Obadiah 1:11

"In the day that you stood on the other side, in the day that strangers carried away his substance and foreigners entered into his gates and cast lots for Jerusalem, even you were like one of them."

Key Reflection

In the day that you stood on the other side, watching as strangers carried away his substance and foreigners entered into his gates to cast lots for Jerusalem, even you were complicit in their misfortune. This verse reflects Edom's betrayal of its brother Jacob (Israel), standing by while foreign invaders desecrated Jerusalem, yet still participating in the plunder, showing that no one was immune from judgment when nations turned against their kin.

From the Scholars: Barnes' Notes

In the day that thou stoodest on the other side -The time when they so stood, is not defined in itself, as a past or future. It is literally; “In the day of thy standing over against,” i. e., to gaze on the calamities of God’s people; “in the day of strangers carrying away his strength,” i. e., “the strength of thy brother Jacob,” of whom he had just spoken, “and foreigners entered into his gates, and cast lots on Jerusalem, thou too as one of them. One of them” they were not.

More from Obadiah 1

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21

Go deeper with Bible.talk - your AI Bible study companion