Obadiah
Obadiah deals with being betrayed by people who should have had your back.
Read this if you…
- want to read the shortest book of the OT in a single sitting
- like fierce poetry against a kin-nation (Edom) that watched Jerusalem burn and joined in
- care about prophets cataloguing pride and promising it gets humbled
Skip this if you…
- don't want to read explicitly religious/Christian texts
Why It Matters
Obadiah deals with being betrayed by people who should have had your back. The Edomites, descended from Esau, chose to cash in on Judah's disaster instead of helping, and that kind of betrayal keeps showing up in literature.
Depicted in Art
Standing marble figure of the prophet as a vigorous young man, opening an inscribed scroll outward toward the viewer.
Nanni di Bartolo, 1422
Oval painting of the prophet in dramatic baroque drapery, gazing upward with quill or scroll in hand.
Giuseppe Bartolomeo Chiari, 1718
Seated prophet on the cornice of the dome of the Sacristy of Saint Mark, holding a tablet inscribed with his name, paired in the segment above with an angel of the Passion.
Melozzo da Forlì, 1477
Solitary bearded prophet in dark robes against a pale landscape, contemplating the destruction he prophesies.
James Tissot, 1900
Tiny gilded enamel plaque of a seated prophet against a dark blue star-studded ground, holding an inscribed scroll naming him Achapias.
1170
Recommended Editions
King James Version
Cambridge University Press · 1611
The most influential and commonly quoted translation in English. The prose rhythm everyone else is responding to, even modern translations.
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Deep Dive
What It's About
This summary gives away plot details.
Notable Quotes
“Though thou exalt thyself as the eagle, and though thou set thy nest among the stars, thence will I bring thee down, saith the LORD.”
“The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee, thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high; that saith in his heart, Who shall bring me down to the ground?”