Obadiah 1:17-21

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Obadiah 1:17-21

After the destruction of the church's enemies is threatened, which will be completely accomplished in the great day of recompence, and that judgment for which Christ came once, and will come again, into this world, here follow precious promises of the salvation of the church, with which this prophecy concludes, and those of Joel and Amos did, which, however they might be in part fulfilled in the return of the Jews out of Babylon notwithstanding the triumphs of Edom in their captivity, as if it... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Obadiah 1:17

But upon Mount Zion shall be deliverance ,.... Not only by Cyrus, at the end of the seventy years' captivity; and by the Maccabees from the Idumeans, and other enemies; but by the Messiah; for not merely temporal deliverance is here intended, unless as a shadow, type, and figure; but spiritual deliverance from the law, sin, Satan, the world, death, hell, and wrath to come, by Christ; who is the Deliverer that should both come to Zion and out of Zion, and who has wrought the above deliverance... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Obadiah 1:18

And the house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame ,.... The former may denote the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin, the latter the ten tribes, which after the separation in Rehoboam's time were called Ephraim, and sometimes Joseph; though they may here signify one and the same, since all the tribes will be united, and become one people, at the time the prophecy refers to: the meaning is, that the people of Judah and Israel shall have strength and power to conquer and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Obadiah 1:19

And they of the south shall possess the land of Esau ,.... That is, those Jews that shall dwell in the southern part of the land of Judea shall seize upon the country of Idumea, lying contiguous to them; they shall enlarge their border, and take that into their possession: and they of the plain the Philistines ; or of Sephela, they that shall inhabit the plain, or champaign country of Judea, as the parts of Lydda, Emmaus, and Sharon, were; these shall possess the country of the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Obadiah 1:20

And the captivity of this host of the children of Israel shall possess that of the Canaanites, even unto Zarephath ,.... That is, the host or army, the great number of the children of Israel, that have been carried captive, upon their return shall possess that part of the land of Israel which was inhabited formerly by the Canaanites, even as far as to Zarephath, said to belong to Zidon, 1 Kings 17:10 ; and called Sarepta of Sidon; see Luke 4:26 . It is mentioned by Pliny F8 Nat.... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Obadiah 1:21

And saviours shall come upon Mount Zion ,.... Which according to some, is to be understood literally, either of Zerubbabel and Joshua, after the return of the Jews from the Babylonish captivity, who were the restorers of, their civil and church state; or rather of Judas Maccabeus and his brethren, who saved the people of the Jews from Antiochus and his generals, called "saviours", as the judges of old were, Nehemiah 9:27 ; but it is best to interpret these saviours of the apostles of... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Obadiah 1:17

But upon Mount Zion shall be deliverance - Here is a promise of the return from the Babylonish captivity. They shall come to Zion, and there they shall find safety; and it is remarkable that after their return they were greatly befriended by the Persian kings, and by Alexander the Great and his successors; so that, whilst they ravaged the neighboring nations, the Jews were unmolested. See Calmet. And there shall be holiness - They shall return to God, separate themselves from their... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Obadiah 1:18

The house of Jacob shall be a fire - After their return from captivity, the Jews, called here the house of Jacob and the house of Joseph, did break out as a flame upon the Idumeans; they reduced them into slavery; and obliged them to receive circumcision, and practise the rites of the Jewish religion. See 1 Maccabees 5:3, etc.; 2 Maccabees 10:15-23; and Josephus Antiq., lib. 13 c. 17. There shall not be any remaining - As a people and a nation they shall be totally destroyed. This is the... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Obadiah 1:19

They of the south - The Jews who possessed the southern part of Palestine, should render themselves masters of the mountains of Idumea which were contiguous to them. They of the plain - From Eleutheropolis to the Mediterranean Sea. In this and the following verse the prophet shows the different districts which should be occupied by the Israelites after their return from Babylon. The fields of Samaria - Alexander the Great gave Samaria to the Jews; and John Hyrcanus subdued the same... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Obadiah 1:20

Zarephath - Sarepta, a city of the Sidonians, 1 Kings 17:9 . That is, they should possess the whole city of Phoenicia, called here that of the Canaanites. Which is in Sepharad - This is a difficult word. Some think the Bosphorus is meant; others, Spain; others, France; others, the Euphrates; others, some district in Chaldea; for there was a city called Siphora, in Mesopotamia, above the division of the Euphrates. Dr. Lightfoot says it was a part of Edom. Those who were captives among... read more

Group of Brands