The book of Obadiah is the fourth of the twelve smaller prophetic books. It is also the shortest book in the entire Tanach, at just 21 verses long.
Most scholars agree that this book was likely written around the year 586 BCE, during the time of the destruction of the first temple in Jerusalem. We will go into why that is.
It is important to note that there are theories that the book was written in the mid-9th century, based on the verses below:
The famine was severe in Samaria. (3) Ahab had summoned Obadiah, the steward of the palace. (Obadiah revered the LORD greatly. (4) When Jezebel was killing off the prophets of the LORD, Obadiah had taken a hundred prophets and hidden them, fifty to a cave, and provided them with food and drink.)
What do we learn about Obadiah from these verses? What kind of a man was he?
Talmud Bavli Sanhedrin 39b
Rabbi Yitzḥak says: For what reason did Obadiah merit prophecy? It is because he concealed one hundred prophets in a cave, as it is stated: “It was so, when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the Lord, that Obadiah took one hundred prophets, and hid them, fifty men in a cave, and fed them with bread and water” (I Kings 18:4).... The Gemara asks: What is different, i.e., what is the reason, that specifically Obadiah prophesied concerning Edom? Rabbi Yitzḥak says: The Holy One, Blessed be He, said: Let Obadiah come, who dwells among two wicked ones, Ahab and Jezebel, but did not learn from their actions; and he will prophesy concerning Esau the wicked, the progenitor of Edom, who dwelled among two righteous ones, Isaac and Rebekkah, but did not learn from their actions. Efrayim Miksha’a, a student of Rabbi Meir, said in the name of Rabbi Meir: Obadiah was an Edomite convert. Consequently, he prophesied with regard to Edom.
Despite these texts and commentaries, the majority of scholars believe it took place in the 6th century for a number of reasons, including:
- Language used was indicative of this time period
- As we will see, this text references Edom’s betrayal of the alliance it once had with Israel. The destruction of the Temple and all of its violence are indicative of this betrayal.
(א) חֲז֖וֹן עֹֽבַדְיָ֑ה כֹּֽה־אָמַר֩ אֲדֹנָ֨י יֱהֹוִ֜ה לֶאֱד֗וֹם שְׁמוּעָ֨ה שָׁמַ֜עְנוּ מֵאֵ֤ת יְהֹוָה֙ וְצִיר֙ בַּגּוֹיִ֣ם שֻׁלָּ֔ח ק֛וּמוּ וְנָק֥וּמָה עָלֶ֖יהָ לַמִּלְחָמָֽה׃ (ב) הִנֵּ֥ה קָטֹ֛ן נְתַתִּ֖יךָ בַּגּוֹיִ֑ם בָּז֥וּי אַתָּ֖ה מְאֹֽד׃ (ג) זְד֤וֹן לִבְּךָ֙ הִשִּׁיאֶ֔ךָ שֹׁכְנִ֥י בְחַגְוֵי־סֶ֖לַע מְר֣וֹם שִׁבְתּ֑וֹ אֹמֵ֣ר בְּלִבּ֔וֹ מִ֥י יוֹרִדֵ֖נִי אָֽרֶץ׃ (ד) אִם־תַּגְבִּ֣יהַּ כַּנֶּ֔שֶׁר וְאִם־בֵּ֥ין כּֽוֹכָבִ֖ים שִׂ֣ים קִנֶּ֑ךָ מִשָּׁ֥ם אוֹרִֽידְךָ֖ נְאֻם־יְהֹוָֽה׃ (ה) אִם־גַּנָּבִ֤ים בָּאֽוּ־לְךָ֙ אִם־שׁ֣וֹדְדֵי לַ֔יְלָה אֵ֣יךְ נִדְמֵ֔יתָה הֲל֥וֹא יִגְנְב֖וּ דַּיָּ֑ם אִם־בֹּֽצְרִים֙ בָּ֣אוּ לָ֔ךְ הֲל֖וֹא יַשְׁאִ֥ירוּ עֹלֵלֽוֹת׃ (ו) אֵ֚יךְ נֶחְפְּשׂ֣וּ עֵשָׂ֔ו נִבְע֖וּ מַצְפֻּנָֽיו׃ (ז) עַֽד־הַגְּב֣וּל שִׁלְּח֗וּךָ כֹּ֚ל אַנְשֵׁ֣י בְרִיתֶ֔ךָ הִשִּׁיא֛וּךָ יָכְל֥וּ לְךָ֖ אַנְשֵׁ֣י שְׁלֹמֶ֑ךָ לַחְמְךָ֗ יָשִׂ֤ימוּ מָזוֹר֙ תַּחְתֶּ֔יךָ אֵ֥ין תְּבוּנָ֖ה בּֽוֹ׃
(1) The prophecy of Obadiah. We have received tidings from the LORD, And an envoy has been sent out among the nations: “Up! Let us rise up against her for battle.” Thus said my Lord GOD concerning Edom: (2) I will make you least among nations, You shall be most despised. (3) Your arrogant heart has seduced you, You who dwell in clefts of the rock, In your lofty abode. You think in your heart, “Who can pull me down to earth?” (4) Should you nest as high as the eagle, Should your eyrie be lodged ’mong the stars, Even from there I will pull you down —declares the LORD. (5) If thieves were to come to you, Marauders by night, They would steal no more than they needed. If vintagers came to you, They would surely leave some gleanings. How utterly you are destroyed! (6) How thoroughly rifled is Esau, How ransacked his hoards! (7) All your allies turned you back At the frontier; Your own confederates Have duped and overcome you; [Those who ate] your bread Have planted snares under you. He is bereft of understanding.
1) What is the message of this text so far?
2) The text is full of literary devices, add layers to our understanding. For example, verse three proposes the question of the Edomites, "Who can pull me down (yorideini) to earth?" God responds in verse 4 that God will pull them down (oridcha).
3) I highlighted the word hishiech in verse 3 translated here saying of Edom's arrogant heart that it "seduced you." In what way does this word underline the message of the text? How does it counteract with how it is used in verse 7?
4) You may notice that Esau was mentioned in this text. This is because Esau is the forefather of the Edomite people. Just as our Torah portion discusses the relationship between Jacob and Esau, our haftarah discusses what happens with their descendants.
(ח) הֲל֛וֹא בַּיּ֥וֹם הַה֖וּא נְאֻם־יְהֹוָ֑ה וְהַאֲבַדְתִּ֤י חֲכָמִים֙ מֵֽאֱד֔וֹם וּתְבוּנָ֖ה מֵהַ֥ר עֵשָֽׂו׃ (ט) וְחַתּ֥וּ גִבּוֹרֶ֖יךָ תֵּימָ֑ן לְמַ֧עַן יִכָּֽרֶת־אִ֛ישׁ מֵהַ֥ר עֵשָׂ֖ו מִקָּֽטֶל׃ (י) מֵחֲמַ֛ס אָחִ֥יךָ יַעֲקֹ֖ב תְּכַסְּךָ֣ בוּשָׁ֑ה וְנִכְרַ֖תָּ לְעוֹלָֽם׃ (יא) בְּיוֹם֙ עֲמׇֽדְךָ֣ מִנֶּ֔גֶד בְּי֛וֹם שְׁב֥וֹת זָרִ֖ים חֵיל֑וֹ וְנׇכְרִ֞ים בָּ֣אוּ שְׁעָרָ֗ו וְעַל־יְרוּשָׁלַ֙͏ִם֙ יַדּ֣וּ גוֹרָ֔ל גַּם־אַתָּ֖ה כְּאַחַ֥ד מֵהֶֽם׃ (יב) וְאַל־תֵּ֤רֶא בְיוֹם־אָחִ֙יךָ֙ בְּי֣וֹם נׇכְר֔וֹ וְאַל־תִּשְׂמַ֥ח לִבְנֵֽי־יְהוּדָ֖ה בְּי֣וֹם אׇבְדָ֑ם וְאַל־תַּגְדֵּ֥ל פִּ֖יךָ בְּי֥וֹם צָרָֽה׃ (יג) אַל־תָּב֤וֹא בְשַֽׁעַר־עַמִּי֙ בְּי֣וֹם אֵידָ֔ם אַל־תֵּ֧רֶא גַם־אַתָּ֛ה בְּרָעָת֖וֹ בְּי֣וֹם אֵיד֑וֹ וְאַל־תִּשְׁלַ֥חְנָה בְחֵיל֖וֹ בְּי֥וֹם אֵידֽוֹ׃ (יד) וְאַֽל־תַּעֲמֹד֙ עַל־הַפֶּ֔רֶק לְהַכְרִ֖ית אֶת־פְּלִיטָ֑יו וְאַל־תַּסְגֵּ֥ר שְׂרִידָ֖יו בְּי֥וֹם צָרָֽה׃ (טו) כִּֽי־קָר֥וֹב יוֹם־יְהֹוָ֖ה עַל־כׇּל־הַגּוֹיִ֑ם כַּאֲשֶׁ֤ר עָשִׂ֙יתָ֙ יֵעָ֣שֶׂה לָּ֔ךְ גְּמֻלְךָ֖ יָשׁ֥וּב בְּרֹאשֶֽׁךָ׃
(8) In that day —declares the LORD—I will make the wise vanish from Edom, Understanding from Esau’s mount. (9) Your warriors shall lose heart, O Teman, And not a man on Esau’s mount Shall survive the slaughter. (10) For the outrage to your brother Jacob, Disgrace shall engulf you, And you shall perish forever. (11) On that day when you stood aloof, When aliens carried off his goods, When foreigners entered his gates And cast lots for Jerusalem, You were as one of them. (12) How could you-a gaze with glee On your brother that day, On his day of calamity! How could you gloat Over the people of Judah On that day of ruin! How could you loudly jeer On a day of anguish! (13) How could you enter the gate of My people On its day of disaster, Gaze in glee with the others On its misfortune On its day of disaster, And lay hands on its wealth On its day of disaster! (14) How could you stand at the passes To cut down its fugitives! How could you betray those who fled (survivors) On that day of anguish! (15) As you did, so shall it be done to you; Your conduct shall be requited. Yea, against all nations The day of the LORD is at hand.
The word bayom, "this day," occurs 10 times in this short text. Why do you think this is? What message is it trying to send?
The word al, "Don't" appears 8 times in quick succession between verses 12 and 14. Why do you think this literary devise was used? To what is it drawing our attention?
(טז) כִּ֗י כַּֽאֲשֶׁ֤ר שְׁתִיתֶם֙ עַל־הַ֣ר קׇדְשִׁ֔י יִשְׁתּ֥וּ כׇֽל־הַגּוֹיִ֖ם תָּמִ֑יד וְשָׁת֣וּ וְלָע֔וּ וְהָי֖וּ כְּל֥וֹא הָיֽוּ׃ (יז) וּבְהַ֥ר צִיּ֛וֹן תִּהְיֶ֥ה פְלֵיטָ֖ה וְהָ֣יָה קֹ֑דֶשׁ וְיָֽרְשׁוּ֙ בֵּ֣ית יַֽעֲקֹ֔ב אֵ֖ת מוֹרָֽשֵׁיהֶֽם׃ (יח) וְהָיָה֩ בֵית־יַעֲקֹ֨ב אֵ֜שׁ וּבֵ֧ית יוֹסֵ֣ף לֶהָבָ֗ה וּבֵ֤ית עֵשָׂו֙ לְקַ֔שׁ וְדָלְק֥וּ בָהֶ֖ם וַאֲכָל֑וּם וְלֹֽא־יִֽהְיֶ֤ה שָׂרִיד֙ לְבֵ֣ית עֵשָׂ֔ו כִּ֥י יְהֹוָ֖ה דִּבֵּֽר׃
Shall all nations drink evermore,
Drink till their speech grows thick,
And they become as though they had never been. (17) But on Zion’s mount a remnant shall survive,
And it shall be holy.
The House of Jacob shall dispossess
Those who dispossessed them. (18) The House of Jacob shall be fire,
And the House of Joseph flame,
And the House of Esau shall be straw;
They shall burn it and devour it,
And no survivor shall be left of the House of Esau
—for the LORD has spoken.
Poured out His blazing wrath;
He kindled a fire in Zion
Which consumed its foundations.
Lamentations takes place as the 6th Century Jews mourned the destruction of the temple. What parallel language and ideas in these two text lead Michael Fishbane and other scholars to believe that the text was written at this time period?
Verses 14 and 18 contain the Hebrew word Sarid "survivor." Looking at the way in which the word is used in both contexts, why do you think it is repeated?