John Gill Commentary Obadiah 1

The vision of Obadiah
Or the prophecy, as the Targum; which was delivered to 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 to 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 you, 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) .

FOOTNOTES:

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

Behold, I have made you small among the Heathen
Or "a little one", or "thing" ^F15 ; their number few, and their country not large, as Aben Ezra, especially in comparison of other nations; and therefore had no reason to be so proud, insolent, and secure, as they are afterwards said to be; or rather, "I will make you"; the past for the future, after the prophetic manner, as Kimchi; that is weak and feeble, as the Targum; reduce their numbers, destroy their towns and cities, and bring them into a low and miserable condition: or the sense is, that he would make them look little, mean, and abject, in the sight of their enemies who would conclude, upon a view of them, that they should have no trouble in subduing them, and therefore should attack them without fear, and as sure of success.

You are greatly despised ; in the eyes of the nations round about; by their enemies, who looked upon them with contempt, because of the smallness of their number, their defenceless state and want of strength to support and defend themselves; see (Jeremiah 49:15) ; had so the pope of Rome is little and despicable in the eyes of the monarchs of the earth; and the antichristian Edom will be more so at the time of its general ruin.

FOOTNOTES:

• F15: (Njq) "parvium", V. L.

The pride of your heart has deceived you
The Edomites were proud of their wealth and riches, which they had by robberies amassed together; and of their military skill and courage, and of their friends and allies; and especially of their fortresses and fastnesses, both natural and artificial; and therefore thought themselves secure, and that no enemy could come at them to hurt them, and this deceived them:

you that dwell in the clefts of the rock ;
their country was called Arabia Petraea, the rocky; and their metropolis Petra, the rock: Jerom says that they that inhabited the southern part of the country dwelt in caves cut out of the rock, to screen them from the heat of the sun: or, "you that dwell in the circumferences of the rock" ^F16 ; round about it, on the top of it, in a tower built there, as Kimchi and Ben Melech.

Aben Ezra thinks that "caph", the note of similitude, is wanting; and that the sense is, you thought that Mount Seir could secure you, as they that dwell in the clefts of a rock: whose habitation is high ;
upon high rocks and mountains, such as Mount Seir was, where Esau dwelt, and his posterity after, him. The Targum is, "you are like to an eagle that dwells in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is in a high place;"

this they were proud of, thinking themselves safe, which deceived them; hence it follows: that says in his heart, who shall bring me down to the ground ?
what enemy, ever so warlike and powerful, will venture to invade my land, or besiege me in my strong hold? or, if he should, he can never take it, or take me from hence, conquer and subdue me.

Of the pride, confidence, and security of mystical Edom or antichrist, see (Revelation 18:7) .

FOOTNOTES:

• F16: (elo ywgxb) "in gyris, sive circuitionibus petrae", so some in Vatablus.

Though you exalt [yourself] as the eagle
That soars aloft, flies on high, even out of sight, higher than any other bird does: or, "exalt your habitation"; and makes it as high as the eagle's nest; see (Jeremiah 49:16) ; and though you set your nest among the stars ;
even higher than the eagle's; an hyperbolical expression, supposing that which never was or can be done; yet, if it was possible, would not secure from danger:

Or should their castles and fortresses be built upon the top of the highest mountains, which seem to reach the heavens, and be among the stars: from there will I bring you down, says the Lord ;
this is said in answer to the question put, or bold challenge made, in (Obadiah 1:3) ; if men cannot do it, God will; and, if he employs instruments to effect it, it shall be done by them; all seeming difficulties are easily surmounted by an omnipotent Being; what are the heights of mountains, or the strength of fortresses, to him?

Thus the whore of Rome sits upon seven mountains, and mystical Babylon reigns over the kings of the earth; yet shall be thrown down and found no more, for the Lord is strong that judges her, (Revelation 17:9Revelation 17:18) (Revelation 18:8Revelation 18:21) .

If thieves came to you, 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; your condition would not be worse, nor so bad as now it is: for how are you cut off! From being a nation, wholly destroyed; your people killed, or carried captive; your fortresses demolished, towns and cities levelled with the ground, and all your 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 are you!" ^F17 that is, under all these calamities: or, "how are you asleep!" or "stupefied!" as the Targum and Jarchi; not to be upon your 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 you, 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 you, would they not leave [some] grapes? That is, if men should come into your vineyards, and gather the grapes, and carry them off by force or stealth, would they take them all away? 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 be complete and entire. The Targum is, ``if spoilers as grape gatherers should come unto you'' see (Jeremiah 49:9).

FOOTNOTES:

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