What is the meaning of Obadiah 1:5? If thieves came to you – The Lord pictures common burglars breaking in. – Everyone in Edom knew that even crooks limit themselves; they grab what they can carry and flee (cf. Matthew 6:19 where earthly thieves “break in and steal”). – By opening with “if,” God sets up a contrast: what He is about to do far surpasses ordinary crime scenes. If robbers by night—oh, how you will be ruined – Robbers strike in darkness when victims are least prepared (Job 24:14). – “Oh, how you will be ruined” signals divine certainty; Edom’s downfall is not hypothetical. – The emphasis on night underscores sudden, irreversible loss (1 Thessalonians 5:2; Revelation 3:3). Would they not steal only what they wanted? – Thieves pick through valuables, leaving lesser items behind. – Ordinary loss is partial; life goes on afterward (Proverbs 6:30-31). – God announces that, unlike human plunderers, He will allow nothing to remain of Edom’s pride, wealth, or defenses (Obadiah 1:6). If grape gatherers came to you – Harvesters take bunches but always miss a few grapes (Leviticus 19:9-10; Deuteronomy 24:21). – The picture is agricultural, familiar to Edom’s mountain vineyards (Genesis 36:8-9). Would they not leave some gleanings? – Under Israel’s law, gleanings were purposely left for the poor; even pagans recognized that total stripping was wasteful. – The Lord warns that Edom will enjoy no such mercy; every “grape” of security will be removed (Jeremiah 49:9, a parallel prophecy). – The comparison exposes Edom’s coming devastation as absolute—far worse than any human invasion or harvest. summary Obadiah 1:5 stacks two vivid analogies to show the completeness of God’s judgment against Edom. Human thieves and grape pickers always leave something behind, whether by choice or by necessity. The Lord, however, will see to it that Edom is stripped of everything—possessions, power, and pride—because of its longstanding hostility toward His people. The verse assures believers that God’s justice is thorough and certain, and no earthly security can stand when He rises to judge. |
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