[Obadiah, 1:1–2:1]
“The Vision of Obadiah. Thus says the Lord God to Edom” [1:1]. The prophet Obadiah prophesied. He was born a gentile in Edom who converted and became a prophet. He prophesied how Edom would have a downfall in the days of the Messiah. That is why, someone from Edom prophesied about Edom. That is to say, let someone from Edom come and let him punish Edom, someone who lived among the two evildoers, Ahab and Jezebel, and did not learn from their evil deeds and remained righteous. Therefore, Obadiah should punish Edom, which is Esau, who lived among two righteous people, Isaac and Rebecca, and did not learn from their learn from their good deeds.1B. Sanhedrin, 39b. Obadiah is also identified with the Obadiah who served Ahab and hid the prophets (I Kings, 18:4).
It is a parable. The goldsmith makes a silver spoon. There comes a time when the goldsmith burns his mouth with the same silver spoon, when the goldsmith eats something very hot, straight from the fire. So too is Obadiah. He came from Edom and Esau, that he should punish Esau and Edom. That is, his own nation of Edom. The prophecy was that when Edom will be destroyed, Israel would be redeemed from the exile.2Radak, Obadiah, 1:1.
“We have received tidings from the Lord, and an envoy has been sent out among the nations” [1:1]. The nations will say about Edom. We have heard from God that a messenger has come from God. What are the tidings? All the nations will say, let us arise and we will wage war against Edom for his land.3Radak, Obadiah, 1:1.
“I will make you the smallest among nations; you will be most despised” [1:2]. They will not worry about you, Edom, when you will disappear and will be destroyed, because you are small and despised by the other nations.4Radak, Obadiah, 1:2.
“You who dwell in the clefts of the rocks, in your lofty abode” [1:3]. You Edom dwelled in the hills of Esau atop the mountains. You sat in the heights and thought and said, who will bring me down from the top.
“Should you nest as high as the eagle, and among the stars, etc.” [1:4]. The prophet said: you Edom will not be able to hide even if you go as high as an eagle who flies higher than all the other birds. Should you make your nest among the stars of the heavens, from there will I bring you down, says God.
“If thieves were to come to you, etc.” [1:5]. The nations will be amazed when they see the destruction of Edom, that they are devastated. They will say to Edom, what happened to you? Did thieves come in the night and devastate you when you slept soundly and did not hear and did not oppose them. Even when thieves do come, they steal only until they have enough, but in any event they leave something behind.
“If grape-gatherers came to you, etc.” [1:5]. If the devastators came during the day, just like they would come to clean out a vineyard. They come several times and take away all the grapes in the vineyard. Yet, they forget some grapes under the leaves. However, with you, everything was cleaned out and nothing was forgotten.
“How Edom has been pillaged, his treasures ransacked” [1:6]. How you have been searched in all the hiding places of your treasures. They desired everything you had hidden and it was found.
“All your allies turned you back at the border, etc.” [1:7]. Your good friends who swore to you, have betrayed you and sent you to the ends of your land. You have fallen into the hands of your enemies. Your best friends have betrayed you and given you into the hands of your enemies.
“Those who ate your bread have set a trap for you, there is no understanding, etc.” [1:7]. The same ones, who always ate bread with you, out of great love, will cause you wounds. You will not understand. The counsels to kill you will be taken in secret.
“On that day says the Lord, etc.” [1:8]. The Lord said: in truth there are many sages among Edom, but when your downfall will come, their sages will be destroyed.
“Your warriors will lose heart, Teman, and everyone from Mount Esau will be slaughtered” [1:9]. There are many warriors with swords among Esau. Isaac had given him the blessing “by your sword you shall live” [Genesis, 27:40]. However, when the downfall will come upon Esau, the warriors will be anxious and their hearts will be broken, out of fear, in the expectation that all the people of Esau will be destroyed.
“Cut off” [1:9]. That is, there will be many killings in Edom and all the people of Edom will be cut off.
“For the outrage to your brother Jacob, disgrace will cover you, etc.” [1:10]. Because you Edom behaved unjustly to your brother Jacob, therefore you will be covered with shame and disgrace and will be cut off forever. Edom did much evil to Israel in the destruction of the second Temple.5Radak, Obadiah, 1:10.
“On the day that you stood aside, on the day when foreigners carried off” [1:11]. When the evil Titus came against Israel and Jerusalem, Edom rejoiced and also stood on the side to insult Israel and gave Israel into the hands of the people from the city of Rome. You Edom should have helped Israel, since they are your brothers. The Holy One had forbidden in the desert, with Moses our Teacher, that Israel should not do any evil acts to Edom because they are your brothers. During the destruction of Jerusalem, Edom did not think about this brotherhood.6Radak, Obadiah, 1:11.
“They cast lots for Jerusalem and you were as one of them” [1:11]. When Jerusalem was destroyed, the nations cast lots to divide up the treasures of Israel and shared them among each other. You Edom, if you had not shared in the division, you would not have tormented us and rejoiced over our downfall. Therefore, you will be as good as those other nations, since you have done the same to Israel.
“You should not have gloated over your brother, on the day of his misfortune” [1:12]. You Edom should not have looked at the misfortune of your brother on the day that he was taken to a foreign land. You should not have rejoiced over the children of Judah on the day of their defeat.
“You should not have boasted on the day of distress” [1:12]. You Edom should not have opened your mouth so wide with laughter and mockery on the day of suffering.
“You should not have come into the cities of my people, etc.” [1:13]. You Edom should not have come into the gates of my people Israel, to see their destruction. It is nothing new that other nations came to see our destruction, since they are foreign nations. They are not our brothers. However, you Edom are a brother to Israel and should not have looked at the destruction with joy and should not have sent your hand to take money and goods from Israel on the day that Israel was in its brokenness.
“How could you stand at the passes and cut down the refugees” [1:14]. You Edom should not have stood at the crossroads, where two roads intersect, hoping that you would capture, when Israel will run away from Jerusalem. You wanted to cut down the refugees from Israel.
“You should not have handed over the remnants, on the day of our distress” [1:14]. You Edom should not have handed over the remnants of Israel into the hands of their enemies. You placed guards on all the roads that they should capture Israel.
“For the day of the Lord is near against all the nations” [1:15]. The prophet said: the redemption will come soon to Israel and all the gentiles will soon get their just rewards, that they have caused troubles to Israel. Even though it has been a long time and the redemption has not yet come, how does he say that the redemption will come soon? The answer is that the Holy One promised that it would certainly happen. Even if he delays for a long time, in any event the redemption will certainly come. This is as if it has already happened. Therefore he says, the redemption will come soon.7Radak, Obadiah, 1:15.
“As you did, so shall it be done to you; your conduct will be requited” [1:15]. What you Edom did, so will it happen to you, your recompense will come down on your head.
“For as you have drunk on my holy mountain, etc.” [1:16]. The nations drank on Mount Zion and had a celebration over the destruction of Jerusalem. So too will it happen that the nations will drink a bitter drink.
“They shall drink and gulp down and shall be as if they never were” [1:16]. They will drink and swallow the bitter drink in their throats and will be destroyed, just as if they never were in the world.
“And on Mount Zion a remnant will survive and they will be holy” [1:17]. Even though many Israelites have been destroyed in the time of exile. Nonetheless, a time will come again that Israel will be redeemed on Mount Zion and Israel will be holy to God.
“The House of Jacob will dispossess those who dispossessed them” [1:17]. Jacob will inherit the land that the nations had inherited.
“The House of Jacob will be a fire and the House of Joseph a flame, etc.” [1:18]. Like the fire burns the straw, so will Jacob burn the nations. Therefore he says, a flame will come out of the house of Jacob and from the house of Joseph a fiery flame will come, when Joseph will overcome Esau.
“There will be no survivor of the House of Esau, since the Lord has spoken” [1:18]. No person from Esau will remain; when the Holy One says it, it will certainly happen.
“They will inherit the Negev, Mount Esau, the Shefelah and Philistia” [1:19]. Israel will inherit the land of the Negev from Esau and will inherit the valley from the Philistines. They will not need large mountains behind which to protect themselves from their enemies and to sow grain on them. The Holy One will give the blessing to Israel that they will have enough grain and they will inherit the fields of Ephraim, Samaria, and the fields of Benjamin and of Gilead.8Radak, Obadiah, 1:19.
“The exiled army of Israel shall possess, etc.” [1:20]. The exile of the people of Israel, those who are dispersed in exile from the land of the Canaanites until the land of France. The exile of Jerusalem in the land of Sepharad, who were exiled and dispersed, will inherit the cities of the Negev that is in the south.9Radak, Obadiah, 1:20, identifies these names with the European lands of these names. However, he identifies Canaan with Germany. It was more common to identify Canaan with Eastern Europe.
“The redeemers will ascend Mount Zion to judge Mount Esau” [1:21]. The Messiah and his colleagues will go up to Mount Zion to judge the mountain of Esau because they have done evil to Israel.
“The kingdom will be the Lord’s” [1:21]. When the Messiah will come, the kingdom will rightfully belong to God alone. Then all the gentiles will acknowledge to God that He is a king.
The Tanhuma writes: “Thus says the Lord God, etc.” [1:1]. The Holy One himself will repay the kingdom of the Cuthians their just recompense for the evil that they did to Israel. In Egypt, the Holy One repaid them through an angel, as the verse says, “He sent an angel and He took us out” [Numbers, 20:16]. Concerning the king of Assyria, it is written that an angel of God went out and killed the king of Assyria. In Shushan, Israel was saved by Mordecai and Esther. In the days of the kingdom of the Greeks, in the days of Hanukkah, through Matithias the High Priest. However, the Holy One himself will take revenge on the Cuthians.10Midrash Tanhuma ed. Buber, Vayishlah, 8; Yalkut Shimoni, Obadiah, Remez 549.