Bible Figure
Obadiah
biblical prophet associated with the Book of Obadiah
Obadiah was the prophet whose short book announces judgment against Edom for pride and hostility toward Judah and proclaims the coming rule of the Lord.
Biography
The Book of Obadiah supplies virtually no personal information about its prophet beyond his name and the identification of the work as his vision. The prophecy condemns Edom's pride in its secure mountain strongholds and especially its violence and gloating over Judah's disaster. It declares that Edom's treatment of its brother Jacob will return upon its own head and broadens the message toward the day of the Lord and the restoration of God's people.
Biblical Significance
Obadiah applies the principle of divine justice to Edom's betrayal of its kinship with Israel. The book's closing declaration that the kingdom will belong to the Lord places Edom's judgment within the wider hope of God's sovereign reign.