Interpretation of the prophet Obadiah

“Interpretation of the Prophet Obadiah” (chapter 1) is part of the “Interpretation of the 12 Minor Prophets”, written by Blessed. Theodoret of Cyrus in the 30-40s. V century at the request of friends. He uses a typological method of interpretation and pays sufficient attention to clarifying the chronology of the prophet's life. Blzh. Theodoret focuses on the themes of revenge, pride and the consequences of betrayal. The commentary speaks of God's promise of restoration of Israel and final victory over their enemies. The author encourages reflection on the consequences of pride and hatred, as well as the importance of brotherly love and unity among believers. The Edomites, descended from Esau, from whom they received their name (Esau, preferring lentils to the birthright, was called Edom for that reason), became heirs, not only of the nickname, but also of the rancor of their forefather. Just as he harbored constant anger towards Jacob for a very long time, even directly saying: “Let the days of my father draw near, so that he may kill my brother” (Gen. 27:41), so the Edomites, out of constant hatred of the descendants of Jacob, used thousands of intrigues against them. And when, having freed themselves from Egyptian slavery, under the leadership and control of the great Moses, the Israelites intended to enter the Promised Land, the Edomites not only did not accept them friendly, but did not even allow them to pass through their country, although the great Moses earnestly asked for this through the ambassadors, and promised that they would not bow to the right hand or to the left, but would follow the royal path, and would give them for as much water as they needed. price (Num. 20:17, 19). And even after this they often revealed their hostility, sometimes taking up arms against the Israelites, sometimes willingly joining their enemies. And when the Assyrians and Babylonians made invasions against them, the Edomites inflicted thousands of evils on them, not only taking up arms together with the enemies, but also setting up ambushes, intercepting those trying to escape, killing some, and handing others over to the enemies. Therefore, the truthful Judge, having fulfilled the prophetic gift of the wonderful Obadiah, foretells the disasters that will befall the Edomites. And we, having made known the main content of the prophecy, will begin (let’s say so with God) to clarify the meaning and the sayings themselves. Avd.1:1 . Avdiino's vision, that is, this was a revelation from God to Obadiah. This says the Lord God of Idumea. Not driven by human thoughts, says the Prophet, I utter these words; but the God of all, as if using my tongue as a kind of instrument, announces to the Edomites the future. And showing what is being proclaimed, he adds: I heard a rumor from the Lord, a messenger in tongues. Symmachus translated the word “news” as “message”; this Prophet means that the Lord himself is calling the enemies to Idumea. For he adds: Rise up, and let us rise up to the new army. Like some military leader, he gathers an army against them, showing that he himself allows them to endure this. Avd.1:2. Behold, let thee be known, thou art very dishonest. And showing the reason, he continues: Avd.1:3. Raise up the contempt of your heart. Then he reveals the motives for this despicableness. Living in stone caves. And then he discovers his very thoughts. For he says: Raise your church, say in your hearts: who will bring me down to the ground? Idumea was surrounded by very lofty mountain peaks. Having occupied them during the invasion of enemies, the Edomites repeatedly escaped from strong attacks. So, says God, since, hoping for these heights, you are arrogant and think highly of yourself as inaccessible, then I will make you catchable and accessible to enemies; you will not escape the enemy’s hands, although, like an eagle, you will rise above the highest, you will direct your flight above the very clouds, and your dwelling will be among the very stars. And making it known to what final destruction this people will be betrayed. The Prophet adds: Obd.1:5–6. If the thieves had gotten in on you, or the robbers in the night, how would you have been defeated? Food would not be stolen from those satisfied with themselves? Or if the hugging grapes had climbed up to you, the food would not have left the bunches? How did Esau look around and take away his secret? The Tati, taking whatever they can get their hands on, leave, afraid to squeeze the whole house; and those who pick grapes are lazy to carefully examine each vine: and therefore, having collected large clusters, they leave quite a few berries on many branches; and your enemies will search you so much that even what is hidden in your hidden places will not escape their hands. Obd.1:7. Even having exhausted you to the utmost: all the men of your covenant resisted you: the men of your peace have prevailed over you: those who eat with you have laid flattery under you, there is no meaning in them. They will join the enemies, says the Prophet, those who were friendly towards you yesterday and during the day, and whom you had as your allies and supporters. For he expressed this in words; “the men of your covenant,” who recently shared a meal and feast with you, will drive you out not only from the cities, but also from the very borders of the country, and openly waging war on you. and secretly preparing ambushes for you. And the cause of these disasters for you is your foolishness. The Prophet expressed this when he said: “there is no meaning in them.” Obd.1:8. In that day, says the Lord, I will destroy wisdom from Idumea, and wisdom from the mountain of Esau. (9). And your warriors who are from Teman will fear, so that man may be taken away from the mountain of Esau. I will betray everyone to final destruction, both those who are proud of their courage, and those who magnify themselves in wisdom, and those who are subordinate to them. And showing the truthfulness of the definition, the Prophet continues: Avd.1:10. For the sake of wickedness, the hedgehog against your brother Jacob: and the cold will cover you, and you will be rejected forever. He also describes the very types of insults inflicted on his brother. Avd.1:11. From the worthless day you resisted its power in the days of captivating foreigners, and you entered into its gates in need, and you were cast in lots for Jerusalem, and you were one of them. It is also terrible that foreigners come, fight and enslave, but this is even less terrible: but for you fellow tribesmen descended from Abraham, after you have done this to a related people, there is no excuse left for you; because, having violated the laws of kinship, you helped strangers and fought with your own. “For you too,” says the Prophet, “were one of them.” It is expressed this way, according to the originality characteristic of the Prophets, not because this has already happened, but predicting the future. And this is evident from the following words: Avd.1:12. And do not despise your brother in the day of strangers. The Prophet calls the time of punishment day; He says: “let us not despise”, according to the general usage of words. Others are in the habit of saying: he despised a person, that is, indifferently and even joyfully left him to struggle with misfortune. This is explained by the following words: And let not you rejoice over the sons of Judah in the day of their destruction. Seeing their misfortunes, do not become arrogant, as if you have not experienced the same misfortunes. Avd.1:13. And do not enter into the gates of people on the day of their illness. Do not enter with enemies who are plundering the city of your kindred people. And do not despise their host on the day of their consumption. Do not rejoice like strangers because they suffer punishment. And do not consult their strength in the day of their destruction. Do not increase the punishment that befell them by attacking them. Avd.1:14. Below is an infusion on their outcome, consume those who flee them: below conclude those who flee them on the day of trouble. Do not lie in wait for them, setting up ambushes on the roads, so that they do not find salvation in flight, but fall into the nets you have set and are handed over to the hands of the enemy. Who will worthily praise the unspeakable goodness of the righteous Judge, who, knowing for sure that they would not believe the prophetic words, added a real threat, so that, partly by frightening, and partly by attracting to himself, he would soften the beastly? For the Prophet adds: Avd.1:15. The day of the Lord is at hand in all languages. I will punish all nations that indulge in lawlessness; I will also impose punishment on you, who do not want to submit. As you have done, so will you be, your reward will be upon your head. If you are justly punished, you will reap the fruits of what you sow. Avd.1:16. Just as you drank on My holy mountain, all the nations will drink wine—mysterious wine, they will drink it and drink it, and they will be like the one who was not. How I will punish you for what you have done in places dedicated to Me; So the nations who shared the same iniquity with you will suffer due punishment. For the Prophet called punishment drinking wine; and this is clearly taught to us by blessed Jeremiah, who was commanded to take the cup and give drink to all nations (Jer. 25:15). It is not difficult to find out this from many other places of scripture. But you Edomites will be punished for the evil you did to your brothers. Avd.1:17. In the mountain of Zion there will be salvation, and she will be holy; Because I will bring back the Jews who have become captives, and I will rebuild the holy church. And at the same time the Prophet foretells the salvation of all people accomplished in Zion, and the sanctification poured out from there by the saving cross over the entire universe. And those who inherited I will inherit the house of Jacob. Upon their return, I will give them so much strength and strength, and I will increase their number to such a multitude that they will take possession of yours and the other peoples adjacent to you, the land. Avd.1:18. And the house of Jacob will be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, and the house of Esau a reed, and they will burn against them, and they will devour them. You will be reduced to such powerlessness that they will destroy you like fire. And the Prophet called the same ones Jacob and Joseph, because God more than once called the ten tribes Ephraim (and this is the son of Joseph). And there shall be no fire-bearer to the house of Esau, for the Lord is the Lord. Symmachus replaced the word “fire-bearer” with the word “saved”; and Aquila and Theodotion with the word: “remaining.” Therefore, the Prophet used this word, thereby meaning their complete destruction. And the seventy, not without a special purpose, used the word: fire-bearer. But since (as everyone translated accordingly) Jacob is called fire, and Joseph flame, these words mean strength and strength: they wanted to say that the Edomites would have no strength left. Avd.1:19. And those who are in Nageb will inherit the Mount of Esau. And the three interpreters translated this according to the word “south,” for the word nagev in the Hebrew language is called the south. Therefore, the Prophet says that those living south of Jerusalem, that is, the peoples adjacent to the Edomites, as if by inheritance, will take for themselves the land of Edom. “Those who are in Sephila” (these are the neighbors of the Philistines) will take possession of the country, which is now in the possession of the Philistines. All those freed from captivity will jointly possess Mount Ephraim, and the adjacent plain, and the lot of Benjamin, and all Gileati; the borders of their possession will be the ancient borders of the land of Canaan; so that the extreme limit of the land possessed by Israel will become Zarephath: Jerusalem will possess both the city of Yofrath and other cities lying much further to the south. For the Prophet expressed this, saying: Avd.1:20 . The Nagevo cities will be inherited. They will not even be satisfied with this, but they will also turn Mount Esau into their own, led by the King God and betraying themselves to Him. One must know that the end of the prophecy of blessed Ezekiel agrees with the end of this prophecy. For even there Ezekiel foretells the division of the earth, foretells the return of the people of God, and upon the return the power and strength given to the people by God. Oh, if only we too were worthy of this strength and strength from the great-gifted God! Let us be worthy if we do not imitate Esau and his descendants, but, according to the apostolic law, let us learn to rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep, and let us also wish each other to be wise (Rom. 12:15, 16). For by serving the Lord of all with such a life, we will enjoy His gifts, through the grace of our Savior Jesus Christ, with whom glory to the Father with the Holy Spirit, now and always and unto ages of ages! Amen.