Obadiah 1:1

1 This is the vision about Edom that Obadiah had. Here is what he said. We've heard a message from the LORD and King. A messenger was sent to the nations. The LORD told him to say, "Get up! Let us go and make war against Edom."

Obadiah 1:1 Meaning and Commentary

Obadiah 1:1

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" ^F14; 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 14:6-9 ) ; 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 ) .

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FOOTNOTES:

F14 (hewmv) "auditum", V. L. Pagninus, Montanus.

Obadiah 1:1 In-Context

1 This is the vision about Edom that Obadiah had. Here is what he said. We've heard a message from the LORD and King. A messenger was sent to the nations. The LORD told him to say, "Get up! Let us go and make war against Edom."

2 The LORD says to Edom, "I will make you weak among the nations. They will look down on you.

3 You live in the safety of the rocks. You make your home high up in the mountains. But your proud heart has tricked you. So you say to yourself, 'No one can bring me down to the ground.'

4 You have built your home as high as an eagle does. You have made your nest among the stars. But I will bring you down from there," announces the Lord.

5 "Edom, suppose robbers came to you at night. They would steal only as much as they wanted. Suppose grape pickers came to harvest your vines. They would still leave a few grapes. But you are facing horrible trouble!