Obadiah 1:1

1 [The] Vision of Obadiah. The Lord God saith these things to Edom. We heard an hearing of the Lord, and he sent a legate, either a messenger, to heathen men. Rise ye, and together rise we against him into battle. (The vision, or the prophecy, of Obadiah. The Lord God saith these things about Edom. We heard a word from the Lord, and he sent a messenger to the heathen. And he said, Rise ye, let us rise up together against Edom in battle.)

Obadiah 1:1 Meaning and Commentary

Obadiah 1:1

The vision of Obadiah
Or the prophecy, as the Targum; which was delivered unto him by the Lord in a vision; it was not what he fancied or dreamed of, but what he saw, what he had a clear discovery and revelation of made unto his mind; hence prophets are sometimes called "seers". This was a single prophecy; though sometimes a book, consisting of various prophecies, is called a vision; as the prophecies of Isaiah are called the vision of Isaiah, ( Isaiah 1:1 ) ; thus saith the Lord God concerning Edom;
by the mouth of this prophet, who was divinely inspired by him; for Obadiah said not what follows of himself but in the name of the Lord; and is a proof of the divine authority of this book; the subject matter of which is Edom or Idumea, as in the Septuagint version; a neighbouring country to the Jews, and very troublesome to them, being their implacable enemies, though their brethren; and were a type of the enemies of the Christian church, those false brethren, the antichristian states; and particularly the head of them, the Romish antichrist, whose picture is here drawn and whose destruction is prophesied of, under the name of Edom; for what has been literally fulfilled in Idumea will; be mystically accomplished in antichrist. The Jews generally understand, by Edom, Rome, and the Christians in general; which, if applied only to the antichristians, is not amiss; we have heard a rumour from the Lord;
or "a report" ^F14; a message from him, brought by the Spirit of God, as a spirit of prophecy; that is, I Obadiah, and Jeremiah, and other prophets, as Isaiah and Amos, who have had orders to prophesy against Edom; see ( Jeremiah 49:14 ) ; so the angels, or Gospel ministers, will have a rumour or message concerning the fall of antichrist ( Revelation 14:6-9 ) ; and an ambassador is sent among the Heathen:
either by the Lord, as Jeremiah the prophet, according to some; or an angel, as others; or an impulse upon the minds of the Chaldeans stirring them up to war against the Edomites: or else by Nebuchadnezzar to the nations in alliance with him, to join him in his expedition against them; or a herald sent by him to his own people, to summon them together to this war, and to encourage them in it: arise ye, and let us rise up in battle against her;
come up from all parts, join together, and invade the land of Idumea, and give battle to the inhabitants of it, and destroy them; so the kings of the earth will stir up one another to hate the whore of Rome, and make her desolate, ( Revelation 17:16 ) .

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FOOTNOTES:

F14 (hewmv) "auditum", V. L. Pagninus, Montanus.

Obadiah 1:1 In-Context

1 [The] Vision of Obadiah. The Lord God saith these things to Edom. We heard an hearing of the Lord, and he sent a legate, either a messenger, to heathen men. Rise ye, and together rise we against him into battle. (The vision, or the prophecy, of Obadiah. The Lord God saith these things about Edom. We heard a word from the Lord, and he sent a messenger to the heathen. And he said, Rise ye, let us rise up together against Edom in battle.)

2 Lo! I gave thee (to be) little in heathen men, thou art full much worthy to be despised. (Lo! I made thee, O Edom, to be the least among the heathen, and thou art very worthy to be despised.)

3 The pride of thine heart enhanced thee, dwelling in the crazings of stones, araising thy seat. Which sayest in thine heart, Who shall draw me down into earth? (The pride of thy heart exalted thee, or raised thee up, thou living in the chinks of stones, and making thy home high in the heights. Who sayest in thy heart, Who can ever pull me down to the ground?)

4 Though thou shalt be raised as an eagle, and thou shalt put thy nest among stars, from thence I shall draw thee down, saith the Lord. (But even though thou shalt be raised up like an eagle, and even if thou shalt put thy nest among the stars, I shall still pull thee down from there, saith the Lord.)

5 If night thieves had entered to thee, if outlaws by night, how shouldest thou have been still? whether they should not have stolen things enough to them? If gatherers of grapes had entered to thee, whether they should have left namely raisins, or clusters, to thee? (If night thieves come in upon thee, yea, outlaws by night, do they not steal only what they want for themselves? And if gatherers of grapes come in upon thee, do they not at least leave the raisins, or the clusters, for thee? But thy enemies have left thee with nothing!)