The Pulpit Commentary — Obadiah — Section 10

OhRlil<:'nn <'onq110pl_ Thon wast as onl' of Ver. 14.-'l'ho climax of injury is tho them; lilcrally, t/1011., too, as one of them. In cutting off of fugitives, e.nd delivering this expression the past i1 set before the them into oe.ptivity. Neither shonldut thou mind as present. have stood in the oro11way; and ltand not Ver. 12.-The prophet oomple.ine of the thou in the crossway. The Edomitea, as me.lignant neutre.lity of the Edomitee. neighbours, would know e.11 the passes into Thon sbonldest not have looked. In this the wilderness by whioh the Judme.na would and the two follo\\ing verses, al with the seek to esoa.pe. Neither ahonldeat thou have future is wrongly tra.nsla.ted. It should delivered up; and deliver not up; Septua- be rendered throughout, "do not look," gint, µ115~ <Tory,c~,l<Tps, "shut not up; " .. do not rejoic6," eto. Oba.die.h, in view of Vulgate, et non ooncludes. So Pusey, "shut the pR8t behaviour of Edom, e.nd lool-ing not up," i.e. with the enemy, driving them forward to nnother a.nd more fa.ta.I conquest be.ck upon their pursuers (comp. Ps. :uxi. of Jerusalem, wa.rns the Edomites age.inst 8). The Hebrew word implies both mean- repeating this mnlicious conduct. Septua.- ings-" to deliver over to confinement;" i;?:int, µ~ bri6r,,. Ga.ze not with plea.eure, e.nd the mee.ning here is-do not seize on feRst not thine eyes (Micah vii. 10). The the people to give them over into ce.ptivity de.y of thy brother; i.e. when some great (comp. Amoa i 6, 9). Those of his that did event befell him-explained further in the remain. Those whom the inve.ders he.d next cle.u86. Campa.re "the da.y of Jeru- spa.red. sa.lem" (Ps. cxu:vii. 7). In the day that Vere. 15, 16.-§ 3. The we.ruing given in he became a stranger; Septuagint, b, ~µ•plf a>.Ao-rplwv, "in the de.y of stre.ngers;" Vul- the first section (vers. 1-9) is supplemented gate, in die peregrinationis ejl/,ll. The Angli- by the a.nnouuoement tha.t in the day of the can and ,·ulge.te Versions signify," in the Lord, Ed,om and all the enemies of Israel shall aav tlle.t he we.s carried captive into strange be remembered, and shall suffer just retri"bu- Ie.nds : " but most probe.bly the expression tion, meeting with the fate which they had should be rendered, " in the da.y of his ca.le.mity." ll.ejoioed over (comp. Job x.xxi. inflicted on others. 29 ; Prov. xvii 5; Micah vii 8). Spoken Ver. 15.-The de.y of the Lord. This is proudly ; literally, ma7re thy mouth great; not primarily the final da.y of j udgment, but Septuagint, µ¼, µ.-ya>..0#11µovfi, " do not the time when "J ehove.h revee.ls his majesty boast;" Vulge.t.e, non magnifi,cabis o, tuum. a.nd omnipotence in e. glorious manner, to Utter a. flood of mocking words, probe.bly overthrow a.11 ungodly powers, a.nd to com- accompanied with derisive grime.ces. There plete his kingdom" (Keil). It is announced is a. climax in this verse-first the com- by Joel i 15 ; ii. 1, 31 ; Zeph. i. 14 ; but the placent look, then the malicious plea.sure, notion of a. judgment to fe.11 on Gentile tllen words of insult a.nd derision. ne.tions, e.nd to issue in the establishment Ver. 13.-In this verse it is the making of the kingdom of God, we.s familiar long common cause with the enemy in the before. Bale.o.m had seen it in dim vision plundering of Jeruse.lem tha.t is comple.ined (Numb. lliv. 17-24); Ho.nnah he.d antioi- of. Thou &houldest not he.ve entered. Do pe.ted the destruction that would e.coompa.ny 1Wt enter; so below, "do not look," "lay it (1 Se.m. ii 9, 10); so ,had David (2 Sam. not lla.ntls" (see note on ver. 12). The ge.te :uiii. 5-7) in his last words; it is clee.rly of my people; i.e. J erusa.lem, the ea.pita!, e.s predicted in the Pse.Ims (see Ps. ii e.nd ox.) Micah i. 9. In the day of their ca.la.mity, (Kne.benba.uer). Is nee.r. Bece.useeverysuch repeated thrice with sorrowful emphasis, e.s judgment upon individual nations is typi!le.l me.king the Edomites' conduct more re- of the great da.y a.nd preparative of it. Aa proachful Yea, thou shOllldeat not have thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee looked. Hebrew, "look not thou a.lso" (comp. Jud~. i 7; Ps. cmvii. 8; Jer. -thou, a.s well e.s the a.lien enemies. What 1. 15). This le.w of retribution was the is w,.tural in them is e. crime in thee (comp. idee.l of bee.then justice, according to the Ps. =ii. 17). Their a11liotion; Septue.gint, Rha.damanthian rule, "If a. me.n should '1'7/V uuva,-,,ry-rw ,./rrwv, "their gathering"--& suffer who.t be ha.th done, then there would differen t ree.ding from the Masoretic. Snb- be strict justice" (Aristotle,' Eth. Nio.,' v. ste.noe, a.s in ver. 11. This was e. further 5.3). Thyreward(Joel iii 7 [iv. 7,Hebrewl); aggra.va.tion; tlley helped to plunder Jeru- better, that which thou ha.at performed-tny &lem. Septna.gint, M¾ <Tv1w1,6ff_ /.,,-1 Thv work or dealing. Upon thine own head. lH,vaµ,v a/n-wv, "Do not set upon their host;" Like a. stone cast towa.rda heaven (oomp. P1. 'V ulgate, Et non emitteru adfH!f'IJUI tJUF"citam vii 16; Eath. ix. 25). 4!)1k. This implies e. we.rning e.ge.inst being Ver. 16.-A• ye have drunk. There a.re instigated by the enemy to a.tta.ck the Jewish two interpretations of this passage. By the forc~s. But the rendering in the text is first, the people e.ddressed a.re considered doubtless oorreot. t,o be tbe Jewa, and the word "dru11~" ie  THE BOOK 011' OBADIAH. I