Texts in Conversation
Obadiah condemns Edom for violence against "your brother Jacob." Amos echoes this charge, accusing Edom of chasing "his brother" with a sword and destroying all compassion.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
Amos 1:11
Hebrew Bible
11 This is what the Lord says: “Because Edom has committed three crimes—make that four—I will not revoke my decree of judgment. He chased his brother with a sword; he wiped out his allies. In his anger he tore them apart without stopping to rest; in his fury he relentlessly attacked them. 12 So I will set Teman on fire; fire will consume Bozrah’s fortresses.”
Obadiah 1:10
Hebrew Bible
8 “At that time,” the Lord says,“I will destroy the wise sages of Edom, the advisers from Esau’s mountain. 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.
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Notes and References
In this oracle explicitly against Edom, Amos calls Israel Edom's "brother." This arguably alludes to Obadiah, the nearest chronological and textual referent for this idea (compare Numbers 20:14). As we will see in chapter three, Edom's brotherhood with Israel included a treaty-like understanding that deserved a respect Edom did not render. Obadiah makes use of very explicit language to communicate the depth of this relationship, calling Edom Jacob's brother (Obadiah 10). The use of Jacob here, the first in the book, maintains the tie back to the patriarchal narratives. Although nothing is stated here explicitly concerning the relationship the two peoples had established at this point in history, the point is clear: "this is not how a brother should behave!"
Forbes, Daniel
The Intertextual Impact of Obadiah on the Writing Prophets
(pp. 42, 65-66) The Master's College, 2014
* 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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