Obadiah - Introduction

Introduction

The book of Obadiah is the shortest book in the Old Testament, comprising of just a single chapter. The book tells us nothing about Obadiah, apart from his name, which means “servant of Yahweh”. The prophecy is directed almost entirely against Edom, one of the few that does not have a go at Israel! The context is an attack on Jerusalem by Edom. Edom was a people that descended from Esau, Jacob’s brother. The date is not known either, but there were attacks on Jerusalem in the ninth (2 Kings 8:20-22; 2 Chron 21:16,17) and eighth centuries BC (2 Chron 28:16-18). Jewish tradition places it at about 844 BC. Edom is judged for her delight in the fall of Jerusalem. It is possible that Obadiah is much later, namely after Babylon’s conquest of Jerusalem. For Edom migrated into the southern part of Judah at this time, and other prophets castigate Edom for her attitude (Jer 49:7-22; Lam 4:21; Ezek 25:12-14, 35:1-15). Indeed, in reading the prophecy itself this later date seems to fit the context better. The Edomites disappeared as a people after the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70.

The key message of the book is the sovereignty of God, and the inadvisability of attacking Israel, or taking advantage of her in any way.

An important question is who did Obadiah address the prophecy to? The words of the prophecy are directed to Edom, so the question is did he actually go to Edom and say these things (or maybe address them to some representative of Edom), or did he address them to Israel. In the latter case the point would be to give the defeated Israelites some perspective on the matter. However, the message itself would make more sense if it was addressed in some way to Edom herself.