Ovadyah 1:9

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.

Ovadyah 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.

Ovadyah 1:9 In-Context

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.

10 For thy chamas against thy brother Ya’akov, bushah (shame) shall cover thee, and thou shalt be cut off l’olam (for ever).

11 In the day that thou stood aloof on the other side, in the day that the zarim (strangers) carried away captive his forces, and foreigners entered into his gates, and cast lots for Yerushalayim, even thou wast as one of them.