Obadiah 1:14

14 You should not have stood at the parting of the ways to cut off his fugitives; you should not have delivered up his survivors in the day of 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 But you should not have gloated over the day of your brother in the day of his misfortune; you should not have rejoiced over the people of Judah in the day of their ruin; you should not have boasted in the day of distress.
13 You should not have entered the gate of my people in the day of his calamity; you should not have gloated over his disaster in the day of his calamity; you should not have looted his goods in the day of his calamity.
14 You should not have stood at the parting of the ways to cut off his fugitives; you should not have delivered up his survivors in the day of distress.
15 For the day of the LORD is near upon all the nations. As you have done, it shall be done to you, your deeds shall return on your own head.
16 For as you have drunk upon my holy mountain, all the nations round about shall drink; they shall drink, and stagger, and shall be as though they had not been.
Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1952 [2nd edition, 1971] by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.