Obadiah 1:13
Thou shouldest not have entered into the gate of my people in the day of their calamity; yea, thou shouldest not have looked on their affliction in the day of their calamity, nor have laid hands on their substance in the day of their calamity;
Original Language Analysis
Historical Context
When Babylon besieged Jerusalem (588-586 BC), Edom apparently cooperated—cutting off refugees (v. 14), looting ruins, celebrating destruction. Psalm 137:7 captures Jewish anguish: "Remember, O LORD, the children of Edom in the day of Jerusalem; who said, Rase it, rase it, even to the foundation thereof." This betrayal was especially heinous given the blood relationship. Rather than helping relatives in crisis (as Torah commanded—Leviticus 25:35-36), Edom exploited their calamity. This teaches that God sees how His people are treated in times of vulnerability and holds others accountable. The principle applies today: how believers respond to others' suffering reveals character and invites either divine approval or judgment.
Questions for Reflection
- How do you respond when others (especially those you dislike) face calamity—with compassion or secret satisfaction?
- In what ways might professing Christians 'loot the afflicted' by exploiting vulnerable people's suffering for personal gain?
- How does Christ's identification with suffering people (Matthew 25:31-46) challenge indifference or exploitation of those in calamity?
Analysis & Commentary
Thou shouldest not have entered into the gate of my people in the day of their calamity—God specifies Edom's crimes during Jerusalem's fall. "Entered into the gate" (תָּבוֹא בְשַׁעַר, tavo vesha'ar) suggests either gloating entry as spectators or active looting. The phrase repeats "in the day of their calamity" (בְּיוֹם אֵידָם, beyom eidam) three times, emphasizing this particular moment when Edom should have shown compassion but instead exploited vulnerability.
Yea, thou shouldest not have looked on their affliction—not mere observation but gloating over suffering. The Hebrew תֵּרֶא בְרָעָתוֹ (tere vera'ato) implies malicious viewing, taking pleasure in misfortune. Nor have laid hands on their substance (וְאַל־תִּשְׁלַחְנָה בְחֵילוֹ, ve'al-tishlachnah vecheilo)—actively stealing from the devastated. This triple indictment—gloating presence, malicious observation, and opportunistic looting—reveals Edom's moral depravity. Proverbs 17:5 warns: "Whoso mocketh the poor reproacheth his Maker: and he that is glad at calamities shall not be unpunished." Edom's response to covenant relatives' catastrophe earned divine retribution.