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Obadiah 1:2

Behold, I have made thee small among the heathen: thou art greatly despised.

Behold, I have made thee small - thy reduction to insignificance is as sure as if it were already accomplished: therefore the past tense is used. Edom then extended from Dedan of Arabia to Bozrah in the north (; ). Calvin explains it, 'Whereas thou wast made by me an insignificant people, why art thou so proud?' (.) But if this explanation were right, why should the pagan peoples be needed to subdue one so insignificant? ("Lo, I will make thee small among the pagan, and despised among men"), evidently quoted from this passage of Obadiah, confirms the former view.

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See also Obadiah 1:2 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Obadiah 1:2. _I HAVE MADE THEE SMALL AMONG THE HEATHEN_] God ever attributes to _himself_ the _rise and fall of nations_. If they be _great_ and _prosperous_, it is by God's _providence_; if th...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    BEHOLD, I HAVE MADE THEE SMALL - God, having declared His future judgments upon Edom, assigns the first ground of those judgments. Pride was the root of Edom’s sin, then envy; then followed exultation...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    OBADIAH 1:1 B. THE DESERVED DOWNFALL OF EDOM. The prophet declares that interpretation of current events which Yahweh has revealed to him. Other nations are combining against Edom (Obadiah 1:1) and Ya...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    BEHOLD. Figure of speech _Asterismos._ App-6. Calling attention to the words of Jehovah....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _I have made thee … thou art_ Jehovah is now the speaker. "I have made thee small" in my purpose, which though its accomplishment is still future is as certain as though it were already executed. "Tho...

  • Charles Box Commentaries

    _EDOM'S PRIDE AND PUNISHMENT -- OBADIAH 1:1-9:_ God gave Obadiah a message about Edom. The King James Version uses the word "Rumor" to describe the vision and message of Obadiah. The word means an aut...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE CERTAINTY OF EDOM'S JUDGMENT TEXT: Obadiah 1:1-4 1. The vision of Obadiah. Thus saith the Lord Jehovah concerning Edom: We have heard tidings from Jehovah, and an ambassador is...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    THE *LORD IS KING OBADIAH _PHILIP SMITH_ ABOUT THE BOOK OF OBADIAH AUTHOR This is the shortest book in the *Old Testament. Obadiah means ‘the servant of *Yahweh’. Or it means ‘the person who giv...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    1-9. — THE DIVINE HOSTILITY AGAINST EDOM PROCLAIMED. (1) THE VISION OF OBADIAH. — Properly, _vision of Obadiah,_ without the article. There are three recognised headings to prophetical books — _word,...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    הִנֵּ֥ה קָטֹ֛ן נְתַתִּ֖יךָ בַּ † גֹּויִ֑ם בָּז֥וּי...

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    EDOM AND ISRAEL Obadiah 1:1 IF the Book of Obadiah presents us with some of the most difficult questions of criticism, it raises besides one of the hardest ethical problems in all the vexed history...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    _Contemptible. The nations of Chaldea, &c., were far more potent. Yet Edom must be brought still lower._...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    "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....

  • John Calvin's Bible Commentary

    Jeremiah uses nearly the same words; but the sense of the expression is ambiguous, when he says, ‘Lo, little have I set thee.’ To me it appears probable, that the Prophet reproves the Idumeans, becaus...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    Edom is frequently spoken of in the prophets. This people, who, as well as Jacob, were descended from Isaac, had an inveterate hatred to the posterity of the younger son who were favoured as the peopl...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    BEHOLD, I HAVE MADE THEE SMALL AMONG THE HEATHEN,.... Or "a little one", or "thing" o; their number few, and their country not large, as Aben Ezra, especially in comparison of other nations; and there...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    Behold, I have made thee small among the heathen: thou art greatly despised. Ver. 2. _Behold, I have made thee small among the heathen_] That is, vile, despicable, and abject, as Psalms 119:141, "I a...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _The vision of Obadiah_ The name of this prophet signifies, _a servant_, or a worshipper, _of the Lord._ Such he undoubtedly was, and also a prophet, but what he was in other respects we are not infor...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    Behold, I have made thee small among the heathen, the humiliation of Idumea being represented as having already been accomplished; THOU ART GREATLY DESPISED, humiliated exceedingly....

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    Edom's Destruction Foretold...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    1-16 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 predicti...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    BEHOLD, _ ye Edomites_, lay it to heart, and consider it well; be not secure amidst such dangers. I HAVE MADE THEE SMALL; thou art a small people for number, thy land mountainous, rocky, and barren, a...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Obadiah 1:2 make H5414 (H8804) small H6996 nations H1471 greatly H3966 despised H959 (H8803)...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    YHWH'S SENTENCE ON EDOM (OBADIAH 1:2). YHWH's message to Edom was simple and straightforward. They had exalted themselves to the heavens, confident of their safety in their mountain strongholds, but...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Edom's humiliation because of sin against God's people. CHARACTERS: God, Obadiah. CONCLUSION: If men in their pride and carnal security dare to challenge omnipotence, their challenge will...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    OBADIAH—NOTE ON OBADIAH 1:2 Edom is insignificant among the nations. Just as Edom gloated over Judah (vv. Obadiah 1:12), so other nations disrespect Edom. This contrasts with Edom’s own pride. The Edo...

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    CRITICAL NOTES.] AMB.] God is represented as summoning armies and setting them in battle array, after the custom of earthly kings. OBADIAH 1:3. CLEFTS] Jeremiah 49:16. See _Stanley_ for description. T...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Tonight shall we turn now to Obadiah. Who Obadiah was, or where he came from, when he prophesied, nobody knows for sure. There have been a lot of guesses as to who Obadiah actually was, but they are a...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    1 Samuel 2:7; 1 Samuel 2:8; Ezekiel 29:15; Isaiah 23:9; Job 34:25;...

  • Wells of Living Water Commentary

    A BIRD'S-EYE VIEW OF OBADIAH _ The Book of Obadiah_ INTRODUCTORY WORDS 1: A vision concerning Edom. We are well aware that Esau was the father of Edomites. When Isaac's sons were born they were twi...

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    Small — Thou art a small people. In comparison with other nations. Despised — What ever these Edomites had been, now they were despised....

  • When Critics Ask: A Popular Handbook on Bible Difficulties, Norman L. Geisler and Thomas Howe, 1960

    OBADIAH — If the Book of Obadiah is inspired Scripture, then why is it not quoted in the NT? (For a discussion of this question, see Ecclesiastes 1:1.) OBADIAH — Is the prophecy of Obadiah simply an...

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