Obadiah 1:12 - Printer Friendly

ESV: But do not gloat over the day of your brother in the day of his misfortune; do not rejoice over the people of Judah in the day of their ruin; do not boast in the day of distress.

NIV: You should not gloat over your brother in the day of his misfortune, nor rejoice over the people of Judah in the day of their destruction, nor boast so much in the day of their trouble.

NASB: Do not gloat over your brother’s day, The day of his misfortune. And do not rejoice over the sons of Judah On the day of their destruction; Yes, do not boast On the day of their distress.

CSB: Do not gloat over your brother in the day of his calamity; do not rejoice over the people of Judah in the day of their destruction; do not boastfully mock in the day of distress.

NLT: 'You should not have gloated when they exiled your relatives to distant lands. You should not have rejoiced when the people of Judah suffered such misfortune. You should not have spoken arrogantly in that terrible time of trouble.

KJV: But thou shouldest not have looked on the day of thy brother in the day that he became a stranger; neither shouldest thou have rejoiced over the children of Judah in the day of their destruction; neither shouldest thou have spoken proudly in the day of distress.

NKJV: “But you should not have gazed on the day of your brother In the day of his captivity; Nor should you have rejoiced over the children of Judah In the day of their destruction; Nor should you have spoken proudly In the day of distress.

Verses 12, 13, and 14 continue to accuse Edom, with an interesting twist. The verses say, "Do not," but refer to things which the Edomites have already done. This is an ancient literary technique, as if the author is calling out to the people of the past, saying, "Stop!" This technique can be seen in other Old Testament passages, such as Hosea 9:1. The purpose here is to list the sins of Edom, particularly those against the nation of Israel.

Verse 12 refers to Edom's failure to help Israel when they were attacked by Babylon. In fact, rather than help, the Edomites stood by and laughed while Israel was being invaded. Worse, they helped the Babylonians capture fleeing Jews (Obadiah 1:14), which was probably done with quite a bit of spiteful talk. As it turns out, Edom was actually laughing at a shadow of their own fate. Before long, Edom would be routed and ruined by an invading foreign army.

Edom should have acted as a "brother" nation to Israel, since their ancestors were brothers: Esau and Jacob. Instead, as they had for centuries, the Edomites acted hatefully and cruelly towards the Israelites.

Obadiah 1:10–14 describes why God is about to bring judgment on Edom. The Edomites were children of Esau, the brother of Jacob, who was the father of the nation of Israel. Rather than acting as a ''brother'' nation, Edom constantly harassed and provoked Israel. Eventually, when Israel was attacked by a foreign nation, Edom joined in the looting. They even mocked the Jewish people in their pain, and helped the invaders capture refugees. These crimes are described from a unique perspective, as if the prophet is watching the events happen, and warning Edom not to continue.

The nation of Edom grew from Esau, the brother of Jacob. Jacob would later be re-named ''Israel.'' Despite being so closely related, Israel had few long-term enemies as spiteful as the Edomites. In the short prophecy given by Obadiah, Edom is warned of God's judgment. Edom is particularly condemned for aiding Israel's enemies in a time of war. This warning is extended to all nations that reject God: judgment for your sin is coming, but God will be merciful to those who obey Him.

Obadiah is the shortest book in the Old Testament, with only one chapter of 21 verses. In just a few words, it delivers a warning of judgment on Edom, one of Israel's oldest enemies. This passage also warns every nation that defies God that there will be a reckoning. The end of Obadiah's prophecy involves the division of land during the end times.

Obadiah is an excellent introduction to Old Testament prophecy. In just 21 verses, it covers all of the typical contents found in the prophets. Themes of wrongdoing, imminent judgment, God's mercy, and His restoration are all found in this short book. Reading Obadiah is somewhat like reading the dust jacket of a much larger novel. Obadiah is also interesting in that it is not addressed to Israel, but to the nation of Edom.