Obadiah 1:20

And the captivity of this host of the children of Israel shall possess that of the Canaanites, even unto Zarephath; and the captivity of Jerusalem, which is in Sepharad, shall possess the cities of the south. AND THE CAPTIVITY OF THIS HOST OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL - i:e., the captives of this multitude of Israelites. SHALL POSSESS THAT OF THE CANAANITES, EVEN UNTO ZAREPHATH. Maurer translates, 'the captives ... whom the Canaanites carried away captive (into Phoenicia) even unto Zarephath, and the captivity of Jerusalem, which, etc., shall possess the cities of the south'-namely, shall possess Idumea as well as the south (). Henderson, similarly, 'The captives that are among the Canaanites,' etc. But the corresponding clauses of the parallelism are better balanced in the English version, 'The ten tribes of Israel shall possess...

He afterwards adds, _And the migrations of this host of the children of Israel_, _etc_. There is here an obscurity in the words. The Hebrews by Canaan mean the Illyrians as well as Germans, and also the Gauls: for they say, that the migration, which shall be dispersed in Gaul, and in Germany, and in these far regions, shall possess the southern cities. Now by Zarephath they understand Spain. But we know, as we have elsewhere said, that the Jews are very bold in their glosses: for they are not ashamed to trifle and to blend frivolous things; and they assert this as though it were evident from history, and easily found out. Thus they prattle about things unknown to them, and this they do without any reason or discrimination. The Prophet, I doubt not, means here that all those territories, which had been formerly promised to the children of Abraham, would come into their possession when the...

17-21 There should be deliverance and holiness at Jerusalem, and the house of Jacob would again occupy their possessions. Much of this prophecy was fulfilled when the Jews returned to their own land. But the salvation and holiness of the gospel, its spread, and the conversion of the Gentiles, seem also to be intended, especially the restoration of Israel, the destruction of antichrist, and the prosperous state of the church, to which all the prophets bear witness. When Christ is come, and not till then, shall the kingdom be the Lord's in the full sense of the term. As none that exalt themselves against the Lord shall prosper, and all shall be brought down; so none that wait upon the Lord, and put their trust in him, shall ever be dismayed. Blessed be the Divine Saviour and Judge on Mount Zion! His word shall be a savour of life unto life unto numbers, while it judges and condemns obstina...

Verse Obadiah 1:20. _ZAREPHATH_] Sarepta, a city of the Sidonians, 1 Kings 17:9. That is, they should possess the whole city of _Phoenicia_, called here that of the _Canaanites_. _WHICH_ IS _IN SEPHARAD_] This is a difficult word. Some think the _Bosphorus_ is meant; others, _Spain_; others, _France_; others, the _Euphrates_; others, some district in _Chaldea_; for there was a city called _Siphora_, in _Mesopotamia_, above the division of the Euphrates. Dr. _Lightfoot_ says it was a part of _Edom_. Those who were captives among the Canaanites should possess the country of the _Canaanites_; and those whom the _Edomites_ had enslaved should possess the cities of their masters. See Newcome

AND THE CAPTIVITY OF THIS HOST OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL - , (it must, I believe, be rendered,) “which are among the Canaanites, as far as Zarephath, and the captivity of Jerusalem which is in Sepharad, shall possess the cities of the South.” Obadiah had described how the two tribes, whose were the promises to the house of David, should spread abroad on all sides. Here he represents how Judah should, in its turn, receive into its bosom those now carried away from them; so should all again be one fold. ZAREPHATH - (probably “smelting-house,” and so a place of slave-labor, pronounced Sarepta in Luke) Luke 4:26. belonged to Sidon 1 Kings 17:9, lying on the sea about halfway between it and Tyre. . These were then, probably, captives, placed by

AND THE CAPTIVITY OF THIS HOST OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL [SHALL POSSESS] THAT OF THE CANAANITES, [EVEN] UNTO ZAREPHATH,.... That is, the host or army, the great number of the children of Israel, that have been carried captive, upon their return shall possess that part of the land of Israel which was inhabited formerly by the Canaanites, even as far as to Zarephath, said to belong to Zidon, 1 Kings 17:10; and called Sarepta of Sidon; see Luke 4:26. It is mentioned by Pliny h along with Sidon, where glass was made; and perhaps this place might have its name from the melting of glass in it, from צרף, which signifies to melt metals, glass, c. it is called by Josephus i Sarephtha who says it was not far from Sidon and Tyre, and lay between them: according to an Arabic geographer k, it was twenty miles fr

OBADIAH 1:15 A, OBADIAH 1:16. THE JUDGMENT OF THE NATIONS. The Day of Yahweh approaches; Judah has already drunk her cup of suffering (_cf._ Jeremiah 25:15; Jeremiah 49:12), and now the other nations shall drink destruction. Mount Zion shall be a sanctuary, and the house of Jacob (here for Judah) shall recover what has been lost (Obadiah 1:17). Judah shall be joined by the restored northern kingdom (the house of Joseph), and together they shall utterly destroy the Edomites (Esau,...

CAPTIVITY. the captives: "captivity" being put by Figure of speech _Metonymy_ (of Adjunct), App-6, for the captives. THIS HOST: i.e. the whole of the twelve tribes. SHALL POSSESS. Supply the _Ellipsis_ thus: "they who are scattered among [the Canaanites]". EVEN, &C. Supply "[shall possess] as far as". ZAREPHATH. Sarepta, belonging to Sidon and Tyre. Sepharad is mentioned with Ionia and Greece (in the west) in the inscriptions of _Behistun,_ vol. 1, line 15. See App-57. Jews were sold as slaves, and were taken to Spain by the Phoenicians to work in the mines near the great city of Ampuria, now being unearthed, near Figueras, in the province of Gerona. The "Jews' houses" are still shown at Besalu. THE CITIES, &C. Jewish tradition declares for Spain. SOUTH. After Obadiah 1:20, supply the logical

The Restoration of Israel By an easy transition the prophet passes to the second and brighter part of his picture. The destruction of her enemies is accompanied by the restoration and salvation of Israel. There is however no sudden break between the two portions of the prophecy. The key-note of deliverance had already been struck in the earlier portion by the implied promise (Obadiah 1:16) that the punishment of Israel was not to be, like that of her enemies, continual. The tones of vengeance are heard still in the later portion, and are only lost at length in the final strain of victory, "The kingdom shall be the Lord's." Israel is to regain her former possessions (Obadiah 1:17), to overcome her ancient foes (Obadiah 1:18),

_THE DAY OF THE LORD IS NEAR-- OBADIAH 1:15-20:_ God reminded Edom of His law that you reap what you sow. "The day of the Lord" was near for all nations. It was time for Edom to pay in full for what she had done. God said, "As you have done, it shall be done to you; your deeds shall return on your own head." Other nations, in addition to Edom would feel the wrath of God. Especially Edom, but other nations also, would drink the cup of God's anger and wrath. Concerning those nations the Divine message was, it "shall be as though they had never been." God promised that His people would return from Babylonian captivity and "the house of Jacob shall possess their own possessions." It was prophesied that Judah would retake some of their lost territory. The Edomites were to be completely overthrown as a ruling power. "Israel will be a fire, and Edom will be straw going up in flam