Obadiah 1:7

King James Version (KJV)

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.

Adam Clarke
Bible Commentary

All the men of thy confederacy - The Chaldeans are here intended, to whom the Idumeans were attached, and whose agents they became in exercising cruelties upon the Jews.

Have brought thee even to the border - Have hemmed thee in on every side, and reduced thee to distress. Or, they have driven thee to thy border; cast thee out of thy own land into the hands of thine enemies.

The men that were at peace with thee - The men of thy covenant, with whom thou hadst made a league.

That eat thy bread - That professed to be thy firmest friends, have all joined together to destroy thee.

Have laid a wound - Placed a snare or trap under thee. See Newcome.

There is none understanding in him - Private counsels and public plans are all in operation against thee; and yet thou art so foolish and infatuated as not to discern thy own danger.

Was this helpful?

Albert Barnes
Notes on the Whole Bible

All the men of thy confederacy have brought thee even to the border - Destruction is more bitter, when friends aid in it. Edom had all along with unnatural hatred persecuted his brother, Jacob. So, in God‘s just judgment, its friends should be among its destroyers. Those confederates were probably Moab and Ammon, Tyre and Zidon, with whom they united to resist Nebuchadnezzar Jeremiah 27:3, and seduced Zedekiah to rebel, although Moab, Ammon, and Edom turned against him Zephaniah 2:8; Psalm 41:9, “mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, who did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me.” As they had done, so should it be done to them. “They that take the sword,” our Lord says Matthew 26:52, “shall perish by the sword;” so they who show bad faith, are the objects of bad faith, as Isaiah says. The proverb which says, “there is honor among thieves,” attests how limited such mutual faith is. It lasts, while it seems useful. Obadiah‘s description relates to one and the same class, the allies of Edom; but it heightens as it goes on; not confederates only, but those confederates, friends; not friends only, but friends indebted to them, familiar friends; those joined to them through that tie, so respected in the East, in that they had eaten of their bread. Those banded with them should, with signs of friendship, conduct them to their border, in order to expel them; those at peace should prevail against them in war; those who ate their bread should requite them with a snare.

There is none understanding in him - The brief words comprise both cause and effect. Had Edom not been without understanding, he had not been thus betrayed; and when betrayed in his security, be was as one stupefied. Pride and self-confidence betray man to his fall; when he is fallen, self-confidence betrayed passes readily into despair. In the sudden shock, the mind collapses. People do not use the resources which they yet have, because what they had overvalued, fails them. Undue confidence is the parent of undue fear. The Jewish historian relates, how, in the last dreadful siege, when the outer wall began to give way, “fear fell on the tyrants, more vehement than the occasion called for. For, before the enemy had mounted, they were paralyzed, and ready to flee. You might see men, aforetime stouthearted and insolent in their impiety, crouching and trembling, so that, wicked as they were, the change was pitiable in the extreme. Here, especially, one might learn the power of God upon the ungodly. For the tyrants bared themselves of all security, and, of their own accord, came down from the towers, where no force, but famine alone, could have taken them: For those three towers were stronger than any engines.”

Was this helpful?

Matthew Henry
Concise Bible Commentary

This prophecy is against Edom. Its destruction seems to have been typical, as their father Esau's rejection; and to refer to the destruction of the enemies of the gospel church. See the prediction of the success of that war; Edom shall be spoiled, and brought down. All the enemies of God's church shall be disappointed in the things they stay themselves on. God can easily lay those low who magnify and exalt themselves; and will do it. Carnal security ripens men for ruin, and makes the ruin worse when it comes. Treasures on earth cannot be so safely laid up but that thieves may break through and steal; it is therefore our wisdom to lay up for ourselves treasures in heaven. Those that make flesh their trust, arm it against themselves. The God of our covenant will never deceive us: but if we trust men with whom we join ourselves, it may prove to us a wound and dishonour. God will justly deny those understanding to keep out of danger, who will not use their understandings to keep out of sin. All violence, all unrighteousness, is sin; but it makes the violence far worse, if it be done against any of God's people. Their barbarous conduct towards Judah and Jerusalem, is charged upon them. In reflecting on ourselves, it is good to consider what we should have done; to compare our practice with the Scripture rule. Sin, thus looked upon in the glass of the commandment, will appear exceedingly sinful. Those have a great deal to answer for, who are idle spectators of the troubles of their neighbours, when able to be active helpers. Those make themselves poor, who think to make themselves rich by the ruin of the people of God; and those deceive themselves, who call all that their own on which they can lay their hands in a day of calamity. Though judgment begins at the house of God, it shall not end there. Let sorrowful believers and insolent oppressors know, that the troubles of the righteous will soon end, but those of the wicked will be eternal.

Was this helpful?

Ellen G. White
Country Living, 10.4

The trades unions and confederacies of the world are a snare. Keep out of them, and away from them, brethren. Have nothing to do with them. Because of these unions and confederacies, it will soon be very difficult for our institutions to carry on their work in the cities. My warning is: Keep out of the cities. Build no sanitariums in the cities. Educate our people to get out of the cities into the country, where they can obtain a small piece of land, and make a home for themselves and their children.... CL 10.4

Read in context »

Was this helpful?

Ellen G. White
The Publishing Ministry, 142.2

“You know what a confederacy is—a union of men in a work that does not bear the stamp of pure, straightforward, unswerving integrity.”—Manuscript 29, 1911 (The S.D.A. Bible Commentary 4:1142.) PM 142.2

Read in context »

Was this helpful?

Ellen G. White
The Publishing Ministry, 144.1

Battle Creek Not to Swallow Up Everything—The present is a time of special peril. In 1890 and 1891 there was presented to me a view of dangers that would threaten the work because of a confederacy in the office of publication in Battle Creek. Propositions which to their authors appeared very wise would be introduced, looking to the formation of a confederacy that would make Battle Creek, like Rome, the great head of the work, and enable the office of publication there to swallow up everything in the publishing line among us. This is not God's wisdom, but human wisdom. Those matters have been coming up again and again in different aspects, but this policy of consolidation would, if adopted, result in marring the work. God would have His work move firmly and solidly, but no one branch is to interfere with or absorb other branches of the same great work.—Letter 71, 1894. PM 144.1

Read in context »

Was this helpful?

Ellen G. White
The Publishing Ministry, 147

The work of publication is to be developed in new lines and carried as it has never yet been carried.—Letter 328, 1907. PM 147.1

Confederacy in Review Offices—The question has been asked, “What does Sister White mean by saying and writing that there was in the office [of the Review and Herald Publishing Association] a confederacy that was an offense to God?” If those to whom this testimony was given had been under the enlightenment of the Spirit of God, they would have understood this. PM 147.2

There was a confederacy in regard to the matter of wages. Certain ones agreed together not to yield their decision on that point, and they did not until the reproof came over and over and pressed closer and closer home, so that they dared not go farther without some change. Then they yielded, but not heartily, not because they saw the sinfulness of their course of action. PM 147.3

Did the Lord accept the spirit and the manner of the yielding? No; He could not trust them as representatives in His cause to advance His work. They had gone forward in their own spirit of self-sufficiency, and the work was marred in their hands. They confederated together to sustain and uphold one another—in what? Let them answer. I leave them with God. Sufficient is it that God would not trust His work in their hands, for them to mold and fashion after their own order while the Holy Spirit was not molding and fashioning them. PM 147.4

Light has been given repeatedly in regard to the spirit that should control the Review and Herald office. No excuse can be presented for a departure from the principles that should ever be revealed in every branch of the work of God. Men are not to put their hands to the work, to fashion it after their own ideas, ignoring the principles that God has repeatedly declared should be maintained in the upbuilding and prosperity of His cause. PM 147.5

The Pattern, Jesus Christ, must ever be kept before us. The Lord Jesus says, “Follow me.” He that would “come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.” This was not done, but a new order of things was introduced into the office. The counsels of God were too often ruled out of your assemblies. How? With some by an unholy confederacy. “We will stand together,” they said. “You give me your support, and I will give you my support.” This was the principle that controlled some of the workers in the office. God calls it an unholy confederacy. His grace and His spirit had nothing to do with this human policy.... PM 147.6

Read in context »

Was this helpful?

More Comments

Cross References

the men of