Obadja 1:3

3 De trotsheid uws harten heeft u bedrogen; hij, die daar woont in de kloven der steenrotsen, in zijn hoge woning; die in zijn hart zegt: Wie zou mij ter aarde nederstoten?

Obadja 1:3 Meaning and Commentary

Obadiah 1:3

The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee
The Edomites were proud of their wealth and riches, which they had by robberies amassed together; and of their military skill and courage, and of their friends and allies; and especially of their fortresses and fastnesses, both natural and artificial; and therefore thought themselves secure, and that no enemy could come at them to hurt them, and this deceived them: thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock;
their country was called Arabia Petraea, the rocky; and their metropolis Petra, the rock: Jerom says that they that inhabited the southern part of the country dwelt in caves cut out of the rock, to screen them from the heat of the sun: or, "thou that dwellest in the circumferences of the rock" ^F16; round about it, on the top of it, in a tower built there, as Kimchi and Ben Melech. Aben Ezra thinks that "caph", the note of similitude, is wanting; and that the sense is, thou thoughtest that Mount Seir could secure thee, as they that dwell in the clefts of a rock: whose habitation [is] high;
upon high rocks and mountains, such as Mount Seir was, where Esau dwelt, and his posterity after, him. The Targum is,

``thou art like to an eagle that dwells in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is in a high place;''

this they were proud of, thinking themselves safe, which deceived them; hence it follows: that saith in his heart, who shall bring me down to the ground?
what enemy, ever so warlike and powerful, will venture to invade my land, or besiege me in my strong hold? or, if he should, he can never take it, or take me from hence, conquer and subdue me. Of the pride, confidence, and security of mystical Edom or antichrist, see ( Revelation 18:7 ) .

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FOOTNOTES:

F16 (elo ywgxb) "in gyris, sive circuitionibus petrae", so some in Vatablus.

Obadja 1:3 In-Context

1 Het gezicht van Obadja. Alzo zegt de Heere HEERE van Edom: Wij hebben een gerucht gehoord van den HEERE, en er is een gezant geschikt onder de heidenen: Staat op, en laat ons opstaan tegen hen ten strijde.

2 Ziet, Ik heb u klein gemaakt onder de heidenen, gij zijt zeer veracht.

3 De trotsheid uws harten heeft u bedrogen; hij, die daar woont in de kloven der steenrotsen, in zijn hoge woning; die in zijn hart zegt: Wie zou mij ter aarde nederstoten?

4 Al verhieft gij u gelijk de arend, en al steldet gij uw nest tussen de sterren, zo zal Ik u van daar nederstoten, spreekt de HEERE.

5 Zo er dieven, zo er nachtrovers tot u gekomen waren (hoe zijt gij uitgeroeid!), zouden zij niet gestolen hebben zoveel hun genoeg ware? Zo er wijnlezers tot u gekomen waren, zouden zij niet een nalezing hebben overgelaten?