Obadiah 1:14

14 You should not have stood at the crossroads 1 to catch those trying to escape. You should not have handed them over to the enemy on the day of their distress.

Obadiah 1:14 Meaning and Commentary

Obadiah 1:14

Neither shouldest thou have stood in the crossing
In a place where two or more roads met, to stop the Jews that fled, let them take which road they would: or, "in the breach" F25; that is, of the walls of the city; to cut off those of his that did escape;
such of the Jews that escaped the sword of the Chaldeans in the city, and attempted, to get away through the breaches of the walls of it, or that took different roads to make their escape; these were intercepted and stopped by the Edomites, who posted themselves at these breaches, or at places where two or more ways met, and cut them off; so that those that escaped the sword of the enemy fell by theirs; which was exceeding barbarous and cruel: neither shouldest thou have delivered up those of his that did remain
in the day of their distress;
or "shut up" F26; they shut them up in their houses, or stopped up all the avenues and ways by which they might escape, even such as remained of those that were killed or carried captive; these falling into the hands of the Edomites, some they cut off, and others they delivered up into the hands of the Chaldeans. Of the joy and rejoicing of the mystical Edomites, the Papists, those false brethren and antichristians, at the destruction of the faithful witnesses and true Christians, and of their cruelty and inhumanity to them, see ( Revelation 11:7-10 ) .


FOOTNOTES:

F25 (qrph le) "in diruptione", Junius & Tremellius, Tarnovius.
F26 (rgot law) "neque concludas", Montanus, Mercerus, Tigurine version, Tarnovius.

Obadiah 1:14 In-Context

12 You should not have gloated over the misfortune of your relatives in Judah. You should not have been glad on the day of their ruin. You should not have laughed at them in their distress.
13 You should not have entered the city of my people to gloat over their suffering and to seize their riches on the day of their disaster.
14 You should not have stood at the crossroads to catch those trying to escape. You should not have handed them over to the enemy on the day of their distress.
15 "The day is near when I, the Lord, will judge all nations. Edom, what you have done will be done to you. You will get back what you have given.
16 My people have drunk a bitter cup of punishment on my sacred hill. But all the surrounding nations will drink a still more bitter cup of punishment; they will drink it all and vanish away.

Cross References 1

  • 1. 1-14Isaiah 34.5-17; 63.1-6;Jeremiah 49.7-22;Ezekiel 25.12-14; 35.1-15;Amos 1.11, 12;Malachi 1.2-5.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.