Obadiah 1:15

Context

The Book of Obadiah is the shortest book in the Old Testament, consisting of only twenty-one verses. In it the prophet Obadiah proclaims God's judgment on Edom. The Edomites were descendants of Esau and were regarded as a brother nation to Israel, the descendants of Jacob.

Verses 1–14 indict Edom for what it did on the day Jerusalem was invaded. Edom stood aloof and looked on, rejoiced over Judah's calamity, joined in the plunder, and handed fugitives over to the enemy. This invasion is commonly identified with the Babylonian capture of Jerusalem in 586 BC, though some scholars associate it with an earlier invasion.

Verse 15 comes at the close of this indictment and widens the perspective to "all the heathen," that is, all nations, declaring that the day of the LORD is near. The following verses (16–21) speak of the judgment of the nations and the restoration of Zion, and the book concludes with the words "and the kingdom shall be the LORD'S" (v. 21). Verse 15 thus serves as a hinge connecting the judgment on the one nation of Edom with the judgment on all nations.

Interpretation

• Historical reading: Many commentators hold that the words beginning "as thou hast done" are addressed to Edom. In the Hebrew text, the "you" in the second half of verse 15 is singular and refers to Edom, whereas the "you" in verse 16 is plural. On this reading, the verse means that what Edom did to Judah (vv. 10–14) will be done in kind to Edom.
• Reading as a principle of retribution: Retribution means repaying according to one's deeds. The expression "thy reward shall return upon thine own head" reflects the Old Testament idea of retribution, in which the consequences of an act come back upon the one who committed it. For this reason the verse is often mentioned alongside the lex talionis, known as "an eye for an eye" (the legal principle of repaying harm in equal measure). It is also cited together with "for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap" (Galatians 6:7).
• Eschatological reading: Many Christian interpreters read the day of the LORD in this verse not merely as a judgment within history but as a word that looks ahead to the Last Judgment. Some dispensationalist interpreters regard the verse as a prediction of a future judgment of the nations.
• Reading in Jewish tradition: In rabbinic literature, "Edom" is known to have served as a name for Rome. Accordingly, later Judaism at times read this prophecy as a judgment on all powers that oppress God's people.

Questions of Application

• Structure of the verse: Some scholars propose reversing the order of the two halves of verse 15, holding that the second half originally continued verse 14 while the first half belongs to the same unit as verse 16. Others regard the present order as an intentional transition from particular judgment to universal judgment.
• Retribution and grace: Some caution against applying this principle directly to individual lives in such a way that every instance of suffering is interpreted as the result of the sufferer's sin. The Book of Job and John 9:1–3 are frequently cited in support of this caution.
• Attitude toward enemies: Questions have also been raised about using this verse as grounds for wishing punishment upon one's enemies. Many preachers read it together with New Testament teaching that vengeance should be left to God, such as Romans 12:17–21. Read in this way, the verse is understood as a declaration that God judges with justice.

Related Passages

• Jeremiah 49:7–22
• Ezekiel 35:15
• Psalm 137:7
• Joel 3:14
• Galatians 6:7