוָה - Elohim, blessed be His Sanctified Name, despised Esov - Esau.

Notice that יָהוָה - Elohim also changed Esov’s name , from Esov meaning hairy, to Esau - Edom meaning “Red”, because he sold the precious things of Elohim just for a bowl of ‘red stew.’

The name Ya’aqov is said to mean “surpplanter,” however, as I have already stated some from other faith’s will vilify Ya’aqov - Jacob, yet they know little to nothing about his Hebrew name!

The truth is, this word does not denigrate Ya’aqov’s wonderful name, for it literally means “Good following after evil.” It is also translated as “tripper up of the heel.” Thus, when we consider whose heel Ya’aqov actually tripped up, a totally different light is shed upon its meaning. For יָהוָה Elohim, blessed be His Sanctified Name, clearly states;

“The burden of the word of יָהוָה to Israel by Mal’a’chi - Malachi. I have loved you, saith יָהוָה. Yet ye say: ‘Wherein hast Thou loved us?’ Was not ‘Esov’ ‘Ya’aqov’s’ brother? saith יָהוָה Yet I loved Ya’aqov; but Esov I hated” Mal’a’chi- Malachi 1:2-3 (JPS).

Structure and Outline of the book of Obadiah:

Verses 1-4: Vision and Summons.

Obadiah receives a divine report and declares a call to arms from the nations against Edom.

1... “Vision, Obadiah: Thus saith יָהוָה (the LORD) אֱלֹהִים (God) unto ‘Edom’; We have heard a rumour from יָהוָה (the LORD), and an ambassador hath he sent among the nations: Arise, and let us rise up against her to battle.

2... Behold, I have made you small among the nations; you are greatly despised.

3... The malice of your heart has brought you down, you who dwell in the crags of the rock, the height of your dwelling; you say in your heart, ‘Who will bring me down to the earth?’

4... Though you exalt yourself as the eagle, and though you set your nest among the stars, from there I will bring you down, says יָהוָה (the LORD)”.

Verses 5-9: The Fall of the Proud.

Through vivid eagle imagery, Edom’s lofty dwellings become symbols of imminent humiliation.

5... “If thieves came to you, if robbers by night, how would you have imagined it? They would steal nothing. If harvesters came to you, they would leave nothing”.

6... How did we seek, did we emanate from his compasses?

7... They have sent thee even unto the border, all the men of thy covenant; they have been able to comfort thee, the men of thy peace; for thy bread, they have put balm in thy place; there is no understanding in him.

8... Shall it not be in that day, saith יָהוָה (the LORD), that I will destroy the wise men out of Edom, and the prudent out of Esau?

9... And cut down your mighty men, O Temen, so that no one may cut down Esau’s swiftness, destroying him.

Please Note: ‘Teman’ was a prominent district in Edom, often associated with wisdom and military strength. It lay in the southern part of Edom, possibly near modern-day Jordan.

Ancestral Lineage: The name derives from ‘Teman’, being a grandson of Esau through ‘Eliphaz’ (Bereshit - Genesis 36:11). Thus, it represents both a place as well as people.

Symbol of Edomite Power: In prophetic literature, ‘Teman’ often stands for the might and pride of Edom. (Yirmyahu - Jeremiah 49:7, also speaks of Teman in the context of judgment and the loss of wisdom.

Verses 10-14: Fratricide Exposed.

The core charge: Edom’s betrayal of his brother Israel denying refuge and handing over fugitives during Jerusalem’s siege.

10... “From the hand of your brother Ya’aqov - Jacob, shame will cover you; and you will be cut off forever.

11... In the day that you stood against him, in the day that his troops were gathered together, and strangers entered his gates, and the lot was upon Jerusalem, you also were as one of them.

12... And do not look on the day of your brother, in the day of his destruction, and do not rejoice over the children of Judah in the day of their destruction; and do not exalt your mouth in the day of trouble.

13... Do not enter the gate of my people on the day of their judgment; do not look upon their calamity on the day of their judgment; and do not send them into their hands on the day of their judgment.

14... And do not stand on the edge to cut off his fugitives; and do not close up his remnant in the day of trouble”.

Verses 15-18: The Day of יָהוָה (the LORD)..

A universal reckoning unfolds not only Edom but all nations face justice “as you have done, it will be done to you.”

15... “For the day of יָהוָה (the LORD) is near upon all the nations: as you have done, it will be done to you; your reward will return on your own head.

16... For as you have drunk on My Holy Mountain, so shall all the nations drink continually; and they shall drink and devour, and shall be consumed.

17... And on Mount Zion there shall be deliverance, and it shall be Holy: and the house of Ya’akov - Jacob shall possess their inheritance.

18... And the house of Ya’aqov - Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Yosef - Joseph a flame, and the house of Esau for stubble; and they shall kindle in them, and devour them: and there shall be no remnant of the house of Esau: for יָהוָה (the LORD) hath spoken it”.

Verses 19-21: Restoration and Reversal.

Israel reclaims territories, “exiles of the Negev” possess Mount Esau, and “saviours” ascend Zion to reign under the Lord. These deliverers herald the dawn of אֱלֹהִים (God’s) enduring kingdom.

19... “And they possessed the south of the mount of Esau, and the lowland of the Philistines, and they possessed the field of Ephraim, and the field of Samaria: and Binyamin - Benjamin possessed Gilead.

20... And the captivity of this host of the children of Israel, that are among the Canaanites, even unto Zarephath, and the captivity of Jerusalem, that is in Sepharad, shall possess the cities of the South.

21... And there shall come up saviours upon mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau: and the kingdom shall be יָהוָה (the LORD’s)”.

Let us now look at the Key Themes as well as the Theological Aspects:

Divine Justice and Sovereignty.
אֱלֹהִים (God) mobilizes the nations against Edom, underscoring that no fortress even one “among the stars” can withstand divine decree.

Pride Before the Fall.
Edom’s “heart of pride” blinds it to its vulnerability. The prophetic irony: its rock-hewn caves become graves.

Betrayal of Kin.
By refusing aid to Israel, Edom violates covenantal and familial obligations, intensifying its guilt and fueling the severity of judgment.

Universal Day of יָהוָה (the LORD).
The “day” transcends ethnic boundaries every nation’s actions will be met with corresponding recompense (v. 15).

Hope and Restoration.
The oracle closes not with despair but with the promise of deliverers and territorial reversal, affirming אֱלֹהִים (God’s) faithfulness to His covenant people.

Verse-by-Verse Reflections:

Verse 3-4 (“Though you soar like the eagle…”).
The eagle’s ascent over rugged cliffs epitomizes Edom’s false security. Yet even from its highest thrones, it cannot evade אֱלֹהִים (God’s) reach.

Verse 10 (“Because of the violence to your brother Jacob…”)
This verse distills Edom’s crime: unrestrained violence against blood kin. In the ancient Near East, such betrayal violated divine and social law alike.

Verse 15 (“For the day of the LORD is near… as you have done it will be done to you”).
The prophetic principle of reciprocal justice, measure for measure, anticipates later scriptural affirmations of retributive fairness.

Verse 20–21 (Restoration).
Geographical markers (Negev, Shechem, Hebron, Sela) frame Israel’s reversal of fortunes, while “saviours” (deliverers) ascending Zion.

The Prophet Obadiah: Identity and Message:

Obadiah, whose name means “servant of יָהוָה - YaHVaH,” offers no personal biography. Tradition lists several individuals named Obadiah in Israel’s history, from Ahab’s steward who sheltered prophets to post-exilic temple overseers, but this book’s anonymity sharpens its universal warning. Its sparse introduction (“The vision of Obadiah”) invites readers to focus wholly on the Divine Word rather than the messenger.

Relevance for Today:

Obadiah’s condemnation of exploiting those in distress and betraying communal bonds remains strikingly relevant. It challenges modern readers to examine how pride, indifference, or opportunism toward suffering neighbours can provoke just accountability. Yet, in tandem, its promise of restoration and “saviours” offers enduring hope, that suffering need not be final when justice and mercy converge.

Further Avenues of Exploration:

Intertextual Links: Compare Obadiah’s oracle with Yo’el - Joel 3:19 and Amnos - Amos 1:11–12 to trace how Edom’s judgment motif evolves.

Liturgical Use: How have we come to understand the traditions that are incorporated in Obadiah’s themes in penitential readings?

Obadiah may have had a brief time as a prophet, but his amazing message resonates with timeless power: beware pride, honour your kin, trust in Divine Justice and always cling to hope, for אֱלֹהִים (God’s) restoration which always follows His judgment!

We could ask the question here, was Obadiah the only prophet who gave us his message from אֱלֹהִים (God) about the events Obadiah spoke off? The answer follows in the next item.

Yirmyahu - Jeremiah 49:7–22

There are without a doubt Parallel Prophecies between Obadiah and Jeremiah:

Obadiah’s oracle condemning Edom for its betrayal of Israel is echoed in Yirmyahu - Jeremiah 49:7–22, which also pronounces judgment on Edom. Scholars have long noted the literary and thematic similarities between the two passages.

Below, I will reveal some key parallels:

1... Obadiah 1:3 - basically says; “You who live in the crag of the rock…you say in your heart, ‘Who will bring me down to the earth?’”

Jeremiah 49:16 - “O thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock... though thou shouldest make thy nest as high as the eagle, I will bring thee down from thence, saith יָהוָה (the LORD)”.

Theme – “Pride and downfall of Edom”.

2... Obadiah 1:5 - “If thieves came to you … would they not steal only as much as they wanted?”

Jeremiah 49:9 - “If grape gatherers came to you, would they not leave gleanings?”

Theme – “Total desolation”.

3... Obadiah 1:7 - “Your allies will deceive you…”

Jeremiah 49:7 - “Is there no wisdom in Teman?”

Theme - “Is there no wisdom in Teman?”

4... Obadiah 1:10 - “Because of the violence against your brother Jacob…”

Jeremiah 49:10 - “I will strip Esau bare…”

Theme – “Divine retribution for betrayal”.

The question is; Who Quoted Whom?

There has been a long debate about whether Yirmyahu - Jeremiah quoted Ovadyah - Obadiah or vice versa. There is no doubt that Obadiah was the first, followed by Jeremiah, however both drew from a common prophetic tradition.

Scholars interpret the relationship between Obadiah and Jeremiah in several nuanced ways, reflecting both literary and historical considerations. Here's a synthesis of the main views:

Perspectives on Obadiah and Jeremiah:

1. Shared Source Theory.

Some scholars propose that both prophets drew from a common prophetic tradition or source. This would explain the near-verbatim parallels in passages like Obadiah 1:1-4 and Jeremiah 49:14-16.

Jeremiah either paraphrased from Obadiah, or the two writers drew from a single source.

2. Jeremiah Quoting Obadiah.

Another view suggests that Jeremiah borrowed from Obadiah, especially if Obadiah is dated earlier. This is supported by the fact that Obadiah speaks as though Edom’s betrayal has already occurred, while Jeremiah often prophesies events that are imminent.

Obadiah writes as if the event has already taken place. Jeremiah writes prophesying what will happen in the near future.

3. Contemporaneous Composition.

A middle-ground theory holds that both prophets were contemporaries, responding to the same historical crisis namely, Edom’s betrayal during the Babylonian conquest of Judah (586 BCE). This would mean their messages were shaped by shared experience and divine inspiration.

If these two books are referring to the same time period, then Obadiah would be a contemporary of Jeremiah.

Theological Unity: Regardless of who borrowed from whom, both texts reflect a unified prophetic voice condemning Edom’s pride and betrayal.

Historical Anchoring: The Babylonian conquest serves as a key backdrop, anchoring both prophecies in a moment of national trauma and divine reckoning.

Literary Echoes: The repetition of phrases like; “clefts of the rock” and “I will bring you down” underscores the gravity of Edom’s fall and the poetic force of prophetic judgment.

Is there something we may have missed in this prophecy this far?.

In order to obtain an answer to this prophecy we need to look at several statements within these vital prophesies!

I am sure that you will have noticed within the prophecy of Obadiah for he mentions on several occasions to the “Holy Mountain of אֱלֹהִים (God)” in verse 16 and 17, being of course ‘Mount Zion’ the very location of where the מִשְׁכָּן Mishkan stood. Following the capture of the Temple Mount, and then much latter at the recapturing הַכֹּתֶל - HaKotel, the “Western Wall”, during the Six-Day War in 1967, However Israel’s Defence Minister ‘Moshe Dayan’ handed what is in reality אֱלֹהִים (God’s) ‘Holy Mountain’ over to the Muslim Waqf (all because of the Dome of the Rock). This arrangement was aimed to maintain peace and avoid a wider religious conflict. The Waqf, being a Muslim religious trust, has continued to administer Mount Zion ever since. However, can we simply give away the ‘Mount of אֱלֹהִים (God)?’ This was just one of many mistakes our nation has made, and they continue to this very days, with a government who is out of control scripturally!

The truth is that Israel had no right to give, what is according the Tanakh; אֱלֹהִים (God’s) Mount to anyone else, no matter the circumstances’!

“For the day of יָהוָה (the LORD) is near upon all the nations; as thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee; thy dealing shall return upon thine own head”. Ovadyah - Obadiah verse 15. (JPS).

I believe that the day will come when those “saviours” (deliverers) will ascend “Mount Zion” and bring it back where it belongs.

“And saviours shall come up on Mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be יָהוָה (the LORD’s)”. Verse 21.

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In Conclusion, a Question to Deepen the Conversation:

Which part of this ‘Shema’ study, or even just a single line has touched you the most? And how do you feel, are you a faithful Hebrew upholding as many of our Mitzvoth’s? Or are you in search for something better in life and would like to return to our Heavenly Father, blessed be He! I am well aware that the modern world contains so many problems as well as enticements, which usually tends to throw far too many off track and sadly it will ruin lives. Thus, any kind of struggle that may be taking place in your life today, can so often have sad and cruel effects upon your life? Remember what אֱלֹהִים - Elohim, blessed be He, said “Return unto Me, and I will return unto you, saith צְבָאוֹת- יָהוָה- the LORD of hosts”. Mal’a’chi 3:7. MEC). Omein.

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“Hebraic Studies” motto is as follows;

“The More Torah, the More Life”,

For our Elohim is the One who gave us our ... Life!

May the שָׁלוֹם - Shalom (Peace) of צְבָאוֹת-יָהוָה (the LORD of hosts) be with you, and please always uphold our blessed שַׁבָּת - Shabbat, as well as the ‘מוֹעֲדִים - Mo’a’dim - Feasts, and continue saying your daily תְּפִלָּה - Te’fee’lah (Prayers) and regular בְּרָכָה - Be’ra’chah (blessings) before food and drinks, etc!

Rabbi, Dr. Reuven Ben Avraham-Goossens, PhD.

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