Obadiah 1:12
in Obadiah 1But you should not gloat in that day, your brother’s day of misfortune, nor rejoice over the people of Judah in the day of their destruction, nor boast proudly in the day of their distress.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
But look not thou on the day of thy brother in the day of his disaster, and rejoice not over the children of Judah in the day of their destruction; neither speak proudly in the day of distress.
KJV
But thou shouldest not have looked on the day of thy brother in the day that he became a stranger; neither shouldest thou have rejoiced over the children of Judah in the day of their destruction; neither shouldest thou have spoken proudly in the day of distress.
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This verse in Obadiah 1
Commentary
11 notes on this verseThou shouldest not have looked - It shows a malevolent heart to rejoice in the miseries of those who have acted unkindly or wickedly towards us. The Edomites triumphed when they saw the judgments of God fall upon the Jews. This the Lord severely reprehends in Oba 1:12-15. If a man have acted cruelly towards us, and God punish him for this cruelty, and we rejoice in it, we make his crime our own; and then, as we have done, so shall it be done unto us; see Oba 1:
This site's exposition
the day of thy brother
on Obadiah 1:12-14
Four verses in the negative build the fullest catalogue of a nation's guilt in the Twelve, each clause opening thou shouldest not have, gazing on the day of thy brother, rejoicing over the children of Judah, speaking proudly in the day of distress, entering the gate, looking on their affliction, laying hands on their substance, standing in the crossway to cut off those that fled, delivering up those that remained. Lamentations 4:21-22 stands behind the charge, its own address to the daughter of Edom that rejoices, and the cup that shall pass to her in turn. The bench reads the escalation deliberately, from watching to gloating to plundering to informing, sin compounding at every clause rather than one act repeated four times.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
(Verse 12.) And do not despise the day of your brother in the day of his journey. And do not rejoice over the children of Judah in the day of their destruction, and do not boast in the day of distress; nor enter the gate of my people in the day of their ruin. LXX: And do not despise the day of your brother in the day of strangers. And do not rejoice over the children of Judah in the day of their destruction; and do not speak proudly in the day of distress; nor enter the gates of the nations in the day of their labors. The same sentiment as above: When the man from Mount Esau is destroyed, on account of his killing and wickedness towards his brother Jacob, and eternal confusion covers him, he will by no means do what he did before against his brother; for he will not despise or scorn, seeing his brother go into captivity; nor will he rejoice over the sons of Judah. Indeed, two tribes, except for the Levitical, which reigned in Jerusalem and were called Judah, were captured by the Chaldeans. And you will not boast greatly, and thinking yourself to be one of the victors, you will laugh at the distress of your brother. Nor on the day of the devastation and ruin of the people, will you walk through the gate of Jerusalem with glory. And for this reason, you will not do these things, because you will suffer similar. Otherwise, when you see your brother taken captive by different persecutions, and being led away bound from the faith of the Church, not pursuing his own city, but all foreign things, you will not rejoice at all, because you will suffer similar. For you rejoiced when Jacob was captured and when the sons of Judah, whom we understand to be the disciples of Christ, were brought low on the day of their destruction. It is signified, however, that the soul is placed in the midst of vices and virtues, and can be turned in either direction in the space of a moment. […]
"Do not despise the day of your brother in the day of his alienation." Here the time of punishment is called a "day."
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Those have a great deal to answer for that are idle spectators of the troubles and afflictions of their neighbours, when they are capable of being their active helpers. But this was not all; they looked upon it with a scornful eye, with an eye of complacency and satisfaction; they looked and laughed to see Israel in distress, saying, Aha! so we would have it.
Gracious promises to Israel; that they shall be restored and reformed, and shall be victorious over the Edomites, and become masters of their land and the lands of others of their neighbours (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
Sin thus looked upon, in the glass of the commandment, will appear exceedingly sinful. What was the case of Judah and Jerusalem when the Edomites behaved themselves thus basely and insulted over them. (1.) It was a day of distress with them (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
4 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Looked - With joy on the affliction. A stranger - As a stranger, one who had no more right to any thing in the land. Proudly - Vaunting over the Jews, when Jerusalem was taken.
But thou shouldest not have looked on the day of thy brother,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
So the antitypes, Messiah's foes (Ps 22:17). MAURER translates, as the Margin, "thou shouldest not look" any more. English Version agrees with the context better. the day of thy brother--his day of calamity. became a stranger--that is, was banished as an alien from his own land.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
But thou shouldest not - , rather it means, and can only mean , “And look not (i. e., gaze not with pleasure) on the day of thy brother in the day of his becoming a stranger ; and rejoice not over the children of Judah in the day of their destruction; and enlarge not thy mouth in the day of distress. Enter not into the gate of My people in the day of their calamity; look not, thou too, on his affliction in the day of his calamity; and lay not hands on his substance in the day of his calamity; And stand not on the crossway, to cut off his fugitives; and shut not up his remnants in the day of distress.” Throughout these three verses, Obadiah uses the future only. It is the voice of earnest, emphatic, dehortation and entreaty, not to do what would displease God, and what, if done, would be punished. He dehorts them from malicious rejoicing at their brother’s fall, first in look, then in word, then in act, in covetous participation of the spoil, and lastly in murder. Malicious gazing on human calamity, forgetful of man’s common origin and common liability to ill, is the worst form of human hate. It was one of the contumelies of the Cross, “they gaze, they look” with joy “upon Me.” Psa 22:17. The rejoicing over them was doubtless, as among savages, accompanied with grimaces (as in Psa 35:19; Psa 38:16). Then follow words of insult. The enlarging of the mouth is uttering a tide of large words, here against the people of God; in Ezekiel, against Himself Eze 35:13: “Thus with your mouth ye have enlarged against Me and have multiplied your words against Me. I have heard.” Thereon, follows Edom’s coming yet closer, “entering the gate of God’s people” to share the conqueror’s triumphant gaze on his calamity. […]
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
And you should not have looked on the day of your brother —You should not have looked and stood from afar.
2 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
On the day you stood from afar —that you did not come to aid him.
and you should not have stretched out upon their possessions —You should not have stretched out your hand upon their possessions. So did Jonathan render. And this is an ellipsis, to which we must add: “your hands.”
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 2 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
17 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְאַל־ | veal- | and may not | H408 → | 724 times |
| תֵּ֤רֶא | tere' | you look | H7200 → | |
| בְיוֹם־ | veyom- | on [the] day of | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| אָחִ֙יךָ֙ | ʾachikha | brother your | H251 → | |
| בְּי֣וֹם | beyom | on [the] day of | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| נָכְר֔וֹ | nakhero | misfortune his | H5235 → | |
| וְאַל־ | veal- | and may not | H408 → | 724 times |
| תִּשְׂמַ֥ח | tismach | you rejoice | H8055 → | |
| לִבְנֵֽי־ | livnei- | to [the] people of | H1121 → | |
| יְהוּדָ֖ה | yehudah | Judah | H3063 → | |
| בְּי֣וֹם | beyom | on [the] day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| אָבְדָ֑ם | ʾavedam | perish they | H6 → | |
| וְאַל־ | veal- | and may not | H408 → | 724 times |
| תַּגְדֵּ֥ל | tagdel | you make big | H1431 → | |
| פִּ֖יךָ | pikha | mouth your | H6310 → | |
| בְּי֥וֹם | beyom | on [the] day of | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| צָרָֽה׃ | tzarah | trouble | H6869 → |
וְאַל־and may not
veal-H408 →724 times
תֵּ֤רֶאyou look
tere'H7200 →
בְיוֹם־on [the] day of
veyom-H3117 →2304 times
אָחִ֙יךָ֙brother your
ʾachikhaH251 →
בְּי֣וֹםon [the] day of
beyomH3117 →2304 times
נָכְר֔וֹmisfortune his
nakheroH5235 →
וְאַל־and may not
veal-H408 →724 times
תִּשְׂמַ֥חyou rejoice
tismachH8055 →
לִבְנֵֽי־to [the] people of
livnei-H1121 →
יְהוּדָ֖הJudah
yehudahH3063 →
בְּי֣וֹםon [the] day
beyomH3117 →2304 times
אָבְדָ֑םperish they
ʾavedamH6 →
וְאַל־and may not
veal-H408 →724 times
תַּגְדֵּ֥לyou make big
tagdelH1431 →
פִּ֖יךָmouth your
pikhaH6310 →
בְּי֥וֹםon [the] day of
beyomH3117 →2304 times
צָרָֽה׃trouble
tzarahH6869 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Proverbs 17:5He who mocks the poor insults their Maker; whoever gloats over calamity will not go unpunished.
it leads to
- Proverbs 14:31
Whoever oppresses the poor taunts their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors Him.
- Job 31:29
If I have rejoiced in my enemy’s ruin, or exulted when evil befell him—
- 1 John 3:17
If anyone with earthly possessions sees his brother in need, but withholds his compassion from him, how can the love of God abide in him?
- Obadiah 1:11–13
On the day you stood aloof while strangers carried off his wealth and foreigners entered his gate and cast lots for Jerusalem, you were just like one of them.
- Proverbs 14:31
Through
1 Samuel 2:3Do not boast so proudly, or let arrogance come from your mouth, for the LORD is a God who knows, and by Him actions are weighed.
it leads to
- Proverbs 8:13
To fear the LORD is to hate evil; I hate arrogant pride, evil conduct, and perverse speech.
- 1 Kings 8:39
be heard by You from heaven, Your dwelling place. And may You forgive and act, and repay each man according to all his ways, since You know his heart—for You alone know the hearts…
- Proverbs 24:12
If you say, “Behold, we did not know about this,” does not He who weighs hearts consider it? Does not the One who guards your life know? Will He not repay a man according…
- Jude 1:15–16
to execute judgment on everyone, and to convict all the ungodly of every ungodly act of wickedness and every harsh word spoken against Him by ungodly sinners.”
- Proverbs 8:13
Where this verse is studied
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Studies4
On this verse
About Obadiah
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Edward Bouverie Pusey, The Minor Prophets: A Commentary; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Obadiah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Theodoret of Cyrus, COMMENTARY ON OBADIAH.