Ovadyah 1:7

7 All the men of thy alliance have forced thee and brought thee even to the border; the anshei shlomecha (the men that were at peace with thee) have deceived thee, and prevailed against thee; they that eat thy lechem (bread) have laid a mazor (net, trap) under thee; there is none detecting it.

Ovadyah 1:7 Meaning and Commentary

Obadiah 1:7

All the men of thy confederacy have brought thee [even] to the
border
Or of "thy covenant" ^F18; that are in league with thee; thine allies, even all of them, prove treacherous to thee, in whom thou trustedst; when they sent their ambassadors to them, they received them kindly, promised great things to them, dismissed them honourably, accompanied them to the borders of their country, but never stood to their engagements: or those allies came and joined their forces with the Edomites, and went out with them to meet the enemy, as if they would fight with them, and them; but when they came to the border of the land they left them, and departed into their own country; or went over to the enemy; or these confederates were the instruments of expelling them out of their own land, and sending them to the border of it, and carrying them captive; or they followed them to the border of the land, when they were carried captive, as if they lamented their case, when they were assisting to the enemy, as Kimchi; so deceitful were they. The Targum is to the same purpose,

``from the border all thy confederates carried thee captive ^F19:''

the men that were at peace with thee have deceived thee, [and]
prevailed against thee;
outwitted them in their treaties of peace, and got the advantage of them; or they proved treacherous to them, and joined the enemy against them; or they persuaded them to declare themselves enemies to the Chaldeans, which proved their ruin; and so they prevailed against them: [they that eat] thy bread:
so the Targum and Kimchi supply it; or it may be supplied from the preceding clause, "the men of thy bread"; who received subsidies from them, were maintained by them, and quartered among them: have laid a wound under thee;
instead of supporting them, secretly did that which was wounding to them. The word signifies both a wound and a plaster; they pretended to lay a plaster to heal, but made a wound; or made the wound worse. The Targum is,

``they laid a stumbling block under thee;''

at which they stumbled and fell: or snares, as the Vulgate Latin version, whereby they brought them to ruin: [there is] none understanding in him;
in Esau, or the Edomites; they were so stupid, that they could not see into the designs of their pretended friends, and prevent the execution of them, and their ill effects.

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FOOTNOTES:

F18 (Ktyrb yvna) "viri foederis tui", V. L. Montanus, Vatablus, Burkius.
F19 So R. Sol. Urbin. Ohel Moed, fol. 51. 2. and 52. 1.

Ovadyah 1:7 In-Context

5 If ganavim (thieves) came to thee, if shodedei lailah (robbers by night)?oh how art thou cut off!?would they not have stolen only till they had enough? If the grape gatherers came to thee, would they not leave some grapes?

6 How is Esau searched out! How are his hidden treasures pillaged!

7 All the men of thy alliance have forced thee and brought thee even to the border; the anshei shlomecha (the men that were at peace with thee) have deceived thee, and prevailed against thee; they that eat thy lechem (bread) have laid a mazor (net, trap) under thee; there is none detecting it.

8 Shall I not in that day, saith Hashem, even destroy the chachamim (wise men) out of Edom, and understanding out of the Har Esav?

9 And thy gibborim (mighty men), O Teman, shall be dismayed and lose courage, to the end that every one of the Har Esav may be cut off by slaughter.