Obadiah: Obadiah 9-God Will Destroy Edom’s Military

Obadiah 9 Your warriors, Teman, will be terrified, and everyone in Esau’s mountains will be cut down in the slaughter. (NIV)

Obadiah 9 “Consequently, your mighty warriors will certainly experience dismay, O Teman so that the people from Mount Esau will be violently executed like criminals because of the slaughter!” (My translation)

“Your warriors, Teman, will be terrified” presents the result of the previous prophetic declaration recorded in verse 8.

“Your warriors” is used in a collective sense of Edom’s valiant, brave and courageous soldiers living during the period in which the God of Israel judges her through other pagan Gentile nations located in the Mediterranean and Mesopotamian regions of the world during the sixth century B.C.

This term refers to military heroes or in other words, those who distinguish themselves in combat.

“Shall be dismayed” refers to the dismay that Edom’s mighty warriors will experience as a result of their political and military advisers being killed.

“Teman” refers to a prominent city of Edom and its name is derived from the name of a grandson of Esau (cf. Gen 36:11).

This word contains the figure of synecdoche of part for whole, which means that the word is representing all of Edom and not just this prominent city.

“Everyone in Esau’s mountains will be cut down in the slaughter” presents the result or consequence of the previous prophetic declaration.

“Will be cut down” is expressing the idea that the God of Israel will violently execute as criminals the Edomite people as a result of their crimes against the kingdom of Judah which are listed in Obadiah 10-14.

“Mount Esau” refers to the mountainous region in which the nation of Edom resided in the sixth century B.C. and speaks of the mountain God gave Esau and his descendants to inhabit (cf. Deut. 2:5).

The prophetic declaration contained in Obadiah 9 presents the result of the previous one in verse 8.

In the latter, the Lord asserted through Obadiah that during the particular period of time in the future when He will judge Edom, He will cause the wise men from Edom, specifically her political and military advisers to be killed from Esau’s mountain.

Now, here in verse 9, the God of Israel asserts that Edom’s warriors will certainly experience dismay so that the people from Esau’s mountain will be violently executed in war because of the slaughter.

Therefore, this dismay of Edom’s mighty warriors will be the direct result of her political and military leadership being killed.

There will be a loss of morale among her troops because of the deaths of those who compose her political and military leadership.

With no leadership, her military will suffer defeat.

Consequently, this will lead to the rest of her citizens being killed in battle because they will be slaughtered or in other words, they will be killed in great numbers.

This prophetic declaration recorded in Obadiah 9 which predicts the destruction of the Edomite army may have been fulfilled when the Babylonians took Jerusalem or when the Arabs invaded Edom and took over their cities, driving the Edomites to the west.

This prophetic declaration in verse 9 also brings to a climax of the prophecies contained in verses 5-8.

Verses 5-6 predict that Edom’s wealth will be plundered.

Verse 7 predicts that Edom’s allies and treaty partners will betray her.

Verse 8 predicts that her wise men and specifically her political and military advisers will be killed.

Now, here in verse 9, we have the prediction that Edom’s military will be destroyed resulting in the killing of great numbers of the Edomite citizenry.

The very structures of society, in its constituent elements of economic well-being, wise rule and military security through armed force and international treaty, will topple.[1]

This prophetic declaration recorded in Obadiah 9 is expressing the idea that the God of Israel will violently execute as criminals the Edomite people as a result of their crimes against the kingdom of Judah which are listed in Obadiah 10-14.

This verse is expressing the God of Israel’s wrath or we can say His righteous indignation towards the Edomite people for their crimes against the Jews of the southern kingdom of Judah in the sixth century B.C. (Obad. 8-9, 15-18).

God’s wrath refers to His legitimate anger towards evil and sin since both are contrary to His holiness or perfect character and nature.

In fact, God’s righteous indignation expresses His holiness, which pertains to the absolute perfection of God’s character.

His holiness is expressing the purity of His character or moral perfection and excellence and means that God can have nothing to do with sin or sinners.

He is totally separate from sin and sinners unless a way can be found to constitute them holy and that way has been provided based upon the merits of the impeccable Person and Finished Work of the Lord Jesus Christ on the Cross.

The presence of evil, sin and injustice is totally absent in the character of God, thus God does not tolerate evil or sin because it is contrary to His character, i.e. His inherent moral qualities, ethical standards and principles.

Therefore, God’s holiness refers to the absolute perfection of His character, expressing His purity of His character or moral perfection and excellence and intolerance and opposition and rejection of sin and evil, thus God is totally separate from sin and sinners.

Therefore, God’s wrath, which is in reality, His righteous indignation is an expression of His holiness, righteousness and love in opposition to sin and evil.

God’s wrath or righteous indignation is used of God’s settled opposition to and displeasure against sin meaning that God’s holiness cannot and will not coexist with sin in any form whatsoever.

It is not the momentary, emotional, and often uncontrolled anger to which human beings are prone and does not refer to an explosive outburst but rather it refers to an inner, deep resentment that seethes and smolders, often unnoticed by others as in the case of God’s wrath.

God hates sin so much and loves the sinner so much that He judged His Son Jesus Christ for every sin in human history-past, present and future and provided deliverance from sin through faith in His Son Jesus Christ.

The only way to avoid God’s righteous indignation is to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ (cf. John 3:36).

Obadiah 9 also teaches that the God of Israel is exercising His prerogative as judge of all mankind (Obad. 15-18).

[1] Wiseman, D. J., Alexander, T. D., & Waltke, B. K. (1988). Obadiah, Jonah and Micah: an introduction and commentary (Vol. 26, p. 39). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.