About Obadiah
Pride that delights in a brother's downfall will itself fall - but God will restore his people and vindicate them against every enemy.
"The day of the Lord is near for all nations."
Obadiah 1:15
Written
circa 586-580 BC
Author
Obadiah
Genre
Prophecy
Position
31st of 66 books - Minor Prophets (shortest OT book)
Authorship
Obadiah - meaning servant of YHWH. Nothing is known about the author beyond his name. At 21 verses, Obadiah is the shortest book in the Old Testament.
Historical Context
Written after the fall of Jerusalem in 586 BC, when Edom (descendants of Esau / Jacob's twin brother) sided with Babylon, cheered the city's fall, and blocked Jewish refugees fleeing the destruction.
Purpose
To announce God's judgment on Edom for its betrayal of Israel during Jerusalem's greatest hour of need, and to promise that God will vindicate his people.
Key Message
Pride that delights in a brother's downfall will itself fall - but God will restore his people and vindicate them against every enemy.
Book Structure
Interesting Facts
Obadiah is the shortest book in the entire Old Testament at only 21 verses.
Edom and Israel (Esau and Jacob) were twin brothers - making Edom's betrayal a sin against family, compounding its horror.
Edom's capital Petra was considered impregnable; Obadiah's prophecy that they would be brought down proved historically accurate.
The Edomite people were eventually absorbed by the Nabataean Arabs by the 1st century BC, effectively ceasing to exist as a nation.