Obadiah 1:12

12 And thou shalt not despise in the day of thy brother, in the day of his pilgrimage, and thou shalt not be glad on the sons of Judah, in the day of perdition of them; and thou shalt not magnify thy mouth in the day of anguish, (And thou should not have had glory on the day of thy brother, on the day of his misfortune, and thou should not have been happy over the sons of Judah, on the day of their perdition; and thou should not have opened thy mouth in laughter, and mocking, on the day of their anguish,)

Obadiah 1:12 Meaning and Commentary

Obadiah 1:12

But thou shouldest not have looked on the day of thy brother,
&c.] The day of his calamity, distress, and destruction, as afterwards explained; that is, with delight and satisfaction, as pleased with it, and rejoicing at it; but rather should have grieved and mourned, and as fearing their turn would be next: or, "do not look" ^F20; so some read it in the imperative, and in like manner all the following clauses: in the day that he became a stranger;
were carried into a strange country, and became strangers to their own: or, "in the day of his alienation" ^F21; from their country, city, houses, and the house and worship of God; and when strange, surprising, and unheard of things were done unto them, and, among them: neither shouldest thou have rejoiced over the children of Judah in the
day of their destruction;
the destruction of the Jews, of the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin, by the Chaldeans: this explains what is meant by the Edomites looking upon the day of the calamity of the Jews, that it was with pleasure and complacency, having had a good will to have destroyed them themselves, but it was not in the power of their hands; and now being done by a foreign enemy, they could not forbear expressing their joy on that occasion, which was very cruel and brutal; and this also shows that Obadiah prophesied after the destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar: neither shouldest thou have spoken proudly in the day of distress;
or "magnified thy mouth" ^F23; opened it wide in virulent scoffing, and insulting language; saying with the greatest fervour and vehemence, and as loud as it could be said, "rase it, rase it to the foundation thereof", ( Psalms 137:7 ) .

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FOOTNOTES:

F20 (art la) "ne aspicias", Junius & Tremellius; "ne aspicito", Piscator; "ne spectes", Cocceius.
F21 (wrkn Mwyb) "diem alienationis ejus", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Mercerus; "in die alienationis ejus", Calvin, Cocceius, Burkius.
F23 (Kyp ldgt law) "et non debebas magnificare os tuum", Pagninus; "ne magnifices", Montanus, Junius & Tremellius; "ne magnificato", Piscator; "ne magno ore utaris", Cocceius.

Obadiah 1:12 In-Context

10 For slaying and for wickedness against thy brother Jacob, confusion shall cover thee, and thou shalt perish [into] without end (For the killing and the wickedness done against thy brother Jacob, shame shall cover thee, and thou shalt be cut off forever.)

11 In the day when thou stoodest against him, when aliens took the host of him, and strangers entered into the gates of him, and sent lot on Jerusalem, thou were also as one of them. (For on the day when thou stoodest aside, and when foreigners took all of his wealth, and strangers entered into his gates, and cast lots for Jerusalem, thou were just like one of them.)

12 And thou shalt not despise in the day of thy brother, in the day of his pilgrimage, and thou shalt not be glad on the sons of Judah, in the day of perdition of them; and thou shalt not magnify thy mouth in the day of anguish, (And thou should not have had glory on the day of thy brother, on the day of his misfortune, and thou should not have been happy over the sons of Judah, on the day of their perdition; and thou should not have opened thy mouth in laughter, and mocking, on the day of their anguish,)

13 neither thou shalt enter into the gate(s) of my people, in the day of falling of them; and thou shalt not despise in the evils of him, in the day of his destroying; and thou shalt not be sent out against his host, in the day of his destroying; (nor should thou have entered into the gates of my people, on the day of their falling; and thou should not have seized their treasures, or their riches, on the day of their destruction; and thou should not have gone out against their host, or their army, on the day of their destruction;)

14 neither thou shalt stand in the going out [of the ways], that thou slay them that fled; and thou shalt not close together the residues, either left men, of him, in the day of tribulation, (nor should thou have stood in the going out of the ways, so that thou could kill those who fled; and thou should not have enclosed their remnants, or those who were left, on the day of their tribulation,)