Obadiah 1:6

How are the things of Esau searched out! how are his hidden things sought up! HOW ARE THE THINGS OF ESAU SEARCHED OUT! - by hostile soldiers seeking booty. Compare with Obadiah 1:5 here Jeremiah 49:9, "If grape-gatherers come to thee, would they not leave some gleaning grapes? if thieves by night, they will destroy until they have enough. But I have made Esau bare, I have uncovered his secret places, and he shall not be able to hide himself;" quoted evidently from Obadiah, whose prophecies he thus gives the stamp of inspiration to. HOW ARE HIS HIDDEN THINGS SOUGHT UP! - "hidden things," or places. Edom abounded in such hiding-places as caves, clefts in the rock, etc. None of these should be left unexplored by the foe....

He confirms the former sentence, — that the Idumeans in vain trusted that their riches would be safe, because they had hidden and deep recesses. Even when a country is plundered by enemies, the conquerors dare not to come to places of danger; when there are narrow passes, they avoid them, for they think that there is there some evil design. Hence conquerors, fearing hidden places, plunder only those which are open, and always consider well whether their advance is safe: but Idumea, as we have said, had hidden recesses, for its rocks were almost inaccessible, and there were many conveniences there for hiding and concealing its riches. But the Prophet says, that all this would be useless: and that he might more effectually rouse them, he speaks with astonishment, as of something incredible. _How have been sought the things of Esau, _and thoroughly searched his hidden places! Who could have...

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 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 justl...

HOW ARE THE THINGS OF ESAU SEARCHED OUT! - literally, “How are Esau, out searched!” i. e., Esau, as a whole and in all its parts and in all its belongings, all its people and all its property, one and all. The name “Esau” speaks of them as a whole; the plural verb, “are outsearched,” represents all its parts. The word signifies a diligent search and tracking out, as in Zephaniah Zephaniah 1:12, “I will search out Jerusalem with candles,” as a man holdeth a light in every dark corner, in seeking diligently some small thing which has been lost. “The hidden things,” i. e., his hidden treasures, “are sought up.” The enemy who should come upon him, should make no passing foray, but should abide there, seeking out of their holes in the rocks, themselves and their treasures. Petra, through its rocky ramparts, was well suited, as Nineveh in the huge circuit of its ma

HOW ARE [THE THINGS] OF ESAU SEARCHED OUT!.... Or how are the Esauites, the posterity of Esau, sought out! though they dwelt in the clefts of the rocks, and hid themselves in caves and dens, yet their enemies searched them, and found there, and plucked them out from thence, so that none escaped: [HOW] ARE HIS HID THINGS SOUGHT UP! his riches, wealth and treasure, hid in fortresses, in rocks and caves, where they were thought to be safe, and judged inaccessible; or that an enemy would not have ventured in search of them there; and yet these should be sought after and found by the greedy, and diligent, and venturous soldier, and carried off; which was the case of the Edomites by the Chaldeans, and will be of the antichristian states by the kings of the earth, Revelation 17:16; see...

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 Yahweh will make their combination successful (Obadiah 1:2; the perfect tenses are prophetic). Edom has been confident in the inaccessibility of his mountainous land (Obadiah 1:3; see Intro. and read with VSS making high his habitation), but vainly does he build (his nest) on high (for the EAGLE, see on Jeremiah 4:13). This is no passing raid, for the work of the f

HOW...! Figure of speech _Erotesis._ App-6. SEARCHED OUT: i.e. discovered by the enemies. Ginsburg thinks it should be read "stripped bare"....

The completeness of the destruction and desolation of Edom is depicted by a double contrast. Two cases are supposed in which something would be left behind. The thief or the robber would take his fill and depart: the grape-gatherer would not strip every cluster from the vine. But the enemies of Edom would do worse than either of these. They would spare nothing, nor stay their hand till they had left her utterly desolate and bare. _how art thou cut off_ These words are an exclamation of the prophet, forced from him by the utter devastation which in prophetic vision he sees before his eyes. _This_is no work of the common robber, of the ordinary spoiler!...

_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 authentic message from the Lord. It is not just some "speculation" as the word is usually used today. The message is certain, "Edom will be humbled, Thus says the Lord GOD." God's messenger had been sent out and the nations would rise against Edom in battle. The people of Edom were a doomed people because of their pride. They would become one of the smaller nations and would be looked down upon by the heathen nations. The Edomites felt safe living in Mount Seir. They said in their heart, "Who will bring me down to the ground?" They thought no one could attack them there, but they were mistaken. The Lord said, "I will still bring you down, even if you fly higher than an eagle or nest am

THE EXTENT OF EDOM'S JUDGMENT TEXT: Obadiah 1:5-9 5 If thieves came to thee, if robbers by night, (how art thou cut off!) would they not steal only till they had enough? if grape-gatherers came to thee, would they not leave some gleaning grapes? 6 How are the things of Esau searched! how are his hidden treasures sought out! 7 All the men of thy confederacy have brought thee on thy way, even to the border: the men that were at peace with thee have deceived thee, and prevailed against thee; they that eat thy bread lay a snare under thee: there is no understanding in him. 8 Shall I not in that day, saith Jehovah, destroy the wise men out of Edom, and understanding out of the mount of Esau? 9 And thy mighty men, O Teman, shall be dismayed, to the end that every one may be cut off from the mount of Esau by slaughter. QUERIES