Obadiah 1:9

9 And your warriors will be shattered, [O] Teman, so that {everyone}^[a] from the mountain of Esau will be cut off because of the slaughter!

Obadiah 1:9 Meaning and Commentary

Obadiah 1:9

And thy mighty [men], O Teman, shall be dismayed
Teman was one part of the country of Edom, so called from Teman, a son of Eliphaz, and grandson of Esau, ( Genesis 36:11 ) ; and which it seems had been famous for men of might and courage: it abounded with brave officers, and courageous soldiers, who should now be quite dispirited, and have no heart to go out against the enemy; and, instead of defending their country, should throw away their arms, and run away in a fright. The Targum and Vulgate Latin version render it,

``thy mighty men that inhabit the south;''

or are on the south, the southern part of Edom, and so lay farthest off from the Chaldeans, who came from the north; yet these should be at once intimidated upon the rumour of their approach and invasion: to the end that even one of the mount of Esau may be cut by slaughter;
that so there might be none to resist and stop the enemy, or defend their country; but that all might fall by the sword of the enemy, and none be left, even every mighty man, as Jarchi interprets it, through the greatness of the slaughter that should be made.

Obadiah 1:9 In-Context

7 All of your {allies} have driven you up to the boundary; your {confederates} have deceived you and have prevailed against you. [Those who eat] your bread have set an ambush for you, there is no understanding of it.

8 On that day," {declares} Yahweh, "will I not destroy the wise men from Edom, and understanding from the mountain of Esau?

9 And your warriors will be shattered, [O] Teman, so that {everyone} from the mountain of Esau will be cut off because of the slaughter!

10 "Because of the violence done to your brother Jacob, shame will cover you and you will be cut off forever.

11 On {the day you stood nearby}, {on the day strangers took} his wealth, and foreigners entered his gates and cast lots over Jerusalem, you were also like one of them.

Footnotes

• [a]. Literally "each"