Verses 17-21 portray the issue of Jehovah’s dealing: Jehovah will save the house of Jacob and sanctify them (v. 17a); the house of Jacob will overcome Edom (v. 18) and will possess Edom’s possessions (vv. 17, 19-20); and saviors will come up on Mount Zion to judge the mountain of Esau, and the kingdom will be Jehovah’s (v. 21). All the aforementioned items were fulfilled at the time of the Maccabees, and they will be much more fulfilled in glory at the time of restoration for the kingdom of God (Matt. 19:28; Rev. 11:15). The Maccabees, taking Mount Zion as their ground to judge Edom, gained a victory over Antiochus Epiphanes in about 165 B.C. (Dan. 8:9-14 and notes; Zech. 9:11-17 and notes). The victory of the Maccabees was a type of the victory Israel will gain immediately before the age of restoration.

The Minor Prophets, including Obadiah, reveal that the nations used by God to chastise sinful Israel do things in excess. Therefore, God will come in to judge the nations. This judgment will issue in Israel’s gaining the victory and enlarging their territory for the kingdom of God on earth, especially for God’s kingdom in the time of restoration. Cf. note Gen. 15:18¹.

The principle of God’s judgment on Edom is that as Edom has done to others, it will be done to them. The principle for judging the nations (v. 16) is that because of the profane action of the nations in enjoying themselves upon the holy mountain of God’s sanctuary, God would cause the other nations to drink continually at the places of those nations who participated in that profane action. In this way God would recompense the nations who drank at His holy mountain.

The day of Jehovah is a matter of God’s judgment on all the nations. See note Joel 1:15^1a.

Jacob and Esau were brothers (Gen. 25:25-26). God’s recompensing Edom for his ill-treatment of his brother Jacob (i.e., Israel) was very human. God judged the nation of Edom concerning a matter of human affection.

Lit., covenant. Some nations formed a confederacy with Edom, but eventually they were unfaithful to Edom.

Edom refers to Esau (Gen. 36:1). Whereas Esau is the name of a person, the twin brother of Jacob, Edom is the name of a country.

Meaning the servant of Jah; Jah being a shortened form of Jehovah. The central thought of the book of Obadiah is that Jehovah’s dealing with Esau issues in Jacob’s victory and possession for the kingdom of God in the age of restoration.