RELIGIOUS ENCYCLOPEDIA
Oath Obadiah
" and all saints." But inasmuch as the addition just mentioned was rejected by Protestants, section 107 of the Imperial Recess of 1555 ordered that in the imperial courts it should be 4. Cus- dropped and Roman Catholics and ternary Protestants alike be sworn on their Formulas, calling upon God and the Holy Gospel merely. There is an old custom which excepts the clergy, later at least bishops, from touching the Gospels. These laid their hands on their breasts when taking an oath, just as in former days German women did when swearing. In still later times the so-called " bodily oath " was taken not by touching any sacred object but by raising two or three fingers or by touching the judge's staff, or by merely raising the hand. Finally, it is proper to remark here that solemn oaths should be administered only in apartments suitably furnished and in as orderly associations as possible. It is true that it has been urged that the greater care surrounding the administration of the oaths, so often now missing, should be taken the more the sad increase of perjury is noticed. Yet one should not be blind to the fact that the carrying-out of these desires would encounter great, indeed, almost insurmountable difficulties, particularly in this that the execution of the best legal and magisterial arrangements depends on the capacity and willingness of the persons charged with carrying them out. And such considerations make the diminution of the number of oaths as much as possible very desirable, and recent legislation has this object. But it is an error to think that for these considerations an oath should not be administered when the matter in dispute is " trifling." This is to make the amount of money involved the criterion of the importance of the matter, and to overlook the ideal of the law which strives to do justice entirely irrespective of the pecuniary value of the point involved.
(E. Sehling.) Bibliography: For general, historical and illustrative material consult: R. Hirzel, Der Eid, ein Beitrag zu seiner Geschichte, Leipsic, 1902; W. Lockhart, On Oaths, Edinburgh, 1882; F. Friedmann, Ueber die Schwurgerichte, Berlin, 1886; J. Lafforgue, Du serment en droit remain, Toulouse, 1888; L. Ott, Beitrage zur Kenntniss des grieckischen Eides, Leipsic, 1896; C. Ford, On Oaths, London, 1903 (a standard legal authority).
On I. consult: J. Happel, Der Eid im A. T ., Leipsic, 1873; Smith, Rel. ofSem., pp. 164 sqq., 461-462; Nowack, Archaologie, ii. 262 sqq.; DB, iii. 575-577; EB, iii. 3451- 3454; and the works on O. T. theology. On II., consult for the N. T.: DCG, ii. 254-256; and the works on N. T. theology, as well as DB and EB ut sup. For usage in the Church see III. below, and consult: M. D. Conway, The Oath and its Ethics, London, 1881; G. Freudenstein, Rechtsbelehrung in Schwurgeriehts-V erfahren von Frankreich, England und Deutschland, Minden, 1883; I. M. Capes, in Fortnightly Review, v (1866). On III. consult: C. F. Staudlin, Geschichte der V orstellungen und Lehren vom Eide, Gottingen, 1824; K. F. Goschel, Der Eid nack Principe, Begriffe und Gebrauche, Berlin, 1837; F. G. L. Strippelmann, Der Gerichtseid, Cassel, 1855. A valuable literature is indicated in Richardson, Encyclopaedia, p. 785.
OBADIAH, 6"ba-dai'S: Author of the book which occupies the fourth place among the Minor Prophets. The name means " worshiper of Yahweh." His book contains no allusion either to his descent, his birth-place, or his fortunes; not even the name of his father is given. That he was a
Judean is an inference from the contents of his prophecy.
Regarding the date of his writing there is great divergence of opinion: some interpreters consider it the earliest prophetic book in the Old Testament while others place it among the latest. Hofmann, Delitzsch, Keil, Nagelsbach, Vaihinger, and Orelli believe that Obadiah prophesied under Joram (851- 844) ; Jager, Caspari, Havernik, and Hengstenberg refer him to the time of Jeroboam II. and Uzziah (c. 750), while many earlier and later exegetes, in agreement with Aben Ezra and Luther, find in this prophesy a distinct allusion to the destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadrezzar and see in Obadiah a contemporary of Jeremiah (c. 580).
The latest criticism questions the unity of the book and considers that it consists of an original writing (verses 1-9) inspired by the revolt of the Edomites under Joram, which was later expanded by the addition of vs. 10-21, written after the destruction of Jerusalem by the Chaldeans, although there may be traces of the original writing in verses 15-21. It is according to this view uncertain whether the name Obadiah refers to the original or the later writer. This theory is based on the fact that in Jeremiah's oracle against Edom there are a series of most remarkable resemblances between Jeremiah and Obadiah (Ob. l=Jer. xlix. 14;. Ob. 2 = Jer. xlix. 15; Ob. 3a = Jer. xlix. 16a; Ob. 4 = Jer. xlix. 16b; Ob. 5 = Jer. xlix. 9; Ob. 6 = Jer. xlix. 10a; Ob. 8 = Jer. xlix. 7; Ob. 9a = Jer. xlix. 22b), a fact which indicates that Jeremiah was familiar with and imitated Obadiah's prophesy, not vice versa. The conclusion that, as Jeremiah's allusions are only to the first nine verses, he knew nothing of verses 10-21, does not follow, since Jeremiah had no inducement to use such passages as Ob. 17 and 19- 21 in a prophesy against Edom. However, the principal argument is derived from the supposed allusion to the destruction of the Judean nation by the Chaldeans. But both the passages in question say nothing of the destruction of Jersualem; they speak only of its capture and pillage, of wild orgies of the victors on the sacred mountain, of the carrying-off of the prisoners and of the conquered Judean army, and of misfortune and suffering. Moreover, a clearer designation of the Chaldeans would be expected. The enemies of Jerusalem are vaguely and generally named, while Edom's malicious participation in the attack upon Israel is emphasized. Finally, there is no trace of the deportation of the people to Babylonia. The " captivity of Jerusalem which is in Sepharad " (verse 20) probably signifies that a portion of the Judeans came into the hands of the Phenicians and were sold to the Lydians in Asia Minor. Sparda is mentioned in the inscriptions of Darius (cf. F. Spiegel, Die altpersischen Keilinschriften, pp. 4, 46, 54, Leipsic, 1881) in connection with Yauna (cf. Javan, Isa. lxvi. 19; Ezek. xxvii. 13), and this may mean Sardis, which is Svarda in the native language. Joel iii. 6 accuses the Phenicians of delivering Judeans to the Yewanim (A. V " Grecians "). Verse 10 treats of an attack upon Jerusalem as a past happening, and probably refers to what is narrated in II Chron. xxi. 16, 17, which says that Arabs and Philistines
Obadiah Oberlin