John Gill Commentary


John Gill Commentary
"Enter not into the gate of my people in the day of their calamity; yea, look not thou on their affliction in the day of their calamity, neither lay ye [hands] on their substance in the day of their calamity." — Obadiah 1:13 (ASV)
You should not have entered into the gate of my people in
the day of their calamity
Or gates, as the Targum; the gates of any of their cities, and particularly those of Jerusalem; into which the Edomites entered along with the Chaldeans, exulting over the Jews, insulting them, and joining the enemy in distressing and plundering them. Yes, you should not have looked on their affliction in the day of
their calamity:
which is repeated, as being exceeding cruel and inhuman, and what was highly resented by the Lord. Instead of looking upon the affliction of his people and their brethren with an eye of pity and compassion, they looked upon it with the utmost pleasure and delight.
Nor laid [hands] on their substance in the day of their calamity;
or 'on their forces' F24. They laid violent hands on their armed men, and either killed or took them captive. They also laid hands on their goods, their wealth and riches, and made a spoil of them.
The phrase, 'in the day of their calamity', is three times used in this verse, to show the greatness of it; and as an aggravation of the sin of the Edomites, in behaving and doing as they did at such a time.