Answer: Doom over Edom
The majority of the Book of Obadiah (verse 1 to around verse 17) consists of a vision telling of a doom over the people of Edom. The Edomites were descendants of Jacob's twin brother Esau, who was also known as 'Edom'.
From Quiz: BBB Bible Series: Obadiah
Answer: Edom
Obadiah 1:1 "The vision of Obadiah. Thus saith the Lord God concerning Edom; We have heard a rumour from the Lord, and an ambassador is sent among the heathen, Arise ye, and let us rise up against her in battle."
Edom gets its name (which means red) from its red sandstone terrain t(his is where the red city of Petra was located), and from Esau.
From Quiz: The One Chapter of Obadiah
Answer: Servant of Jehovah
Many of the Biblical prophets had names that reflected their relationship with Jehovah, the Hebrew God. Other examples include Isaiah (Jehovah is salvation), Jeremiah (Jehovah will exalt) and Zechariah (Jehovah remembers).
From Quiz: The Book Of Obadiah
Answer: Been deceived by the pride of their hearts
According to verse three the Edomites live in the clefts of the rocks and make their home in the heights, thinking that no one can bring them down to the ground. However, verse four goes on to claim that even though they soar high like the eagle they will still be brought down.
From Quiz: BBB Bible Series: Obadiah
Answer: eagle
The eagle may not necessarily mean the bird we think of today. In Biblical times the word often translated as "eagle" referred to any large bird of prey. Sometimes (such as Exodus 19:4) it is translated from the Hebrew as "vulture".
From Quiz: The One Chapter of Obadiah
Answer: Steal only what they want
Obadiah says it would have been better for the Edomites if they had simply fallen victims to thieves, because in their case there will be NOTHING left! (verse 7)
From Quiz: BBB Bible Series: Obadiah
Answer: Esau
Obadiah 1:6 "How are the things of Esau searched out! how are his hidden things sought up!"
Esau is considered the father of the Edomite nation.
From Quiz: The One Chapter of Obadiah
Answer: Minor Prophet
The Christian Bible includes books credited to twelve so-called "minor prophets": Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi. Their books tend to be shorter than those of the four "major prophets", who are Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel.
From Quiz: The Book Of Obadiah
Answer: Wisdom
The wise in Edom are going to be destroyed! "'In that day,' declares the Lord, 'will I not destroy the wise men of Edom, those of understanding in the mountains of Esau?'"
From Quiz: BBB Bible Series: Obadiah
Answer: treason
Obadiah 1:7 "All the men of thy confederacy have brought thee even to the border: the men that were at peace with thee have deceived thee, and prevailed against thee; they that eat thy bread have laid a wound under thee: there is none understanding in him."
In the New Living Translation this verse says ""All your allies will turn against you. They will help to chase you from your land. They will promise you peace while plotting to deceive and destroy you. Your trusted friends will set traps for you, and you won't even know about it."
This version I think makes it even clearer how it is related to treason. It describes people who are trusted, yet who are deceiving and trapping us.
From Quiz: The One Chapter of Obadiah
Answer: Just south of the Dead Sea
Obadiah Verse 1 (King James Version) includes the words "Thus saith the Lord GOD concerning Edom."
Historically, Edom was a kingdom located just south of the Dead Sea, in what is now parts of Israel and Jordan. It did not reach as far as the eastern Mediterranean coast, which was inhabited by the Philistines and Israelis. In historical terms, it is believed to have existed between around 13BC and 6BC, when it was destroyed by the Babylonians.
From Quiz: The Book Of Obadiah
Answer: They watched from a distance
Verse 11 states that the Edomites were watching from a distance as strangers took the riches of Jerusalem away. However, because they didn't help they might as well have been performing the attack themselves.
From Quiz: BBB Bible Series: Obadiah
Answer: Esau
Obadiah 1:9-10 "And thy mighty men, O Teman, shall be dismayed, to the end that every one of the mount of Esau may be cut off by slaughter. For thy violence against thy brother Jacob shame shall cover thee, and thou shalt be cut off for ever."
Jacob had stolen Esau's birthright when they were younger. A birthright consists of special privileges given to the oldest son. This also includes a special blessing. Esau was the father of Edom and Jacob was the father of Israel, causing these two nations to have problems with each other. When Obadiah wrote his book, these problems were still going on.
From Quiz: The One Chapter of Obadiah
Answer: Esau
The Book of Genesis explains that Jacob and Esau were the twin sons of Isaac and Rebecca, although Esau was the elder of the two by a matter of seconds and thus should have been his father's heir. However, Esau famously gave away his "birthright" (i.e. the right to be recognised as Isaac's heir) to his younger brother in exchange for a bowl of soup when he was hungry. Jacob then cheated Isaac into giving him his blessing.
The Biblical take on this story (perhaps surprisingly) makes Jacob the hero, Esau being seen as feckless for giving away his birthright so readily. The descendants of Esau eventually settled in the land known as Edom, and became the enemies of the Israelites, who were descended from Jacob.
From Quiz: The Book Of Obadiah
Answer: Been gleeful about the fall of Jerusalem
The Edomites are told they shouldn't have gloated over their brothers' (the Israelites') misfortune or exploited them in their day of trouble. Unfortunately, says Obadiah, that's exactly what they did.
From Quiz: BBB Bible Series: Obadiah
Answer: The day of their destruction
Obadiah 1:12 "But thou shouldest not have looked on the day of thy brother in the day that he became a stranger; neither shouldest thou have rejoiced over the children of Judah in the day of their destruction; neither shouldest thou have spoken proudly in the day of distress."
Obadiah gives a reminder that one should not be happy at the misfortune of others.
From Quiz: The One Chapter of Obadiah
Answer: Pride
Verse 3 of Obadiah (King James Version) begins with the words "The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee". Other Biblical references to the Edomites suggest that they had quite a high opinion of themselves.
From Quiz: The Book Of Obadiah
Answer: Their own deeds
Verse 15 talks about the Day of The Lord and tells the Edomites that what they have done shall be done to them in turn.
From Quiz: BBB Bible Series: Obadiah
Answer: Those that escaped
Obadiah 1:14 "Neither shouldest thou have stood in the crossway, to cut off those of his that did escape; neither shouldest thou have delivered up those of his that did remain in the day of distress."
According to one Bible Commentary (Easy English) this was the worst thing the people of Edom could have done.
From Quiz: The One Chapter of Obadiah
Answer: Eagle
In the words of the King James Version, verse 4 of Obadiah states "Though thou exalt thyself as the eagle, and though thou set thy nest among the stars, thence will I bring thee down, saith the Lord". This can be compared to another Biblical verse, Proverbs 16:18, which declares: "Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall".
From Quiz: The Book Of Obadiah
Answer: Holy
Verse 17 says, "But on Mount Zion will be deliverance; it will be holy, and Jacob will possess his inheritance."
From Quiz: BBB Bible Series: Obadiah
Answer: Mount Zion
Obadiah 1:17 "But upon Mount Zion shall be deliverance, and there shall be holiness; and the house of Jacob shall possess their possessions."
Zion could refer both to Jerusalem and to the New Jerusalem which is Heaven.
From Quiz: The One Chapter of Obadiah
Answer: Not coming to the aid of Israel and its people
The specific accusation which Obadiah directs at the Edomites is that they failed to come to the aid of Israel when it was being attacked by its enemies. This is believed to refer to the sacking of Jerusalem by the Babylonians in 586 BC, as described elsewhere in the Second Book of Kings, although other similar attacks are also possible. What is not in doubt is the fact that God intends to punish the Edomites for not helping out the Israelites - especially since they both trace their ancestry back to Isaac.
From Quiz: The Book Of Obadiah
Answer: Fire - it will be burned to the ground
According to verse 18 (of the NIV) the house of Jacob will become a fire and the house of Joseph a flame. They are going to burn the house of Esau to the ground, allowing none to escape.
From Quiz: BBB Bible Series: Obadiah
Answer: Benjamin
Obadiah 1:19 "And they of the south shall possess the mount of Esau; and they of the plain the Philistines: and they shall possess the fields of Ephraim, and the fields of Samaria: and Benjamin shall possess Gilead."
Benjamin was the youngest of Jacob's children. Gilead was an important piece of land as the King's Highway, an important international trade route, went through Gilead.
From Quiz: The One Chapter of Obadiah
Answer: The Lord's
Verse 21 states that the liberators shall come to Zion to pass judgement over Esau, and then it ends the book by pointing towards a time where the Kingdom will belong to the Lord.
From Quiz: BBB Bible Series: Obadiah
Answer: Lord's
Obadiah 1:21 "And saviours shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the Lord's."
Thank you for taking my quiz. The next one in the series will be on the book of Jonah.
From Quiz: The One Chapter of Obadiah
Answer: zion
The final words of Obadiah in the King James Version are "And the kingdom shall be the Lord's", making clear Obadiah's prophecy that lesser kingdoms like that of the Edomites will all be vanquished in the end. While the Book of Obadiah is mostly directed at the fate of Edom, for failing to come to the aid of God's chosen people of Israel, commentators usually interpret the concluding verses as referring to the other non-Israeli nations as well.
From Quiz: The Book Of Obadiah
