“The vision of Obadiah concerning Edom.” Edom acted wickedly toward Israel at the destruction of the First Temple, rejoicing over Israel’s downfall and the destruction of the Temple. Later, at the destruction of the Second Temple, which was brought about by the Romans — who were called by the name Edom because Rome was settled by descendants of Edom, and because their religion was later established through descendants of Edom, as explained with proofs elsewhere — Edom again stood against Israel. Even the descendants of Edom whom Herod had brought into the religion of Israel through circumcision and immersion came and assisted in the destruction, turning themselves into enemies. Afterward, their well-known religion spread, and all who adhered to it came to be called by the name Edom. Under their dominion, Israel endured exile and countless persecutions over many generations. In the future, all followers of that religion will gather to seize the Land of Israel from the Ishmaelites, as explained in the prophecy of Ezekiel concerning Gog and Magog. At that time, all the children of Ishmael in the East will gather to avenge their brethren. Therefore he says, “We have heard a report,” meaning I and the other prophets — for many prophets prophesied concerning the downfall of Edom — “from the Lord,” who made this known through prophecy; and also, “an envoy has been sent among the nations,” referring to messengers who go among the Ishmaelites, urging one another, saying: “Arise, and let us rise up against her in battle.”

“Behold,” concerning this he expresses astonishment: “Have I not made you small among the nations?” For the nation of Edom, the descendants of Esau who dwelled in Mount Seir in the days of the prophets, was a small nation, and also “greatly despised.” Why, then, would there be a need for an assembly of all the nations against such a small people? And how could they be stirred to wage war against a despised nation? He answers:

“The pride of your heart has deceived you.” Through the arrogance of your heart, which acted presumptuously in matters of faith, speaking wrongly about God and attributing improper qualities, this led you astray until you became one who “dwells in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is lofty,” having risen to dwell in the heights of the world. And you “say in your heart: Who shall bring me down to the earth?” Meaning that through the widespread influence of this faith, the kingdom of Edom will become greatly exalted in the latter days, to the point that it will fear no person. But God answers it: know that even so…

“Though you rise high like the eagle,” and even if “you set your nest among the stars,” I say to you: place your nest there! — so that “from there I will bring you down, says the Lord.” For one who falls from a low place is not endangered to the same degree; therefore, I would command you to set your nest among the stars, in order to make your downfall greater — like one who seeks to destroy his enemy and raises him to a lofty place so that he may cast him down into the depths and break him utterly. This prophecy concerns the future: in the latter days, the kingdom of Edom will grow great and rise to the highest heights, and from there the Lord will bring it down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat.

“If,” after beginning to prophesy concerning what will happen to Edom in the latter days, he now returns to explain what would happen to them at an earlier time, when enemies came into their land, plundered, and despoiled it. As I have explained elsewhere, the prophet depicts their downfall in that period: their allies deceived them into going out to war against neighboring nations, and while they were outside their land, enemies entered their territory and destroyed everything. Accordingly, he compares the enemies to thieves who enter secretly without the knowledge of the owner, and asks: “If thieves came to you, how were you destroyed?” — how could you have slept so deeply? Even more so, “if robbers by night came to you,” for robbers make more noise and disturbance than thieves — how could you have remained asleep and not perceived them? “Would they not steal only what was sufficient?” Why did you not awaken from your sleep to drive them away? He adds further: “If grape gatherers came to you,” who come into a field when the owner is absent — just as you were absent when the plunderers came — would they not ordinarily “leave gleanings”? For they fear lest the owner return, and therefore do not harvest everything. Therefore I ask:

“How Esau has been searched out!” The meaning of the verse is: “Esau!” — a cry of astonishment — “how he has been searched out, how his hidden treasures have been uncovered!” For those who come like thieves do not ordinarily have time to search through every hidden place without fear. How then did this happen — that the enemies were not at all afraid that the people of Edom might return and rise against them?

“To the border,” he answers that this happened through deception: “all the men of your alliance sent you forth” and accompanied you “to the border,” so that you would leave the borders of your land to wage war against the enemy. They went with you as helpers, since they were your allies and therefore obligated to assist you in battle. Yet they did not truly help you in the war; rather, they only accompanied you as far as the border, and there they abandoned you to fight alone. “The men at peace with you” — those who were your friends — “deceived you,” removing fear from your heart so that you would be preoccupied with war, and thereby “overcome you.” “The men who eat your bread,” meaning those sustained by your table, “set a snare beneath you,” pretending as though they wished to heal the wound and stand in your place to protect your land from the enemy. Yet “there is no understanding in it,” for there was no wisdom or reliability in this supposed remedy.

“Shall I not?” After describing what would happen to Edom before the final appointed days of its destruction — such as its devastation at the hands of Nebuchadnezzar, Herod, and similar events — he now says that none of these compare to what will occur “on that day” mentioned earlier, in the words, “We have heard a report from the Lord,” referring to the end of days. For “on that day — I will destroy the wise men from Edom,” whereas in all the destructions that befell Edom in the intervening periods, wise men still remained in Edom. Likewise, upon “Mount Esau” — an expression referring to the royal city — men of understanding still remained, and throughout the land of Edom there were mighty warriors. But on that appointed day, wisdom will perish from all of Edom, and understanding will vanish from “Mount Esau,” the royal seat and center of Edom, which is identified with lesser Rome.

“And your mighty men shall be dismayed.” The meaning of the verse is: “Your mighty men, O Teman, shall be dismayed because of slaughter,” fear will fall into the hearts of Edom’s warriors, and as a result “every man shall be cut off from Mount Esau,” for they will possess neither counsel nor strength for war.

“Because of the violence.” He explains that all this will come upon them because of the violence they committed against Jacob; therefore “shame shall cover you” in the destructions that befell them in earlier times, and in the end “you shall be cut off forever” in the future destruction, which will be everlasting.

“On the day.” He explains that at first, during the destruction of the First Temple, they themselves were not the destroyers, but rather “you stood aside on the day that strangers carried away his wealth.” He calls the forces of Nebuchadnezzar “strangers” in contrast to the Romans, whom he calls “foreigners,” for a foreigner is even more distant than a stranger, coming from a farther land. Thus the Romans were considered foreigners in comparison to the Chaldeans, who were geographically closer to the Land of Israel. And at the time when “foreigners entered his gates,” referring to the destruction of the Second Temple by the Romans, and “they cast lots over Jerusalem” to determine who would destroy the walls of the Temple, then “you also were as one of them,” for at that time the descendants of Edom, who had earlier entered the religion of Israel in the days of Herod, turned against them and became enemies of Israel.

“And do not look.” He now enumerates, step by step, the wrongdoing they committed, each stage worse than the one before. Surely it would have been proper “not to look upon the day of your brother, on the day of his becoming a stranger,” — on the day when your brother became as a foreigner to you and the bond of brotherhood was broken, you ought at least to have refrained from looking upon that day. At the very least, it would have been proper not to rejoice over the children of Judah, and at the very least, not to make your mouth great, not to bring the joy in your heart out through your speech by words of mockery and contempt. All this refers to what they did at the destruction of the First Temple, when they rejoiced and mocked Israel’s downfall and magnified the destruction with their mouths, as it is said: “Raze it, raze it, to its very foundation!”

“Do not enter.” He now describes what they did during the destruction of the Second Temple, which was worse than what they had done previously, for they themselves came and assisted in the destruction. At the time when “foreigners entered his gates,” referring to the Romans, it would have been proper that “you also should not enter the gate of My people,” together with the destroyers. And even if you did enter, it would have been proper that “you should not gaze upon his calamity,” seeking to recount their sins and faults and speak against them. At the very least, it would have been proper that “you should not stretch forth your hands against his wealth,” to plunder and seize their possessions.

“And do not stand.” At the very least, it would have been proper that “you should not stand at the crossroads to cut off his fugitives,” and at the very least “you should not deliver up his survivors” who escaped into your land. You ought not to have delivered over a servant to his master when he had escaped to you from his master’s people. He also alludes here to what they did to Israel after the destruction: at first, they looked upon Israel’s suffering and accused them before others; afterward, as the Edomites grew stronger and their religion spread, they began repeatedly plundering the wealth of Israel. Later, they began cutting off the fugitives through decrees, expulsions, and forced conversions; and afterward, they even killed those who had survived among them under compulsion and delivered them over to imprisonment and harsh judgment.

“For the day is near.” The day appointed by the Lord upon all the nations, to repay them for their evil, is near. Then you will receive repayment in double measure:First, for the deeds themselves, as it says: **“As you have done, it shall be done to you.”**Second, according to the recompense, for true recompense is measured by the hatred and jealousy that stirred one to commit the deed. Therefore it says: “Your recompense shall return upon your own head,” as it is written elsewhere: “I will deal with you according to your anger and according to your jealousy, which you acted out because of your hatred against them.”

“For.” This refers back to the allegory in Jeremiah: “Take this cup of the wine of wrath and make all the nations drink it.” And regarding the downfall of Edom, Jeremiah says: “Behold, those whose judgment was not to drink the cup shall surely drink, and shall you go unpunished? You shall not go unpunished, for you shall surely drink.” Thus he says: “For as you drank upon My holy mountain,” for there the prophet gave them to drink from the cup of wrath, so too “all the nations shall drink continually,” meaning that many destructions will pass over them continuously throughout long periods of time. Until, in the latter days, “they shall drink and swallow,” and “they shall be as though they had never been,” for their very existence will be completely abolished.

“But on Mount Zion.” After many nations that participated in the destruction of the land have perished and their memory has vanished, then “there shall be deliverance on Mount Zion,” and the dispersed of Israel will gradually gather there, little by little, as explained elsewhere regarding: “Before she travailed, she brought forth.”

“And it shall be holy.” Then it shall become holy, and “the house of Jacob shall possess their inheritances,” meaning that the house of Jacob will inherit the territories appointed for them.

“And it shall be.” Then the war of Gog and Magog will take place, and at that time “the house of Jacob shall be a fire,” burning from nearby, while “the house of Joseph” shall be “a flame,” which burns farther than fire. This may be because the Messiah son of Joseph will perform mighty deeds at that time, or because the Ten Tribes will not yet all be in the Land of Israel and will still be farther away. And “the house of Esau shall be as stubble,” which, when touched by fire, is consumed — one stalk of stubble consuming another. So too they will destroy one another in the war of Gog and Magog, as explained in Ezekiel 38, until “there shall be no survivor of the house of Esau.”

“And those of the south shall possess the mountain of Esau.” On the southern side of the Land of Israel, they will inherit “the mountain of Esau,” which lay to the south of Israel; and in the future, the borders of the Land of Israel will expand southward, as explained elsewhere, such that the lands of Edom, Ammon, and Moab will be included within its boundaries. And on the side of “the lowland,” they will inherit “the Philistines,” which lies to the west of the Land of Israel, for the cities of the Philistines were situated in the lowland, as explained in Joshua. “And they shall possess the field of Ephraim,” meaning that on the eastern side, the border will expand farther beyond the Jordan. This is called “the field of Ephraim,” for “field” refers to what lies outside settled areas, and the territory beyond the Jordan bordered Ephraim, as explained in Joshua; and it is further evident that the forest of Ephraim extended east of the Jordan, where David’s men fought the forces of Absalom.

“And Benjamin shall possess Gilead.” It is explained elsewhere that Benjamin will then inherit territory to the north of present-day Jerusalem, and their inheritance will extend eastward beyond the Jordan, so that Gilead will fall within their portion.

“And the exiles of this host.” It is explained elsewhere that in the future, the tribe of Dan will inherit Tyre and Sidon, which will be added to the Land of Israel. The tribe of Dan was exiled before all the other tribes, for they dwelled outside the Land of Israel; therefore they are called “the exiles of this host.” They shall inherit “that which belongs to the Canaanites,” referring to Tyre and Sidon, as it is said: “The Lord has commanded concerning Canaan,” which refers to Tyre, “as far as Zarephath,” which belongs to Sidon.

“And the exiles of Jerusalem shall possess the cities of the south.” These are the portions of Judah and Benjamin, which they will inherit in their proper place, as explained elsewhere: Judah and Benjamin will receive territory in the southern region of the Land of Israel. These are “the exiles of Jerusalem,” who afterward settled in Spain.

“And saviors shall ascend.” Then the war of Gog and Magog will begin, and the two messiahs — the Messiah son of Joseph and the Messiah son of David — together with the seven shepherds, will be revealed to deliver Israel. They “shall ascend Mount Zion to judge the mountain of Esau,” and then “the kingdom shall be the Lord’s,” as all will accept the yoke of the Kingdom of Heaven — speedily in our days.