Commentary on the Old Testament Volume 2-4, Biblical commentary 7 · minor prophets · Obadiah
THE PROPHESIE OF OBADIAH:
AFter three Prophets sent to prophesie to Judah and Israel, now follow three sent to prophesie to other Nations, Obadiah, and Jonah, and after Micah, Nahum. Touching Obadiah, he is thought by some to be that Obadiah, who in Ahabs time fed 100 Prophets of the Lord being hid in caves. But the time doth so ill agree, that this appears to bean audacions invention of the Jewish Rabbins, because as the contents of this Prophesie shew, hee lived after the Babylonish captivity, for he speaks of this, as the Edomites sin, that they holp to destroy their brethren the Israelites, or Jews, that came of Jacob their Father Esau his brother, and betwixt Obadiah and this were about 200 years. He is sent to Prophesie against Edom, Jonah against Nineveh, and Nahum likewise, whereby it appeares, that not onelyonly they that live under the meanes and are taken to be the Church of God, but even heathens, that are without the Word, shall be severely judged for their sinnes.
Wee have heard a rumour from the Lord and an Embassadour is sent amongst the V. 1.heathen, touching these words, see before Jer. 49. 14. for they seem to be borrowed from thence. Vers. 2. I have made thee small amongst the heathen, Jer. 49. V. 2.15. I will make thee small, both speaking to the same effect, for the Prophets in speaking of things to come use sometime the future, sometime the Pretertense, because they shall as certainly come to passe, as if it had been already done. Therefore Edom is here threatned, as proud as he was, that he should be brought to a poore and weak estate, and despicable. Calvin will have it Calvin.spoken of the straight and rocky places allotted unto Edom, of which Mal. 1. 2. I have laid his mountaines wast, but I see no reason for that, sith that which is spoken here is spoken by way of Prophesie, and not of history, to shew any thing touching Edom past or present.
The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee. Here is one sin for which Edom is V. 3, 4.threatned, and his punishment before spoken of is sutable to it, for as he swelled and was bigge through pride, so hee was threatned that hee should bee made small, and despicable, so God useth to punish the wicked in their kinde, as also is to be noted, Judg. 1.
For the next words, if theeves come to thee, &c. see what hath been written before upon Jer. 49. 9. touching this passe.V. 5.
All the men of thy confederacy have brought thee even to the border. Here the Prophet sheweth by what means the Edomites should be brought down, V. 7.even their confederates and friends, upon whom they relyed for helpe, when the Caldeans came, joined with them and holp to doe it, and being subdued to bring them to their border, thence to be carryed away into captivity. Or as Calvin hath it, the Caldeans with whom they were for a time joined in confederacy turning afterwards their enemies, have laid a wound Calvin.under thee, that is, thou hast beene wounded and brought downe thus by them unawares, for of open enemies men may take heed, and if they bee too strong for them, yet they wound them before, fighting, or behind, fleeing; only a feigned friend whilest he is shewing friendship, as it seemeth to the other, woundeth him under this false shew, as Joab Abner under his fift rib, that hee dyed. There is no understanding in him, that is, in this Edom, hee was a fool to be thus ambitious of the friendship of these mighty ones, that could so easily crush him when they would. For the words of v. 8. see before Jer. 49. 7.
For thy violence against thy brother Jacob shame shall cover thee, and thou shalt V. 10.be cut off for ever; here another sinne of Edom is mentioned, his continuing in hatred against not an enemy, but a brother coming of the same father and mother, and for this was also sutably punished by confederates, and friends that did eat bread with him, vers. 7. for of the hatred of Esau against Jacob in person, we read Gen. 27. and from him it was derived to his posterity against the posterity of Jacob, so that they had none more infest enemies, then Edomites, of which see somewhat, Psal. 137. 2 Chron. 20. and in many other places. Touching Edoms being cut off for ever, see the like, Jer. 49. 17, 18. as Sodom. Vers. 11. In the day that thou stoodst on the other side, &c. Here the Prophet V. 11.amply fieth Esau his hatred in his posterity against Israel by that which hee did, when the Caldees destroyed their City, by his standing on the other side hee meaneth his taking part with their enemies, and sharing with them when they took the spoils of Jerusalem.
As yee have drunk upon my holy mountaine, so shall all the heathen drinke continually, V. 16.yea they shall drinke and swallow it downe, and bee as if they had not been. This is by Gualter expounded thus, as if the Prophet by an Apostrophe Gualter.had turned himselfe to the Jewes, telling them that they should drinke, who were the people of his holy mountain, but as they had done so should all Nations about them doe, that were their enemies, viz. drink also of the cup of Gods wrath, till they were reduced to nothing. Of drinking being put for being punished, see Jer. 35. and of the drinking thus of all Nations, and the comparison made betwixt the drinking of Gods people and theirs, if his people, then much more they. But he saith, others expound it thus, as ye (O Edomites) have drunk and made merry at Jerusalem for the destruction thereof, so both yee and all the heathen your fellows in this wickednesse shall drinke in another sense, viz. by being judged of God continually, that is, so as that his judgements shall never bee taken off you again, but yee shall hereby utterly perish, this as Gualter relates so hee saith, hath something in it to act, and therefore hee rejecteth it, but I preferre it as most genuine, and so wee shall not need to flee to an Apostrophe, which it is not probable, that Obadiah useth here, but take the word yee, as it is plainly spoken of the Edomites. Jerome and Cyrill, as H…eron. Cyrill.ye Edomites have kept festivals for joy for Jerusalems destruction, so all Nations shall doe for yours, and that continually, intimating their destruction not to come all at once, but by degrees, never ceasing, till that their very name should be quite rooted out, as it is at this day, for so much as there are now no people in the world called by this name, but against this, though followed by Calvin, maketh that they who drinke are destroyed, and not the Edomites only by them, which argueth plainly that this drinking is of the cup of Gods wrath.
But upon mount Zion shall bee deliverance, and there shall bee holinesse, and they shall possesse their possession. Here Obadiah, as all other Prophets, for the comfort V. 17.of the faithfull, having spoken of the destructions of Edomites and other Heathens their enemies cometh to prophesie of their happinesse in Christ Jesus. But in making this gracious promise, hee meaneth first their deliverance from the Babylonish captivity, and returning to possesse their owne land againe. For he saith not from Zion, but upon Zion, intimating the deliverance of that place, in that as for the present during their captivity there, it differed not not from other heathen countreys for any holy service there performed, so when their deliverance should bee wrought, it should againe be a peculiar place for the holy Worship and service of God there again performed. Then our deliverance, who are the Church of God by faith through Christ, from sin and everlasting death, figured out by the deliverance before spoken of.
And the house of Jacob shall bee a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, and the V. 18.house of Esau, for stubble. Because they might say, What is this to us, to heare thee prophesying against Edom? here, as also vers. 17. hee sheweth, that as Edom their spitefull enemy should be destroyed, so they should bee delivered, and the Edomites cruelty formerly used against them should turn into a fire to the devouring of the Edomites, Gods judgement to their utter destruction being hereby procured against them; of the fulfilling of this, see 1 Mac. 5. 3. & 2 Mac. 10. 15. & Joseph. l. 11. antiq. l. 17.
And they of the South shall possesse the Mount of Esau, and they of the plaine the V. 19.Philistins, and they shall possesse the fields of Ephraim, and the fields of Samaria, and Benjamin shall possesse Gilead. Having spoken of the Edomites destruction by the house of Jacob, that is, Judah, and of Joseph, that is, Israel, who should be as a fire and flame unto them: and in the mystery hereof, of the Apostles by the spirit, in the power whereof as of fire, they went out Preaching amongst the Gentiles, set forth by the house of Esau, being in their superstitions but as stubble before the flame, for so the light of the truth coming these vanished, being as it were consumed as stubble by fire. Now hee proceedeth to shew further, how they should being come into their owne countrey againe inlarge their possessions more then ever they had done before, they of the South, that is Judah, called before the house of Jacob, verse 18. shall possesse the Edomites Countrey called the Mount of Esau, because it was all mountainous; they of the plaine, that is, the house of Joseph, as they are before called, shall possesse the Philistins land; that is, such of them as being one Kingdome with Judah went with Judah into captivity, and returned againe, viz. men of the ten Tribes as joined themselves to Judah, of whom see 2 Chron. 11. 16.
For the fields of Ephraim, which it is said, that they should also possesse, and the fields of Samaria, hereby are meant the rest of the possessions of the ten Tribes, called often Ephraim, as well as the house of Joseph, because Jeroboam was of Ephraim, and it was the most populous Tribe and had largest bounds, and Samaria was the chiefe City of that Kingdome. For the fulfilling of these things according to the letter, see 1 Maccab. 5. before named, where the Jewes prevailings against the Idumeans, or Edomites, is not onelyonly set forth, but also against Azotus a chiefe City of the Philistims; and Joseph. fil. Gorion lib. 3. 13. tels how Gaza another of their Cities was Joseph. fil. Gorionis.taken likewise, and the Altars therein overthrowne, and their graven Images burnt with fire, for this is said expressely of Azotus, and therefore it is not to be doubted, but they dealt likewise with Gaza also, of the subduing whereof it is spoken under the name of Gazara, 2 Maccab. 10. And the same Josephus further saith, that Alexander the sonne of Hircanus King of the Jewes brought it under againe, when it had revolted, lib. 4. cap. 11. For the land of Ephraim, that is, of the ten Tribes, it appeareth to be in the possession of the Jewes, because Galilee, and the Cities thereof were in the time of our Saviour Christ, who Preached in Nazareth, Bethsaida, Capernaum, &c. to the Jews there. For Samaria although it and the places about it were inhabited by the Samaritans then, as appeareth Joh. 4. yet it was also brought under the power of the Jewes, for thus Joseph. Gorion. also writeth thereof. Hircanus went against Sichem and smote Joseph. l. 4. c. 4.it, because it opened not unto him, hee smote also Mount Garizim and overthrew the Temple built there by Sanballat the Father-in-law of Manasseh, brother to Iddo the High Priest An. 200. after it was built. Hee smote also the Chuthaeans of Mount Samaria, who were the people brought first thither by Salmanasar King of Assyria to inhabit there, and chap. 4. 2 King. 17.hee came to Samaria and besieged it a yeare, and the Lord delivered it into his hands, then hee smote all the males with the sword and overthrew the houses therein. Thus also the other Joseph. antiq. lib. 13. cap. 17, 18. J…seph. ant. l. 13adding that King Hircanus not being content to lay the City even with the ground, brought in also a floud of filthy water, which overflowing it filled all things with filthinesse. For Benjamins possessing Gilead, that followeth next, see 1 Maccab. 5. where it is said, that Judas tooke Bosor upon the sodaine and slew all the Males therein, and in recounting the places taken by him, it is said hee tooke Cushan, Mageth, and Bosor, and the other Cities of Gilead. And Josephus saith, that having Joseph. antiq. 13. c. 21.overcome the Arabians hee laid tribute upon the Moabites and Gileadites, which argueth, that the land of Gilead, was also brought under by the Jewes.
And the captivity of this hoast of the children of Israel shall possesse that of the V. 20.Conadnites even to Zarephath, and that of Jerusalem, which is in Sepharad, the Cities of the South. That is, the two houses before spoken of returning out of captivity shall amongst them possesse such large bounds, as they never yet did, each one the parts nearest to him, Israel the Canaanites land as farre as Sareptah in Zidon, for there lay their Countrey, and they that went Captives from Jerusalem and had dwelt in Sepharad in Babylon, the Southern Cities nearest to which their countrey lay, as was before said. Here by Zarephath Lyra following R. Solomon understnnds France, Lyra.and by Sepharad, in the Vulgar Latine rendered Bosphorus, Spaine, and applying it mystically to the times of the Gospell hee saith, this of possessing the Canaanites Countrey even to France was fulfilled, when divers Countreys as farre as France being converted to the faith Saint Saminianus one of the 72 Disciples came thither and converted the City of Sennon then the chiefe City of France and called the golden City, and his fellowes went and converted others. And for Spaine James the Apostle and his Disciples by Preaching the Gospell there possessed it for Christ, the Cities there being called the Cities of the South, because Spain lyeth south in respect of France. Then coming to vers. 21. where it is said, Saviours shall come up to Mount Zion to judge the Mount of Esau, and the City shall bee the Lords, hee saith, that here by Saviours Peter and Paul are set forth, being so called, because by Preaching they converted and saved. For their judging of the Mount of Esau, that was done when Rome set forth hereby was converted in Constantines time, Peter and Paul appearing unto him, and after this he left Rome to be the seat of Saint Peters successors, going to Bizantium, and making that the seat of his Empire and calling it Constantinople, for then the City became the Lords, thus Lyra. But if his ground whereupon he frameth this Exposition be overthrown, the building must needes fall also. It cannot be proved that France was ever called Zarephath, or Spaine Sepharad, or Bosphorus: but Zareptah a City of Zidon, is manifestly set forth by the first 1 King. 17. 6. and of the Jewes subduing all the Countrey of the Canaanites unto Zareptah in Zidon, and Zidon it selfe, it as is plainly intimated when 2 Maccab. 12. it is said, that Judas tooke Jamnia and Joppe, for these and Dor, Caesarea, Palestine and Ptolemais were Cities lying from Palestina to Zidon, called here the Canaanites countrey. And for Zidon and Tyrus also possessed by the Jewes, Joseph. Gorionis saith, Joseph. l. 4. c. 7.that Aristobulus the sonne of Hireanus was a great King, and that hee overthrew Tyrus and Zidon, and slew innumerable soules, and circumcised and subjected to the Jewes, the survivours to the time of Pompey the Roman Prince. Wherefore this being fulfilled according to the word here used, why should any man flee to any other Countrey to draw that in here, as France being never in holy Scripture set forth by any such name? Now for Shepharad by Lyra expounded by Spaine, by the Vulgar called Bosphorus, because in the Hebrew it is foreign which if we take foreign for a preposition, must be rendered, in Serapbad, if for part of the name here spoken of Bosphorud, and turning d into s, Bosphorus, which Jerome saith in the Assyrian tongue is the same that foreign is in Hebrew, that is, a bound of a Countrey, so that hereby may bee understood the uttermost bounds of Babylon, where they of Jerusalem were placed, and in Plin. l. 16. c. 1.particular a place thus called there, where the Sea was so narrow and shallow, that Oxen might made through according to Pliny, and such a narrow Sea was betweene Chalcedon and Byzontium, and an Oxe in Latine is bos. Moreover the same Jerome saith, that the Jewes have a tradition, that they were not onelyonly placed in Media and Persia, that were carryed away, but also in the furthest North parts called Bosphorus. Whereas many besides Lyra, as Vatablus and the Caldee Paraphrase and all the Jewes are for Spaine, it is of little moment, seeing wee never read of the carrying of the Jews into Spain, and it is to be thought, that R. Solomon hath been herein followed without discretion by others. And hitherto of the fulfilling of these things according to the letter; now let us see, how farre forth all this hath beene mystically fulfilled under the Gospell. Deliverance came to Zion, when to the faithfull by Christ, and hee was the holy one teaching there, and working miracles for the curing both of The Allegory.soule and body, then Jacob, that is, the people of God by Preaching brought Kingdomes and Nations into subjection, and so tooke possession of them as it were for Christ, they being made his inheritance. And this was done by being fire unto them through the fiery spirit consuming their former vanities, and that not onelyonly by the house of Jacob, that is, the Jewes going forth to Preach, but also by Joseph fignifying adding, that is, some of the Gentiles added to them by the comming downe of the Spirit upon them, whereby they had the gift of speaking with tongues. And nothing shall be left of Esau, that is, in all Countries, where they came preaching the Gospell, nothing Gentilish was left, but abolished, by Esau here all Heathens living before in idolatry being understood. Then the parts, of which they first tooke possession for Christ, are set forth, the Mount of Esau, whereby the proud Nations in generall may bee understood, and the Philistims, all others before being enemies. Then in particular Ephraim and Samaria being all one are spoken of, and touching the faithfulls being dispersed all over this Countrey, and preaching here, see Act. 8. Then Benjamin in particular possessed Gilead, which, as Jorome saith, was the same with Arabia, and here Paul of the Tribe of Benjamin preached, as hee himselfe saith, Gol. 1. 17. And for the taking in for Christs possessing the land of Ephraim unto Sarepta, see Act. 11. they that were dispersed came to Phenice, the Countrey wherein Sarepta was, for Tyrus and Zidon, to which Sarepta belonged, were in Phenicia, and againe Act. 8. Philip was carryed to Azotus a City of the Philistims, Act. 10. Peter was at Joppe and Caesorea, which were some of those parts before mentioned. Lastly, the Jewes in Shepharad or Bosphorus, that is, the most remote parts, where they are still shut up for their unbeleife, shall have their eyes opened and bee converted unto Christ and returne to their owne Countrey againe called the Cities of the South, as is by Saint Paul gathered out of 2 Cor 3.Prophesies, Rom. 11.
For the last words, Vers. 21. Saviours shall come up to Mount Zion and V. 21.judge the Mount of Esau, and the Kingdome shall bee the Lords. Here by Saviours understand, as often in the Booke of Judges, men stirred up by God to smite the enemies of his people and to deliver them, such was Mattathias, Judas Maccabeus and his brethren, and others succeeding them, as Princes of the Jewes, who mightily subdued their enemies, as hath beene before shewed, and in particular the Edomites, thus bringing that Kingdome under, and compelling them to receive circumcision and other rites of Gods people, whereby it is said to become the Kingdome of the Lord. Mystically this was fulfilled, when men indued with the The Mystery.Spirit of God brought under the Gospell Heathen Kingdomes every where, and is dayly fulfilled in stirring up successively faithfull Pastours, who by teaching beat downe and destroy the Devils Kingdome consisting of sinne, that they who were before under this god of the World may turne subjects of the Kingdome of God, Christ by his Spirit reigning in their hearts, till hee deliver up the Kingdome to the Father, and so he reigneth in them for ever by making them to reigne with him in glory.