A sibling rivalry breeds hatred between nations.
Obadiah is the Old Testament’s shortest book, but it tells a story of mountainous proportions, spanning the Bible from the era of the patriarchs to the last days of the Old Testament, and even into the New Testament era. What began in the womb as a rivalry between twins matured into a long-standing feud between two nations—Israel and Edom (see “A Tale of Two Brothers” at Obad. 10).
Bloodshed between the Israelites and the Edomites began during the early days of Israel’s monarchy and continued into the era of the divided kingdom until the time when the Lord began to punish His people for their persistent rebellion and idolatry. The Assyrian empire eventually overran Israel (722 B.C.), and the Babylonians gradually took Judah into captivity, finally destroying Jerusalem after a long siege (587 B.C.).
The Edomites reacted to Judah’s downfall with great celebration (Ps. 137:7). They gloated over Jerusalem’s destruction and derided survivors. Having already eaten away at Judah’s territory during the years of Babylonian domination, they gladly seized more of its lands with permission of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon.
It may be this delight in Judah’s misfortunes that Obadiah condemns in his prophecy (Obad. 12). Certainly Jeremiah alludes to this period when he predicts that soon it will be Edom’s turn for judgment (Jer. 49:17, 18; Lam. 4:21).
Almost nothing is known about the prophet Obadiah. Most scholars believe that he was from Judah. Some date his prophecy after the fall of Jerusalem, possibly in the fifth century B.C., while others assign it a ninth-century date. The nation of Edom lies in the mountainous region south of the Dead Sea.
Key Verses in Obadiah
• “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?’ Though you ascend as high as the eagle, and though you set your nest among the stars, from there I will bring you down” (Obad. 3, 4).
• “As you have done, it shall be done to you” (Obad. 15).