Obadiah: Obadiah 15b-Edom Would Be Treated in the Same Manner They Treated Judah Lesson # 16

Obadiah 15 For the day of the Lord is near upon all the nations. As you have done, it shall be done to you; your deeds shall return on your own head. (ESV)

Obadiah 15 “For the period of judgment to be brought about by the Lord against each and every one of the nations is imminent. Just as you have done, so it will be done in the same manner to you. Your actions will return on your own head.” (My translation)

Obadiah 15 contains three prophetic declarations which present two reasons for the list of indictments against the nation of Edom issued by the God of Israel through the prophet Obadiah in verses 10-14.

Therefore, these prophetic declarations express the idea that Edom never should have mistreated the people of Judah when Nebuchadnezzar attacked the latter in 586 B.C. because the Lord who is the God of Israel is about to judge all the nations implying Edom as well.

The God of Israel would judge all the nations which cruelly mistreated the people of Judah including Edom.

The first prophetic declaration asserts that the period of judgment to be brought about by the Lord against each and every one of the nations is imminent.

The second asserts that just as Edom treated the people of Judah during their time of disaster as a nation, so they would be treated in the same manner.

The third reiterates the second by asserting that the Edomites’ cruel actions towards Judah would return upon their head as a nation.

The second and third prophetic declarations contained in Obadiah 15 are both expressing the biblical concept of lex telionis (cf. Lev. 24:20; Deut. 19:21; Prov. 12:14; 19:17; Ezek. 35:15; Hos. 4:9; Joel 3:4-8; Jer. 50:15, 29), which means that the people of Edom would be treated in the same cruel manner as they demonstrated toward the people of Judah.

Therefore, these two prophetic declarations teach that God not only holds individuals accountable for their conduct but also nations.

A. E. Hill writes “The notion that crime punishes itself (“your deeds will return upon your own head,” 15) or the principle of retribution is well founded in biblical teaching. The legislation of the Torah is rooted in the concept of lex talionis or ‘an eye for an eye’ (Exod. 21:24–25; Lev. 24:20; Deut. 19:21), meaning punishment will be exacted in a fashion commensurate with the crime. Israel’s wisdom tradition echoes this belief (Prov. 26:27; cf. Ps. 7:15–16); and even Paul acknowledges that a man reaps what he sows (Gal. 6:7–8). Judah witnessed the surety of this truth when God used Assyria to punish Samaria, crushed the Assyrian Empire by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, and tragically, when he used this same Babylonian king to destroy Judah because of her guilt (Jer. 25:8–14). Obadiah calls the remnant of Judah to observe the final destiny of the wicked and to rest in Yahweh as their portion and strength (Ps. 73:17–19, 23–28).”[1]

In Obadiah 15, this principle of lex telionis means that the God of Israel’s judgment of Edom would fit the crimes they committed against Judah.

Their punishment would correspond to the crimes they committed against the people of Judah.

In other words, Edom’s punishment would fit their crimes they committed against the Jews.

If we compare the second and third prophetic declarations here in verse 15 with the list of indictments against Edom in verses 10-14 for their cruel treatment of the people of Judah, we can see that the God of Israel will see to it that the people of Edom would be punished in the same manner that they treated the people of Judah.

Obadiah 10 “You will be covered with shame because of the sinful violence committed against your relative, the descendants of Jacob. Indeed, you will certainly be cut off forever.” (Author’s translation)

If we compare this prophetic declaration with the second and third prophetic declarations in verse 15, we can see that the Edomites would be covered as shame because they violently mistreated their blood relatives, the Jews.

Obadiah 11 Indeed, you were like one of them during that period of time when you stood aloof, during that period of time, strangers took his army captive. Consequently, foreigners penetrated his gates so that they cast lots for Jerusalem. (Author’s translation)

If we compare these prophetic declarations with the second and third prophetic declarations in verse 15, we can see that the army of the Edomites would be taken captive because they stood aloof while Judah’s army was taken captive by the Babylonians.

Also, Gentile armies would penetrate the gates of Edom’s cities and cast lots for them because they stood aloof while the Babylonians did the same to the cities of Judah.

Obadiah 12 “Indeed, you should have never gloated during your relative’s disastrous day. Specifically, you should have never rejoiced over Judah’s citizens during the period when they suffered destruction. Furthermore, you should have never boasted during the period of distress.” (Author’s translation)

If we compare these prophetic declarations with the second and third prophetic declarations in verse 15, we can see that Gentile nations would gloat over Edom’s defeat because they gloated over Judah’s defeat at the hands of Nebuchadnezzar.

Gentile nations would rejoice over Edom’s defeat just as they rejoiced over Judah’s defeat.

Gentile nations would boast over Edom’s defeat just as they boasted over Judah’s (cf. Ezek. 35:15).

Obadiah 13 You should have never penetrated My people’s gate during their disastrous period. You should have also never gloated during this misery, during his disastrous period. Specifically, you should have never plundered his wealth during his disastrous period. (Author’s translation)

If we compare these prophetic declarations with the second and third prophetic declarations in verse 15, we can see Gentile armies would penetrate the gates of Edom’s cities and gloat over their misery and plunder their wealth because they did the same to the people of Judah (cf. Jer. 49:10).

Obadiah 14 Indeed, you should have never stood at the fork in the road in order to slaughter his refugees. Furthermore, you should have never caused his survivors to be handed over as prisoners of war during the period of distress. (Author’s translation)

If we compare these prophetic declarations with the second and third prophetic declarations in verse 15, we can see Gentile armies would slaughter Edom’s refugees in their hour of national crisis and would have their survivors handed over to their enemies as prisoners of war because they did the same to Judah (cf. Amos 1:11; 32:29; 35:8).

These prophetic declarations recorded in Obadiah 15, like all of the prophecies recorded in Obadiah 1-14, were fulfilled in history since Nebuchadnezzar’s Babylon was able to capture the city of Petra and take the citizens of Edom into captivity as they did the citizens of the southern kingdom of Judah.

Arabian tribes moved into Edom during the sixth century B.C., which forced the remnant of Edomites to migrate west.

They became a province of the Persian Empire.

They were no longer a national entity.

They were ultimately reduced by John Hyrcanus of the Maccabean dynasty and lost their national existence under the Romans.

They were cut off forever as a nation, though the land would again be populated.

Therefore, the prophetic theme of the day of the Lord which appears here in Obadiah 15 is used of God’s judgment of Edom which was literally fulfilled in human history.

This is indicated by the fact that Obadiah 15 presents two reasons for the indictments against Edom in verses 10-15.

However, this phrase foreshadows prophetically God’s judgement of all the nations of the earth who mistreat the nation of Israel during the last three and a half years of Daniel’s seventieth week (cf. Dan. 9:27; Rev. 13; 19).

Thus, Edom and the Gentile nations located in the Mediterranean and Mesopotamian regions of the world during the sixth century B.C. become the pattern for future nations existing during the seventieth week of Daniel.

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[1] Hill, A. E. (1995). Obadiah. In Evangelical Commentary on the Bible (Vol. 3, p. 642). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House.