What does Obadiah 1:11 mean?
In 587 BC, the Babylonian Empire, led by Nebuchadnezzar, invaded and sacked Jerusalem for a third time. Israelites who escaped tried to flee to the southeast. The Edomites, who did nothing to counter the invasion, helped Babylon to capture fugitive Jews. In reward, Edom was allowed to participate in looting Jerusalem. Instead of acting as a brother, Edom acted with violence and spite towards Israel. As verse 5 stated, even thieves only steal what they want, leaving the rest. It takes a vindictive spirit to strip the victim of everything.Typical of Old Testament judgment, Edom would suffer the same disaster they had inflicted on Israel. Shortly after Obadiah's prophecy, Edom was reduced to a wasteland after an attack by their so-called allies. Just as Edom had watched while foreign nations robbed Israel, they would be ruined and driven from their homes by invaders. Verse 10 puts the blame for this, in some sense, on Edom's recent crimes against Israel. However, this judgment had been a long time coming. No other Old Testament nation is mentioned in the context of judgment more often than Edom.