A Chiastic Reconfiguration Of Obadiah

Kuruvilla Thomas
Bangalore
Published on 24 August 2026 *

Fig. 1

Introduction

This study treats Obadiah as a cryptochiasmus in order to arrive at a coherent reconfiguration of the text ( see definition of cryptochiasmus in [1] ). If you wish to skip the technicalities of a chiastic parse, you may read starting from Section 4 of the Discussion section, which has the reconfigured text.

Obadiah may appear to be mainly regarding the defeat of ancient Edom, but we show with this reconfiguration that the prophecy primarily predicts the defeat and destruction of Satan worshippers at the start of Christ's Millennial Reign.

Discussion

1. Presuppositions

We base our parse of Obadiah on the assumption that it refers to 3 periods:

1. The Defeat of Jerusalem and Edom by the Babylonians (c.587BC - c.553BC). Nebuchadnezzar devastates Jerusalem and Nabonidus invades Edom.
2. Idumea is captured by the Judahites (c 110BC) and then destroyed by the Romans during the First Jewish–Roman War (66AD–73AD) (110BC-73AD).
3. Satan's Empires, 'Babylon' and the Beast, are Destroyed at the Start of Christ's Reign over the World (from 2030AD).

2. Parsing the chiasmus

We will use the NIV Bible for this parse.

Parsing this chiasmus involves dividing portions of the text into the three categories above. We will call the time of the destruction of Jerusalem and Edom by the Babylonians Period 1, the First Jewish-Roman War Period 2 and the start of Christ's reign over the world Period 3. ( Note that there is close correspondence between this book and Jer. 49:7-22, which we have similarly parsed [6].)

Categorizing Obadiah

Vs 1c-7 belong to Period 3. The defeat of Satan's empire, "Babylon", at the start Christ's reign over the whole world. (Although this passage seems to be about ancient Edom, some of the details do not fit Edom, for ex., there is no record of the hidden treasures of vs 6 or the great betrayal of vs 7.)

vs 8 belong to Period 1. God predicts the destruction of ancient Edom, and He particularly mentions its wise men.

vs 9-10 belong to Period 2. The Edomites (Idumeans in this Period) are destroyed so that they no longer are a distinct people after the First Jewish-Roman War. They had previously been humiliated by the Judahites because of their historical animosity towards the people of Israel.

vs 11-14 belong to Period 1. The Edomites gloat over Jerusalem's defeat by Nebuchadnezzar and even attack the Judahites in their weakened condition.

vs 15-21 belongs to Period 3. Satan's Beast empire will be defeated and destroyed on the "Day of the Lord" of this Period. Israel will expand into other nations. ( Period 1 of the previous subunit does not have one of the "Days of the Lord" of Joel [3]. )

Original text

We color-code the chiastic units of the original text (NIV) below for easy visual identification using: red for Period 1, blue for Period 2 and green for Period 3. We have retranslated parts of the text.

Obadiah 1a The vision of Obadiah. 1b This is what the Sovereign LORD says about Edom.
1c We have heard a message from the LORD. An envoy was sent to the nations to say, “Rise, let us go against her for battle." [a]
2 “See, I will make you small among the nations; you will be utterly despised. 3 The pride of your heart has deceived you, you who live in the clefts of the rocks and make your home on the heights, you who say to yourself, ‘Who can bring me down to the ground?’ 4 Though you soar like the eagle and make your nest among the stars, from there I will bring you down,” declares the Lord. 5 “If thieves came to you, if robbers in the night, oh, how you are ruined! But would [b] they not steal only as much as they wanted? If grape pickers came to you, would they not leave a few grapes? 6 But how Esau will be ransacked, his hidden treasures pillaged! 7 All your allies will force you to the border; your friends will deceive and overpower you; those who eat your bread will set a trap for you, but you will not detect it.
8 “In that day,” declares the Lord, “will I not destroy the wise men of Edom, those of understanding in the mountains of Esau?
9 Your warriors, Teman, will be terrified, so that [c] everyone in Esau’s mountains will be cut down in the slaughter. 10 Because of the violence against your brother Jacob, you will be covered with shame. You [d] will be destroyed forever.
11 In the day that you stood on the other side— In the day that strangers carried away his wealth, When foreigners entered his gates And cast lots for Jerusalem— Even you were as one of them.[e] 12 You should not gloat over your brother in the day of his misfortune, nor rejoice over the people of Judah in the day of their destruction, nor boast so much in the day of their trouble.
13 You should not march through the gates of my people in the day of their disaster, nor search through their ruins [f] in the day of their disaster, nor seize their wealth in the day of their disaster. 14 You should not wait at the crossroads to cut down their fugitives, nor hand over their survivors in the day of their trouble.
15 “The day of the Lord is near for all nations. As you have done, it will be done to you; your deeds will return upon your own head. 16 Just as you drank on my holy hill, so all the nations will drink continually; they will drink and drink and be as if they had never been. 17 But on Mount Zion will be deliverance; it will be holy, and Jacob will possess his inheritance. 18 Jacob will be a fire and Joseph a flame; Esau will be stubble, and they will set him on fire and destroy him. There will be no survivors from Esau.” The Lord has spoken.
19 People from the Negev will possess [g] the mountains of Esau. People from the foothills will possess the land of the Philistines; they will occupy the fields of Ephraim and Samaria. Benjamin will possess Gilead. [h] 20 This company of Israelite exiles will possess the land of the Canaanites as far as Zarephath. Exiles from Jerusalem, which is in Sepharad, [i] will possess the towns of the Negev. 21 Deliverers will arise in [j] Mount Zion to govern the mountains of Esau. And the kingdom will be the Lord’s.

Retranslation notes for Obadiah:
[a] vs 1 'Edom. We have heard a message from the LORD. An envoy was sent to the nations to say, “Rise, let us go against her for battle."' instead of 'Edom— We have heard a message from the LORD: An envoy was sent to the nations to say, “Rise, let us go against her for battle"—'. Primarily changed the punctuation.
[b] vs 5 "night, oh, how you are ruined! But would" instead of "night— oh, what a disaster awaits you!— would".
[c] vs 9 "so that" instead of "and".
[d] vs 10 "shame. You" instead of "shame; you". Modified for the chiasmus.
[e] vs 11 is based on the NKJV.
[f] vs 13 "search through their ruins" instead of "gloat over them in their calamity".
[g] vs 19 "possess" instead of "occupy".
[h] vs 19 "Esau. People from the foothills will possess the land of the Philistines; they" instead of "Esau, and people from the foothills will possess the land of the Philistines. They".
[i] vs 20 "exiles will possess the land of the Canaanites as far as Zarephath. Exiles from Jerusalem, which is in Sepharad," instead of "exiles who are in Canaan will possess the land as far as Zarephath; the exiles from Jerusalem who are in Sepharad".
[j] vs 21 "arise in" instead of "go up on".

3. Building the reconfigured text

From this parse, it appears that Obadiah forms a cryptochiasmus as below:

A1   vs 1c-7 Period 3. Satan's empire "Babylon" is defeated
  B1   vs 8 Period 1. Edom is punished
    X   vs 9-10 Period 2. Idumea is destroyed during the First Jewish-Roman War
  B2   vs 11-14 Period 1. The Edomites assault the Judahites
A2   vs 15-21 Period 3. The Beast is defeated and the New Israel expands into other regions

We now reconfigure the passages in the right order based on the chiastic structure above and based on the ordering rules of a cryptochiasmus [1].

We lead with central pivot point 'X'. The corresponding subunits (for example, Subunit A1 corresponds to A2) are placed contiguously to form units (for example, A1,A2 is a unit) so that we get a list of such units.

The sequence selected for rearrangement is:

X  [A1,A2]  [B1,B2]        (1)

Translating (1) into verse numbers, we get:

vs 9-10  [vs 1c-7, vs 15-21]   [vs 8, vs 11-14]        (2)

We arrive at the reconfigured passage in the next section by rearranging the verses so they are in sequence (2).

4. Obadiah Reconfigured

Idumea is captured by the Judahites (c 110BC) and then destroyed by the Romans during the First Jewish–Roman War (66AD–73AD) (110BC-73AD) (vs 9-10)



Satan's Empires, 'Babylon' and the Beast, are Destroyed at the Start of Christ's Reign over the World (from 2030AD) (vs 1c-7, vs 15-21)

Chiasmus 1: Satan's empire, 'Babylon', is destroyed (2030AD) (1c-7)


Chiasmus 2: Satan's empire, the Beast, is destroyed (2030AD) (vs 15-18)


Chiasmus 3: The New Israel will expand to occupy other regions (19-21)



The Defeat of Jerusalem and Edom by the Babylonians (c. 587BC - c. 553BC) (vs 8, vs 11-14)

5. A Commentary on the Reconfigured Text

5.0 Introductory Statement (vs 1a-b)

Chapter 1 1a The vision of Obadiah.

This title identifies the author of this prophecy as Obadiah, whose name means "Worshipper of God"; nothing else is known about this prophet. We propose that this prophecy was made shortly before the Babylonian attack on Jerusalem (c 587) in Period 1.

1b This is what the Sovereign Lord says about Edom.

This passage introduces the prophecy in the chiasmus. The three Periods of this chiasmus are regarding three different kinds of "Edom": Edom at the time of the prophecy in Period 1; Idumea (the Greek name for Edom), which had come under Judea's control in Period 2; and modern "Edom", Satan's empires of "Babylon" and the Beast, in Period 3.

5.1 Idumea is captured by the Judahites (c 110BC) and then destroyed by the Romans during the First Jewish–Roman War (66AD–73AD) (110BC-73AD) (vs 9-10)

This Period is arranged in the form of a single-unit chiasmus:

A1 vs 9 Idumea is destroyed by the Romans (66-73AD)
    X vs 10a Idumea is humiliated by the Judahites (110BC)
A2 vs 10b Idumea is destroyed by the Romans (66-73AD)

We propose that this chiasmus is read from the middle, in the sequence: [X], [A1,A2].

Subunit A1: Idumea is destroyed by the Romans (66-73AD) (vs 9)

9 Your warriors, Teman, will be terrified, so that everyone in Esau’s mountains will be cut down in the slaughter.

Edom's army (the "warriors of Teman" synecdochically represent all the soldiers of Edom) was unable to protect their nation from the mighty Romans. By the time of this First Jewish-Roman war, Idumea had become a part of the Judean kingdom, and they had even converted to Judaism (see pivot below); so God treated them like the Judahites and destroyed all the Idumeans who did not turn to Christ. ( See details on this war in [2].)

Pivot X: Idumea is humiliated by the Judahites (110BC) (vs 10a)

10a Because of the violence against your brother Jacob, you will be covered with shame.

The Edomites/Idumeans, the descendants of Esau, had repeatedly fought the Israelites ("Jacob"), their "brother nation" (Esau was Jacob's brother - Deut. 23:7), and committed atrocities against them (see Amos 1:11-12).

Idumea was humiliatingly annexed by its rival, Judea under the Hasmonean leader John Hyrcanus I (110BC), and the Idumeans were compelled to convert to Judaism and to follow Judahite laws (for ex., the Herodian dynasty was Idumean).

Subunit A2: Idumea is destroyed by the Romans (66-73AD) (10b)

This subunit continues from the corresponding Subunit A1 above.

10b You will be destroyed forever.

After this assault by the Romans, the Idumeans no longer existed as a distinct people (see also Isaiah 34:6-10, Jeremiah 14:13). But the Idumeans who believed in Jesus (see Mark 3:8) escaped this massacre (Matt. 24:15-16) and joined the community of Christian Judahites; so the two ever-hostile "brother nations" were united as one people under Christ.

5.2 Satan's Empires, 'Babylon' and the Beast, are Destroyed at the Start of Christ's Reign over the World (from 2030AD) (vs 1c-7, vs 15-21)

The wicked people that run Satan's Kingdoms ('Babylon' and the Beast) are called 'Esau' (a synonym for 'Edom') in this Period, but in what sense does 'Esau'/'Edom' represent these people? It may be that just as Esau, the father of the Edomites, sold his birthright for a meal (Gen. 25:29-34), Satan's worshippers, those who make up 'Babylon' and the Beast, have sold their souls and their inheritance in Christ's eternal kingdom for relatively trifling temporal benefits (see 1 Tim. 6:10, Heb. 12:16,17) ( The people of Satan's kingdoms are called 'Edom' in a few other prophecies as well. for ex., see Isaiah 63:1, Malachi [7], Jer. 49:7-22 [6] ).

This Period is structured as a series of 3 chiasmi.

Chiasmus 1: Satan's empire, 'Babylon', is destroyed (2030AD) (1c-7)

A1 vs 1c People around the world rise up and attack "Babylon"
  B1 vs 2-3 "Babylon" will be destroyed: This proud empire will be brought down
    X vs 4 Introductory summary: Mighty "Babylon" will be destroyed
  B2 vs 5-6 "Babylon" will be destroyed: It will be thoroughly plundered
A2 vs 7 People around the world rise up and attack "Babylon"

We propose that this chiasmus is read from the centre, in the sequence: [X], [B1,B2],[A1,A2].

Subunit A1: People around the world rise up and attack "Babylon" (vs 1c)

1c We have heard a message from the LORD. An envoy was sent to the nations to say, “Rise, let us go against her for battle."

God sends a message to the righteous around the world that they must rise up and attack "Babylon" (see also Isaiah 13:2-5, Jer. 50:42-43).

Subunit B1: "Babylon" will be destroyed: This proud empire will be brought down (vs 2-3)

2 “See, I will make you small among the nations; you will be utterly despised. 3 The pride of your heart has deceived you, you who live in the clefts of the rocks and make your home on the heights, you who say to yourself, ‘Who can bring me down to the ground?’

The "Babylonians" have become proud and arrogant ("Who can bring me down to the ground?") (see also Rev 18:7) because of the great strength, power and wealth ("you who live in the clefts of the rocks...") that they have acquired through their Satan worship (see Rev 18:2-3). But now the mighty "Babylon" will be defeated, destroyed and despised ("small among the nations").

Pivot X: Introductory summary: Mighty "Babylon" will be destroyed (vs 4)

4 Though you soar like the eagle and make your nest among the stars, from there I will bring you down,” declares the Lord.

The people of "Babylon" have enjoyed great power and wealth ("soar like the eagle") through their association with Satan (see also Rev 18:7). But God will bring them down to the dust from their "nest among the stars" in this Period (see also Rev 18:8).

This pivot is a summary of this chiasmus; Unit B expands on this prediction and Unit A details its execution.

Subunit B2: "Babylon" will be destroyed: It will be thoroughly plundered (vs 5-6)

5 “If thieves came to you, if robbers in the night, oh, how you are ruined! But would they not steal only as much as they wanted? If grape pickers came to you, would they not leave a few grapes? 6 But how Esau will be ransacked, his hidden treasures pillaged!

Thieves do not usually steal everything, grape pickers leave gleanings, but 'Babylon' (a part of 'Esau') will be utterly destroyed and looted, with nothing remaining of its gargantuan secret stores of wealth (see Rev 18:14-19, see also Jeremiah 49:9-10).

Subunit A2: People around the world rise up and attack "Babylon" (vs 7)

7 All your allies will force you to the border; your friends will deceive and overpower you; those who eat your bread will set a trap for you, but you will not detect it.

The nations of the Beast empire ("Babylon's allies") had helped "Babylon" control the world, but now the righteous of these nations will rise up against the members of "Babylon" in their midst and expel them ("force you to the border") (see also Rev 17:16, Isaiah 16:1-2). The "Babylonian's" had controlled the world through deception, and now they themselves are trapped and defeated through the deceit of their allies.

Chiasmus 2: Satan's empire, the Beast, is destroyed (2030AD) (vs 15-18)

A1 vs 15 The Beast army is destroyed when it attacks Israel
    X vs 16-17 The Aftermath: Israel is delivered and the Beast is punished
A2 vs 18 The Beast army is destroyed when it attacks Israel

Subunit A1: The Beast army is destroyed when it attacks Israel (vs 15)

15 “The day of the Lord is near for all nations. As you have done, it will be done to you; your deeds will return upon your own head.

The Beast army will be destroyed in this "Day of the Lord" (this is one of the three great "Days of the Lord" of Joel - see [3]) (see also Ezekiel 39). God punishes this wicked army during this attack on Israel, for the Beast had tormented and killed the righteous during its reign (Rev 13:7).

Pivot X: The Aftermath: Israel is delivered and the Beast is punished (vs 16-17)

16 Just as you drank on my holy hill, so all the nations will drink continually; they will drink and drink and be as if they had never been.

This passage is addressed to the Israelites. Just as the Israelites ("you") had suffered the wrath of God for their sins ("drank on my holy hill" from the cup of God's wrath), now the nations that make up the Beast empire will similarly face God's great punishment ("drink continually"), even to the annihilation of the empire ("as if they had never been") (see also Ezekiel 39:17-18, Rev 19:17-18, Psalm 75:8).

17 But on Mount Zion will be deliverance; it will be holy, and Jacob will possess his inheritance.

The Israelites need no longer fear the tyranny of wicked nations, for Satan's Beast will be defeated, and he will no longer reign on earth (see Rev 20:1-3). The coming Messiah, the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6), will begin his reign over the world from the New Israel ("Mount Zion"). The New Israel ("Jacob") will be dedicated to God ("holy"), and will be the protected homeland of the Israelites (their "inheritance") (see also Joel 3:17).

Subunit A2: The Beast army is destroyed when it attacks Israel (vs 18)

This subunit continues from the corresponding Subunit A1 above.

18 Jacob will be a fire and Joseph a flame; Esau will be stubble, and they will set him on fire and destroy him. There will be no survivors from Esau.” The Lord has spoken.

Through a miraculous act of God, the wicked people that make up Satan's Beast army (the Beast is a part of "Esau") will be completely destroyed when they come against Israel ("Jacob"/"Joseph") (see Isaiah 29:5-6, Isaiah 30:30-32, Ezekiel 39). Note that Israel is called "Joseph" here, because the tribes of Joseph - Ephraim and Manasseh - make up the majority of the New Israel.

Chiasmus 3: The New Israel will expand to occupy other regions (19-21)

A1 vs 19a The Israelites will oversee the nations of the Beast empire
  B1 vs 19b Israel will expand into other regions: regions in the west, north, east
    X vs 20a Introductory summary: Israel will expand and control other regions
  B2 vs 20b Israel will expand into other regions: regions in the south
A2 vs 21 The Israelites will oversee the nations of the Beast empire

We propose that this chiasmus is read from the middle in the sequence [X] (Introduction), [B1,B2] (Israel will expand), [A1,A2] (Israel will control the Beast nations).

Subunit A1: The Israelites will oversee the nations of the Beast empire (vs 19a)

19a People from the Negev will possess the mountains of Esau.

During the Millennial Reign, a few leaders from the New Jerusalem will occupy some of the regions (these regions are represented by "the Negev" - see vs 20b in Subunit B2 below) of the nations ("mountains") that make up the Beast empire ("Esau") (see also Isaiah 19:18), and they will govern these nations for God (see also Micah 5:5-6, Isaiah 19:25).

Subunit B1: Israel will expand into other regions: regions in the west, north, east (vs 19b)

19b People from the foothills will possess the land of the Philistines; they will occupy the fields of Ephraim and Samaria. Benjamin will possess Gilead.

The expansion of Israel in all directions in this Period of the start of the Millennial Reign is indicated by this metaphorical prediction that some of the Judahites, on their return from exile in Babylon, will move into regions surrounding Judea:

• The three major regions of ancient Judea, listed in clockwise order, represent the New Israel of this Period in this chiasmus: the "foothills" (the western plains), "Benjamin" (the northern region of Judea), and "Sepharad" (the eastern hill country - Sepharad is covered in Subunit B2 below).
• The regions into which the New Israel will expand are represented by regions surrounding ancient Judea in all directions of the compass. They are also listed in clockwise order: "Philistia" (represents the western direction), "Ephraim and Samaria" (the north), "Gilead" (the east), and "the Negev" (represents the south - "the Negev" is covered in the corresponding Subunit B2 below).

Note that none of these region names in this chiasmus (vs 19-21) are to be taken literally, as the New Israel of this Period will be located elsewhere.

Pivot X: Introductory summary: Israel will expand and control other regions (vs 20a)

20a This company of Israelite exiles will possess the land of the Canaanites as far as Zarephath.

The New Israel of the Millennial Age will expand outward to occupy several other nations (see also Isaiah 54:2,3, Zechariah 10:10). At the time of the prophecy (shortly before Nebuchadnezzar's final attack on Jerusalem c. 587BC), the land of the Israelites consisted only of Judea. The expansion of Judea, on their return from Babylon ("exiles") , outwards in all directions into the rest of Canaan, even up to Zarephath (Zeraphath is near Tyre) in the north, represents the outward growth of the New Israel in all directions at the start of Christ's reign over the world.

Unit B expands on this summary, and Unit A indicates that the nations of the Beast empire will be governed by Israelites.

Subunit B2: Israel will expand into other regions: regions in the south (vs 20b)

This subunit continues from the corresponding Subunit B1 above.

20b Exiles from Jerusalem, which is in Sepharad, will possess the towns of the Negev.

This prophecy that, on their return from Babylon, Judahite exiles who were originally from "Jerusalem" and other parts of "Sepharad" will move to "the Negev" indicates that the New Israel will expand southward (see details in Subunit B1 above). These "exiles from Jerusalem" are some of the members of the leadership class of the Israelites, and they will control the nations of the Beast empire (see Unit A). Note that the nations of the Beast empire are mostly located well to the north of the New Israel, so these "Israelites from Jerusalem" do not literally go south.

We believe that "Sepharad" refers to the eastern hill country of Judea that contained Jerusalem. In the LXX, "Sepharad" is rendered "Ephrathah", which was the original Canaanite/tribal name for the area (see also "Bethlehem Ephrathah" in Micah 5:2).

Subunit A2: The Israelites will oversee the nations of the Beast empire (vs 21)

This subunit continues from the corresponding Subunit A1 above.

21 Deliverers will arise in Mount Zion to govern the mountains of Esau. And the kingdom will be the Lord’s.

Leaders will rise up from the New Jerusalem ("Mount Zion") and take control of the nations ("mountains") of the Beast empire ("Esau"); they will deliver these nations from Satan's influence and govern them for God (see also Micah 5:5-6, Isaiah 19:25).

5.3 The Defeat of Jerusalem and Edom by the Babylonians (c. 587BC - c. 553BC) (vs 8, vs 11-14)

This Period is arranged in the form of a two-unit chiasmus:

A1 vs 8 Edom is destroyed for its assaults on the Judahites
  B1 vs 11 Edom participates in the plunder of the Judahites
    X vs 12 Edom gloats over Judah's misfortune
  B2 vs 13 Edom participates in the plunder of the Judahites
A2 vs 14 Edom is destroyed for its assaults on the Judahites

The pivot and each of the units of this chiasmus mention one of the crimes that the Edomites committed against the Judahites: [X] (gloating), [B1,B2] (plunder), [A1,A2] (killing).

Subunit A1: Edom is destroyed for its assaults on the Judahites (vs 8)

8 “In that day,” declares the Lord, “will I not destroy the wise men of Edom, those of understanding in the mountains of Esau?

The Babylonian king Nabonidus invaded Edom, devastated it and slaughtered its people c. 553BC (see Ezekiel 25:12-14). This defeat is considered the beginning of the end of Edom: they were forced to move west from their land to the south of Judea by the Nabateans (by the 2nd century); incorporated into the Jewish nation by the Maccabees in Period 2 (c. 125BC); and were no longer a nation after a Roman slaughter in Period 2 (c 70AD).

The "wise men" of Edom may be specifically mentioned here because ancient Edom, especially Teman, was known for its wisdom (Baruch 3:22,23, Job 2:11); these "wise" leaders seem to have have led the Edomites into the foolish acts that angered God (see Jer 49:7), particularly for their attacks on the Judahites, as detailed in the corresponding subunit A2 below. ( In this Period, "mountains of Esau" is a synonym for Edom. Note that Esau's mountains are mentioned in all 3 Periods.)

Subunit B1: Edom participates in the plunder of the Judahites (vs 11)

11 In the day that you stood on the other side— In the day that strangers carried away his wealth, When foreigners entered his gates And cast lots for Jerusalem— Even you were as one of them.

Around 34 years prior to Nabonidus' assault on Edom, Nebuchadnezzar had conquered Jerusalem to end a rebellion by the Judahite vassal king Zedekiah (c. 587BC). Jerusalem was plundered, even the temple, and most of the Judahites were taken into captivity. These pagan conquerors entered God's holy city and divided the spoils among themselves ("cast lots") - a great humiliation for the Judahites. The Edomites, instead of attempting to help their "brother nation", came against them and participated in the plunder ("stood on the other side", "were as one of them") (see also Ezekiel 35).

Pivot X: Edom gloats over Judah's misfortune (vs 12)

12 You should not gloat over your brother in the day of his misfortune, nor rejoice over the people of Judah in the day of their destruction, nor boast so much in the day of their trouble.

The Edomites gloated and rejoiced over the humiliation and misery of their "brother" Judahites, God's chosen people (see Psalms 137:7). This prophecy was made before Jerusalem's fall in 587BC, so this passage in vs 12-14 has warnings from Obadiah to the Edomites, warnings that were ignored.

Subunit B2: Edom participates in the plunder of the Judahites (vs 13)

13 You should not march through the gates of my people in the day of their disaster, nor search through their ruins in the day of their disaster, nor seize their wealth in the day of their disaster.

The Edomites looted whatever remained in Jerusalem after the Babylonian plunder (587BC) (1 Esdras 4:45).

A few years later, the Edomites invaded and settled in the northern Negev in the territory of Judah (Ezekiel 35:10-11). Judah was a province of Babylon at that time, and so this encroachment by Edom may have provoked the retaliatory strike by Nabonidus.

Subunit A2: Edom is destroyed for its assaults on the Judahites (vs 14)

14 You should not wait at the crossroads to cut down their fugitives, nor hand over their survivors in the day of their trouble.

The Edomites aided in the slaughter and enslavement of the Judahites, and it was primarily for this sin that God punished Edom in this Period (see Ezekiel 35:5,6, see corresponding Subunit A1 above).

Conclusion

With this chiastic reconfiguration of the text, we have shown that the book of Obadiah contains prophecies on three distinct Periods. This passage has a straightforward chiastic structure but its structure and meaning is hidden through the choice of metaphors. The defeats of Edom in Period 1&2 seem to be types of the defeat of Satan worshippers at the start of the Millennial Reign.

References

[1] A Definition of Cryptochiasmus
[2] A Chiastic Reconfiguration Of "The 70 Weeks Of Daniel"
[3] A Chiastic Reconfiguration Of Joel
[4] A Chiastic Reconfiguration Of Daniel 8
[5] A Chiastic Reconfiguration Of Revelation 4-22, Part 2
[6] A Chiastic Reconfiguration Of Jeremiah 49:7-22
[7] A Chiastic Reconfiguration Of Malachi





* First version published on 27 September 2021.