Obadiah: Pride Before the Fall

Obadiah at a Glance

Obadiah is the shortest book in the Old Testament, just twenty-one verses. It is a message against Edom, the nation descended from Esau, Jacob's twin brother. Its subject is a sin that is easy to commit and hard to see: standing aside, and even smiling, while a brother suffers.

• Author. Obadiah, whose name means servant of the LORD (Obadiah 1:1). Nothing else is known of him. Several men in the Old Testament share the name, and none can be safely identified with the prophet.
• Date. Debated: about 845 BC, or after Jerusalem fell in 586 BC. We lean toward the earlier date. See Hard Questions.
• Written To. Edom, and by extension the people of Judah, who needed to hear that God sees what is done to His people.
• Setting. Edom's people lived in rocky highlands southeast of the Dead Sea, in cliff-side strongholds (Obadiah 1:3). Edom and Israel had been hostile for centuries (Numbers 20:14–21).
• Key Verse. as thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee (Obadiah 1:15).
• Key Word or Theme. Pride and its fall. The LORD brings down those who exalt themselves and mistreat His people, and He rules at the end.