Texts in Conversation
Psalm 137:7 and Obadiah 1:11 both recall Edom’s actions during the fall of Jerusalem, portraying Edom as complicit in the city’s destruction. The psalm frames this memory as part of a personal and communal lament, while Obadiah develops it into a prophetic indictment.
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Psalm 137:7
Hebrew Bible
6 May my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth, if I do not remember you, and do not give Jerusalem priority over whatever gives me the most joy. 7 Remember, O Lord, what the Edomites did on the day Jerusalem fell. They said, “Tear it down, tear it down, right to its very foundation!” 8 O daughter Babylon, soon to be devastated, how blessed will be the one who repays you for what you dished out to us. 9 How blessed will be the one who grabs your babies and smashes them on a rock.
Date: 6th-3rd Centuries B.C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
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Obadiah 1:11
Hebrew Bible
9 Your warriors will be shattered, O Teman, so that everyone will be destroyed from Esau’s mountain! 10 “Because you violently slaughtered your relatives, the people of Jacob, shame will cover you, and you will be destroyed forever. 11 You stood aloof while strangers took his army captive and foreigners advanced to his gates. When they cast lots over Jerusalem, you behaved as though you were in league with them. 12 You should not have gloated when your relatives suffered calamity. You should not have rejoiced over the people of Judah when they were destroyed. You should not have boasted when they suffered adversity.
Date: 6th Century B.C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
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Notes and References
"... There are exegetical issues in both Obadiah and Jeremiah, and such issues will be treated in this chapter in order to balance the study. As earlier mentioned, Obadiah mentioned the crime Edom committed against Judah but Jeremiah is silent about it. Also, there are textual and grammatical problems between Obadiah and Jeremiah; these issues will be analyzed and finally the study will conclude with evidence to show that Obadiah and Jeremiah 49:14-16 both prophesied the message of doom which serves as a response to the lament in Psalm 137:7-9 ..."
Anucha, Ngozi
An Intertextual Study of the Book of Obadiah
(p. 41) University of Wales Lampeter, 2011
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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