Logos Bible Study

Obadiah 18–21

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1:18The descendants of Jacob will be a fire,

and the descendants of Joseph a flame.

The descendants of Esau will be like stubble.

They will burn them up and devour them.

There will not be a single survivor85 of the descendants of Esau!”

Indeed, the Lord has spoken it.

1:19The people of the Negev86 will take possession87 of Esau’s mountain,

and the people of the Shephelah88 will take

possession89 of the land of90 the Philistines.

They will also take possession of the territory of Ephraim and the territory of Samaria,

and the people of Benjamin will take possession91 of Gilead.92

1:20The exiles of this fortress93 of the people of Israel

will take possession94 of what belongs to

the people of Canaan, as far as Zarephath,95

and the exiles of Jerusalem96 who are in Sepharad97

will take possession of the towns of the Negev.

1:21Those who have been delivered98 will go up on Mount Zion

in order to rule over99 Esau’s mountain.

Then the Lord will reign as King!100

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Footnotes

  1. 85 Heb “will be no survivor”; “none shall survive.”
  2. 86 Heb “the Negev”; “the South”; , “southern Judah.” The Hebrew text does not have the words “the people of,” but these words have been supplied in the translation for clarity. The place name “the Negev” functions as a synecdoche (container for contents) for the people living in the Negev. The Negev is a dry, hot, arid region in the southern portion of Judah.
  3. 87 The verb יָרַשׁ (yarash, “to take possession of [something]”) which is repeated three times in vv. 19–20 for emphasis, often implies a violent means of acquisition, such as through military conquest. Obadiah here pictures a dramatic reversal: Judah’s enemies, who conquered them then looted all her valuable possessions, will soon be conquered by the Judeans who will in turn take possession of their valuables. The punishment will fit the crime.
  4. 88 The Hebrew text does not have the words “the people of,” but they are supplied in the translation since “the Shephelah” functions as a synecdoche referring to residents of this region. The Shephelah as a region refers to the Palestinian foothills that rise from the coastal plain. In much of Old Testament times they served as a divide between the people of Judah and the Philistines.
  5. 89 The phrase “will take possession” does not appear in this clause, but is implied from its previous use in this verse. It is supplied in the translation for the sake of smoothness.
  6. 90 The words “the land of” are not present in the Hebrew text. They are supplied in the translation for clarity.
  7. 91 The phrase “will take possession” does not appear in this clause, but is implied from its previous use in this verse. It is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
  8. 92 Gilead is a mountainous region on the eastern side of the Jordan River in what is today the country of Jordan.
  9. 93 Or “army” (); , , “host”; “company.” Some text critics suggest revocalizing הַחֵל (hakhel, “the fortress”) to the place- name הָלָה (halah, “Halah”; so ), the location to which many of the Israelite exiles were sent in the 8th century (2 Kgs 17:6; 18:11; 1 Chr 5:26). The form is from הַיִל (hayil, “strength”), which is used elsewhere to refer to an army (Exod 14:17; 1 Sam 17:20; 2 Sam 8:9), military fortress (2 Sam 20:15; 22:33), leaders (Exod 18:21) and even wealth or possessions (Obad 1:11, 13).
  10. 94 The Hebrew text has no verb here. The words “will possess” have been supplied from the context.
  11. 95 Zarephath was a Phoenician coastal city located some ten miles south of Sidon.
  12. 96 For location see ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; .
  13. 97 The exact location of Sepharad is uncertain. Suggestions include a location in Spain, or perhaps Sparta in Greece, or perhaps Sardis in Asia Minor. For inscriptional evidence that bears on this question see E. Lipinski, “Obadiah 20,” 23 (1973): 368–70. The reason for mentioning this location in v. 20 seems to be that even though it was far removed from Jerusalem, the Lord will nonetheless enable the Jewish exiles there to return and participate in the restoration of Israel that Obadiah describes.
  14. 98 The present translation follows the reading מוּשָׁעִים (musha’im, “those who have been delivered”; cf. , ) rather than מוֹשִׁעִים (moshi’im,“deliverers”; cf. , , ) of the (cf. , Aquila, Theodotion, and ).
  15. 99 Heb “to judge.” In this context the term does not mean “to render judgment on,” but “to rule over” (cf. “to rule”; “to govern”).
  16. 100 Heb “then the kingdom will belong to the Lord.”

The NET Bible First Edition, Copyright 1996-2005 by Biblical Studies Press

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

The house of Jacob shall be a fire,

and the house of Joseph a flame,

and the house of Esau stubble;

they shall burn them and consume them,

and there shall be no survivor for the house of Esau,

for the Lord has spoken.

Those of the Negeb shall possess Mount Esau,

and those of the Shephelah shall possess the land of the Philistines;

they shall possess the land of Ephraim and the land of Samaria,

and Benjamin shall possess Gilead.

The exiles of this host of the people of Israel

shall possess the land of the Canaanites as far as Zarephath,

and the exiles of Jerusalem who are in Sepharad

shall possess the cities of the Negeb.

Saviors shall go up to Mount Zion

to rule Mount Esau,

and the kingdom shall be the Lord’s.

Copyright 2001 Crossway Bibles

NIVNew International Version (2011)

Jacob will be a fire

and Joseph a flame;

Esau will be stubble,

and they will set him on fire and destroy him.

There will be no survivors

from Esau.”

The Lord has spoken.

People from the Negev will occupy

the mountains of Esau,

and people from the foothills will possess

the land of the Philistines.

They will occupy the fields of Ephraim and Samaria,

and Benjamin will possess Gilead.

This company of Israelite exiles who are in Canaan

will possess the land as far as Zarephath;

the exiles from Jerusalem who are in Sepharad

will possess the towns of the Negev.

Deliverers will go up on Mount Zion

to govern the mountains of Esau.

And the kingdom will be the Lord’s.

Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 Biblica, Inc.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

Then the house of Jacob will be a blazing fire,

and the house of Joseph, a burning flame,

but the house of Esau will be stubble;

Jacob will set them on fire and consume Edom.

Therefore no survivor will remain

of the house of Esau,

for the Lord has spoken.

People from the Negev will possess

the hill country of Esau;

those from the Judean foothills will possess

the land of the Philistines.

They will possess

the territories of Ephraim and Samaria,

while Benjamin will possess Gilead.

The exiles of the Israelites who are in Halah

and who are among the Canaanites as far as Zarephath

as well as the exiles of Jerusalem who are in Sepharad

will possess the cities of the Negev.

Saviors will ascend Mount Zion

to rule over the hill country of Esau,

and the kingdom will be the Lord’s.

Copyright 2017 Holman Bible Publishers

NLTNew Living Translation

The people of Israel will be a raging fire,

and Edom a field of dry stubble.

The descendants of Joseph will be a flame

roaring across the field, devouring everything.

There will be no survivors in Edom.

I, the Lord, have spoken!

“Then my people living in the Negev

will occupy the mountains of Edom.

Those living in the foothills of Judah

will possess the Philistine plains

and take over the fields of Ephraim and Samaria.

And the people of Benjamin

will occupy the land of Gilead.

The exiles of Israel will return to their land

and occupy the Phoenician coast as far north as Zarephath.

The captives from Jerusalem exiled in the north

will return home and resettle the towns of the Negev.

Those who have been rescued will go up to Mount Zion in Jerusalem

to rule over the mountains of Edom.

And the Lord himself will be king!”

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

And the house of Jacob will be a fire and the house of Joseph a flame, and the house of Esau stubble; and they will set them on fire and will consume them. And there will not be a survivor for the house of Esau,” for Yahweh has spoken.

Those of the Negev will take possession of the mountain of Esau, and those of the Shephelah will possess the land of the Philistines, and they shall take possession of the territory of Ephraim and the territory of Samaria, and Benjamin will take possession of Gilead. And the exiles of this army of the people of Israel will possess Canaan up to Zarephath, and the exiles of Jerusalem who are in Sepharad will take possession of the cities of the Negev. And those who have been saved will go up on Mount Zion to rule the mountain of Esau. And the kingdom will belong to Yahweh.

Copyright 2012 Lexham Press

KJV 1900King James Version

And the house of Jacob shall be a fire,

And the house of Joseph a flame,

And the house of Esau for stubble,

And they shall kindle in them, and devour them;

And there shall not be any remaining of the house of Esau;

For the Lord hath spoken it.

And they of the south shall possess the mount of Esau;

And they of the plain the Philistines:

And they shall possess the fields of Ephraim, and the fields of Samaria:

And Benjamin shall possess Gilead.

And the captivity of this host of the children of Israel shall possess that of the Canaanites, even unto Zarephath;

And the captivity of Jerusalem, which is in Sepharad,

Shall possess the cities of the south.

And saviours shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau;

And the kingdom shall be the Lord’s.

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