Obadiah 1:15
in Obadiah 1For the Day of the LORD is near for all the nations. As you have done, it will be done to you; your recompense will return upon your own head.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
For the day of Jehovah is near upon all the nations: as thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee; thy dealing shall return upon thine own head.
KJV
For the day of the Lord is near upon all the heathen: as thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee: thy reward shall return upon thine own head.
⋯
This verse in Obadiah 1
Commentary
12 notes on this verseFor the day of the Lord is near upon all the Heathen,.... That is, the time was at hand, fixed and determined by the Lord, and he had spoken of by his prophets, when he would punish all the Heathens round about for their sins; as the Egyptians, Philistines, Tyrians, Ammonites, Moabites, and others; and so the Edomites among the rest; for this is mentioned for their sakes, and to show that their punishment was inevitable, and that they could not expect to escape in the general ruin; see Jer 25:
This site's exposition
As you have done
on Obadiah 1:15-16
"For the Day of the LORD is near for all the nations" widens the verdict to every nation. The law of measure for measure follows: "As you have done, it will be done to you; your recompense will return upon your own head." Verse 16 turns to the cup.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers5 voices
Again the time of war is predicted [as in Joel] when the neighboring nations will join together against Edom to inflict bitter punishment. That day is truly called the Day of the Lord. For God the Lord was the one who handed them over to the Israelites in their wickedness and injustice. So that he might affirm that their divine punishment is just he says, "As you have done, so it will be done to you." For nature is so arranged that everybody receives just treatment, and entirely equal wages are repaid to those who have undertaken similar actions.
(Verse 15, 16.) For the day of the Lord is near upon all nations: as thou hast done, so shall it be done unto thee: thy reward shall return upon thine own head. For as ye have drunk upon my holy mountain, so shall all the nations drink continually, yea, they shall drink, and they shall swallow down, and they shall be as though they had not been. LXX: For the day of the Lord is near upon all nations: as thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee: thy reward shall return upon thine own head.
Be mindful on that day of the sons of Edom, and change their role with ours, so that they may in disarray witness the day on which your people will dwell in Jerusalem's ancient city. That nation turns its back on you and now threatens …
The day of the Lord is near, O heretic, over all nations: the time of judgment is near when all nations will be judged. Just as you have done against the church, your pain will turn against you, and your wickedness will descend upon your head. For how you have rejoiced in their death, and celebrated a feast, and on my holy mountain, that is, the Church, you have drunk not from my cup, but from the devil's: of whom it is said in Habakkuk, 'Woe to him who gives drink to his neighbor, pouring it from the wineskin till they are drunk' (Habakkuk 2:15): so too, all the nations, or opposing powers subjected to punishment, or every opposing virtue, will drink and consume your blood, and in the end, when torment comes upon all, they themselves will be as if they do not exist. For he who perishes, is counted as not being, and he who said to Moses: I am who am sent me to you (Exod. III, 14), according to the rule of the Scriptures, is said not to be. Hence, we also read in Esther: Do not give, O Lord, your kingdom to those who are not (Esth. XIV, 11). We can interpret this passage differently: Because you have rejoiced in the ruin of my servants, the same persecution will come against you also, and you will suffer for whatever you have done. And just as you rejoiced against my people with the rest of the nations, so all nations will rejoice against you, and they will devour and drink, and crush with a similar persecution.
This is Obadiah (Abdiou) the fourth in order, who also was privileged to prophesy concerning the mystery regarding Christ, and who speaks thus: Because the day of the Lord is near upon all the nations. This taken in its obvious meaning is spoken of the …
5 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
The righteous God will render both to nations and to particular persons according to their works; and the punishment is often made exactly to answer to the sin, and those that have abused others come to be themselves abused in like manner.
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
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
For the day of the Lord is near upon all the pagan - The prophet once more enforces his warning by preaching judgment to come. “The day of the Lord” was already known Joe 1:15; Joe 2:1, Joe 2:31, as a day of judgment upon “all nations,” in which God would “judge all the pagan,” especially for their outrages against His people. Edom might hope to escape, were it alone threatened.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
The "all" shows that the fulfilment is not exhausted in the punishment inflicted on the surrounding nations by the instrumentality of Nebuchadnezzar; but, as in Joe 3:14, and Zec 12:3, that the last judgment to come on the nations confederate against Jerusalem is referred to. as thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee--the righteous principle of retribution in kind (Le 24:17;
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
The day of the Lord is near - God will not associate thee with him in the judgments which he inflicts. Thou also art guilty and shalt have thy punishment in due course with the other sinful nations.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
And you should not have stood by the gap Heb. הַפֶּרֶק. The place through which the escapees emerge to escape, and in French they call it “trou.
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
14 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| קָר֥וֹב | karov | [is] near | H7138 → | |
| יוֹם־ | yom- | [the] day of | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| יְהוָ֖ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הַגּוֹיִ֑ם | hagoyim | the nations | H1471 → | 561 times |
| כַּאֲשֶׁ֤ר | kaasher | just as | H834 → | 5497 times |
| עָשִׂ֙יתָ֙ | ʾasita | you have done | H6213 → | |
| יֵעָ֣שֶׂה | yeaseh | it will be done | H6213 → | |
| לָּ֔ךְ | lakh | to you | ||
| גְּמֻלְךָ֖ | gemulkha | recompense your | H1576 → | |
| יָשׁ֥וּב | yashuv | it will return | H7725 → | |
| בְּרֹאשֶֽׁךָ׃ | beroshekha | on own head your | H7218 → |
כִּֽי־for
ki-H3588 →4482 times
קָר֥וֹב[is] near
karovH7138 →
יוֹם־[the] day of
yom-H3117 →2304 times
יְהוָ֖הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
הַגּוֹיִ֑םthe nations
hagoyimH1471 →561 times
כַּאֲשֶׁ֤רjust as
kaasherH834 →5497 times
עָשִׂ֙יתָ֙you have done
ʾasitaH6213 →
יֵעָ֣שֶׂהit will be done
yeasehH6213 →
לָּ֔ךְto you
lakh
גְּמֻלְךָ֖recompense your
gemulkhaH1576 →
יָשׁ֥וּבit will return
yashuvH7725 →
בְּרֹאשֶֽׁךָ׃on own head your
beroshekhaH7218 →
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
James 2:13For judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
it leads to
- Matthew 5:7
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
- Proverbs 21:13
Whoever shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too shall cry out and receive no answer.
- Matthew 6:15
But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive yours.
- Luke 6:37
Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.
- Ephesians 2:4–7
But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy,
- Matthew 5:7
Through
Matthew 7:2For with the same judgment you pronounce, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
it leads to
- James 2:13
For judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
- Mark 4:24
He went on to say, “Pay attention to what you hear. With the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and even more will be added to you.
- Luke 6:38
Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured…
- James 2:13
Where this verse is studied
By subject
Judgment35 verses
On this page
Studies6
About Obadiah
This page draws on 11 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); Carl Friedrich Keil, The Twelve Minor Prophets; Cosmas Indicopleustes, The Christian Topography, Book 5; Cyril of Alexandria, COMMENTARY ON OBADIAH; 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 Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Paulinus of Nola, POEM 9:39.