Obadiah

About this book

Obadiah is the shortest book of the Old Testament, a single chapter aimed at Edom, the nation descended from Esau and long a neighbor and rival of Judah. Edom lived in high rock strongholds and trusted that no one could reach it. The prophet says pride has deceived it, and that God will bring down what seems untouchable. The reason is spelled out with painful detail: when Jerusalem fell, Edom stood aside, gloated, helped loot the city and handed over fugitives. This was a betrayal of family, not just a political choice. The book then widens to the day of the Lord, when nations will receive what they have done to others. It closes with a hopeful note for the people of God: survivors on Mount Zion, the land possessed again, and in the final line, the kingdom belonging to the Lord. Readers have found in Obadiah a warning against pride and cruelty toward those who suffer, and a reminder that God sees wrongs that no court ever answers.

Author

The prophet Obadiah; nothing else is said about him, and the name was common.

Date

Uncertain. Many place it soon after Jerusalem fell in 586 BC; some propose an earlier invasion in the ninth century BC.

Audience

Edom, which is addressed directly, and Judah, who would hear the message as comfort.

Themes

Outline

1. 1:1–1:9Edom's pride and coming fall
2. 1:10–1:14The charge: standing by on Jerusalem's day of ruin
3. 1:15–1:18The day of the Lord and the fate of Esau
4. 1:19–1:21Zion restored and the kingdom the Lord's

Key verses