Obadiah 1:5

5 If night thieves had entered to thee, if outlaws by night, how shouldest thou have been still? whether they should not have stolen things enough to them? If gatherers of grapes had entered to thee, whether they should have left namely raisins, or clusters, to thee? (If night thieves come in upon thee, yea, outlaws by night, do they not steal only what they want for themselves? And if gatherers of grapes come in upon thee, do they not at least leave the raisins, or the clusters, for thee? But thy enemies have left thee with nothing!)

Obadiah 1:5 Meaning and Commentary

Obadiah 1:5

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!" ^F17 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''

see ( Jeremiah 49:9 ) .

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FOOTNOTES:

F17 (htymdn Kya) "quomodo redactus es in silentium?" Calvin; "quomodo siles?" some in Tarnovius; so Syr.

Obadiah 1:5 In-Context

3 The pride of thine heart enhanced thee, dwelling in the crazings of stones, araising thy seat. Which sayest in thine heart, Who shall draw me down into earth? (The pride of thy heart exalted thee, or raised thee up, thou living in the chinks of stones, and making thy home high in the heights. Who sayest in thy heart, Who can ever pull me down to the ground?)

4 Though thou shalt be raised as an eagle, and thou shalt put thy nest among stars, from thence I shall draw thee down, saith the Lord. (But even though thou shalt be raised up like an eagle, and even if thou shalt put thy nest among the stars, I shall still pull thee down from there, saith the Lord.)

5 If night thieves had entered to thee, if outlaws by night, how shouldest thou have been still? whether they should not have stolen things enough to them? If gatherers of grapes had entered to thee, whether they should have left namely raisins, or clusters, to thee? (If night thieves come in upon thee, yea, outlaws by night, do they not steal only what they want for themselves? And if gatherers of grapes come in upon thee, do they not at least leave the raisins, or the clusters, for thee? But thy enemies have left thee with nothing!)

6 How sought they Esau, searched the hid things of him? (Yea, how they sought out Esau, and searched for all his hidden treasures, or all his riches!)

7 Till to the terms they sent out thee; and all men of thy covenant of peace scorned, either deceived, thee, men of thy peace waxed strong against thee; they that shall eat with thee, shall set ambush, either treasons, under thee; (and they shall say,) there is no prudence (left) in him. (And they sent thee out unto thy borders; and all thy allies mocked, or deceived, thee, yea, men at peace with thee grew strong against thee; those who ate with thee, set ambush for thee; and they said, There is no wisdom left in him.)