12 Heb “the presumption of your heart”; , “the pride of your heart”; “arrogance of your heart.”
13 Heb “in the concealed places of the rock”; , , , , “in the clefts of the rock”; “the hollow places of the cliff”; “a mountain fortress.” The word rock in Hebrew (סֶלַע, sela’) is a wordplay on Sela, the name of a prominent Edomite city. Its impregnability was a cause for arrogance on the part of its ancient inhabitants.
14 Heb “on high (is) his dwelling”; “in the loftiness of your dwelling place”; “whose dwelling (abode ) is in the heights.”
15 Heb “the one who says in his heart.”
16 The Hebrew imperfect verb used here is best understood in a modal sense (“Who can bring me down?”) rather than in the sense of a simple future (“Who will bring me down?”). So also in v. 4 (“I can bring you down”). The question is not so much whether this will happen at some time in the future, but whether it even lies in the realm of possible events. In their hubris the Edomites were boasting that no one had the capability of breaching their impregnable defenses. However, their pride caused them to fail to consider the vast capabilities of Yahweh as warrior.
17 Heb “Who can bring me down?” This rhetorical question implies a negative answer: “No one!”
18 The eagle was often used in the ancient Near East as a symbol of strength and swiftness.
19 The present translation follows the reading תָּשִׂים (tasim; active) rather than שִׁים (sim; passive) of the (“and your nest be set among the stars,” ). Cf. , , .

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

The pride of your heart has deceived you,

you who live in the clefts of the rock,

in your lofty dwelling,

who say in your heart,

“Who will bring me down to the ground?”

Though you soar aloft like the eagle,

though your nest is set among the stars,

from there I will bring you down,

declares the Lord.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

The pride of your heart has deceived you,

you who live in the clefts of the rocks

and make your home on the heights,

you who say to yourself,

‘Who can bring me down to the ground?’

Though you soar like the eagle

and make your nest among the stars,

from there I will bring you down,”

declares the Lord.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

Your arrogant heart has deceived you,

you who live in clefts of the rock

in your home on the heights,

who say to yourself,

“Who can bring me down to the ground?”

Though you seem to soar like an eagle

and make your nest among the stars,

even from there I will bring you down.

This is the Lord’s declaration.

NLTNew Living Translation

You have been deceived by your own pride

because you live in a rock fortress

and make your home high in the mountains.

‘Who can ever reach us way up here?’

you ask boastfully.

But even if you soar as high as eagles

and build your nest among the stars,

I will bring you crashing down,”

says the Lord.

The pride of your heart has deceived you, you who live in the clefts of a rock, the heights of its dwelling, you who say in your heart: ‘Who can bring me down to the ground?’ Even if you soar like the eagle, even if your nest is set among the stars, from there I will bring you down!” declares Yahweh:

KJV 1900King James Version

The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee,

Thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high;

That saith in his heart, Who shall bring me down to the ground?

Though thou exalt thyself as the eagle,

And though thou set thy nest among the stars,

Thence will I bring thee down, saith the Lord.

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Obadiah 3–4

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