Thursday, September 10, 2020

Obadiah Reworking the Words of Previous Prophets and Other Prophets Reworking the Book of Obadiah

 

In my article

 

 Biblical Prophets Changing their Words and the Words of Previous Prophets

 

I discussed many instances of biblical prophets changing the words of their revelations and/or the words of previous prophets. The book of Obadiah, notwithstanding being the smallest book in the Old Testament, provides us with many instances of (1) Obadiah reworking the words of prior prophets and (2) prophets reworking the works of Obadiah.

 

On pp. 30-31 of his commentary on the book of Obadiah, Thomas E. Gaston provided the following examples of Obadiah’s use of Jer 49:

 

Obadiah

Jeremiah 49

1 The vision of Obadiah.

 

Thus says the Lord God concerning Edom:

7a Concerning Edom. Thus says the Lord of hosts.

We have heard a report from the Lord.

14 I have heard a message from the Lord

and a messenger has been sent among the nations

An envoy was sent to the nations to say,

Rise up! Let us rise against her for battle!”

“Assemble yourselves to attack it. Rise up for battle!”

2 Behold, I will make you small among the nations:

15 “Now I will make you small among the nations,

you shall be utter despised

despised among men

 

16a The terror you inspire

3 The pride of your heart has deceived you

and the pride of your heart have deceived you,

you who live in the clefts of the rock,

you who live in the clefts of the rocks,

in your lofty dwelling,

who occupy the heights of the hill

who say in your heart, “Who will bring me down to the ground?”

 

4 Though you soar aloft like the eagle,

 

though your nest is set among the stars,

16b Though you build your nest as high at the eagle’s

from there I will bring you down, declares the Lord

from there I will bring you down,” declares the Lord.

5 If thieves came to you, if plunderers came by night--

9b If thieves came during the night,

how you have been destroyed!--

 

would they not steal only enough for themselves?

would they not steal only as much as they wanted?

If grape gatherers came to you, would they not leave gleanings?

9a If grape pickers came to you, would they not leave a few grapes?

6 How Esau has been pillaged, his treasures sought out!

10 But I have stripped Esau bare; I have uncovered his hiding places, and his hiding places, and he is not able to conceal himself. His children are destroyed, and his brothers, and his neighbors; and he is no more.

7a-c All your allies have driven you to your border; those at peace with you have deceived you’ they have prevailed against you’ those who eat your bread have set a trap beneath you.

 

7d you have no understanding
8 Will I not on that day, declares, the Lord, destroy the wise men out of Edom, and understanding of Mount Esau?

7b “Is wisdom no more in Teman? Has counsel perished from the prudent? Has their wisdom vanished?

9 And your might men shall be dismayed, O Teman, so that every man from Mount Esau will be cut off by slaughter.

10b His descendants are plundered, his brethren and his neighbors, and he is more.
11 Leave your fatherless children; I will keep them alive; and let your widows trust in me.

10-14 description of Edom’s sin

**no parallel**

15 Day of the Lord

**no parallel**

16 For as you have drunk on my holy mountain, so all the nations shall drink continually; they shall drink and swallow, and shall be as though they had never been

12 For thus says the Lord: “If those who did not deserve to drink the cup must drink it, will you go unpunished? You shall not go unpunished, but you must drink.

17a But in Mount Zion there shall be those escape.

11 Leave your fatherless children; I will keep them alive; and let your widows trust in me.

18 description of Israel’s victory

**no parallel**

19-20 description of distribution of land

**no parallel**

21 Saviors shall go up to Mount Zion to rule Mount Esau, and the kingdom shall be the Lord’s.

19b And I will appoint over her whomever I choose. For who is like me? Who will summon me? What shepherd can stand before me?

 

Gaston provides the following commentary:

 

There are clear parallels between the two passages. Not only does Obadiah borrow phraseology from Jer 49 but builds his prophecy around key themes of the passage. Yet Obadiah does not simply regurgitate Jeremiah’s prophecy, he is creative and turns his old words to a new purpose. Several sections in Obadiah’s prophecy find no parallel in Jer 49, specifically: the description of Edom’s sin (vv10-14), the introduction of the Day of the Lord (v15) and the description of Israel’s victory and distribution of the land (vv18-20). These additions add depth, making the judgment of Edom retributive on the one hand and on the other providing an eschatological hope to his listeners.

 

The intention behind re-using Jeremiah’s prophecy is, presumably to compliment the previous prophetic-tradition. J. Barton states that this is a “general tendency of postexilic prophecy” to revise and reshape earlier material “to its own end” (Barton, Joel and Obadiah: A Commentary [Louisville: John Knox Press, 2001], 126). This is probably accurate as far as it goes, but the idea of actualizing an older prophecy for contemporary circumstances misrepresents Obadiah’s intention. Obadiah is not an apologist for Jeremiah but believed that Jeremiah uttered a true prophecy. Obadiah’s own prophecy is an extension of the original, adding new aspects for greatest relevance to his audience. (Thomas E. Gaston, Obadiah: A Christadelphian Academic Commentary [Lulu: 2009], 31-32)

 

Gaston then discusses Obadiah’s relationship to Joel (Ibid., 34-35):

 

Obadiah and Joel

 

One of the strongest relationships is between the books of Obadiah and Joel. Several commentators assert that Joel 2:32 quotes Obad 1:17, and thus date Obadiah prior to Joel (e.g. J.R. Lillie, ‘Obadiah—A Celebration of God’s Kingdom’, Currents in Theology and Mission 6 [1979] 19). There is clearly a dependence as the phrase ‘in Mount Zion there shall be those who escape’ (or ‘shall be deliverance’) occurs in both. Primacy is given to Joel 2:32 due to the phrase ‘as the LORD has said’, which Joel includes (R.J. Coggins ‘Judgment Between Brothers: A Commentary on the Book of Obadiah’, in Israel Among the Nations: A Commentary on the Book of Nahum and Obadiah and Esther [ed. R.J. Coggins & S.P. Re’emi; Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1985], p.  73). This may imply aa quotation from an earlier prophecy (i.e., ‘as the LORD has previously said’) and, if this is the case, then Obadiah is probably the source. The concept that Zion is/will be the epicenter of God’s deliverance did not begin with either Obadiah or Joel but runs throughout the OT (cf. Ps 14:7, 54:6; 69:35; Is 46:13; 62:1, 11).

 

Obadiah also demonstrates a number of other intertextual links with Joel (see table below). As Joel’s theme is not Edom-centric (as Obadiah’s), these links are not so close as those with Jer 49 but the choice of phraseology does indicate some familiarity with Joel’s prophecy. Though the invader and occasion is different, God’s indignation is the same:

 

Obadiah

Joel

10 Because of the violence done to your brother Jacob, shame shall cover you, and you shall be cu off forever.

3:19b Edom a desolate wilderness, for the violence done to the people of Judah, because they have shed innocent blood in their land.

11b on the day that strangers carried off his wealth

3:5b For you have taken my silver and my gold

11b on the day that strangers carried off his wealth and foreigners entered his gates.

3:17b and Jerusalem shall be holy, and strangers shall never again pass through it.

11c and cast lots for Jerusalem,

3:3a and have cast lots for my people

15a For the day of the LORD is near upon all the nations

3:14 Multitudes, multitudes, in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.

15b As you have done, it shall be done to you; your deeds shall return on your own head.

3:4b I will return your payment on your own head swiftly and speedily

15b As you have done, it shall be done to you; your deeds shall return on your own head.

3:7b I will return your payment on your own head

16a For as you have drunk on my holy mountain

17a So you shall know that I am the LORD your God, who dwells in Zion, my holy mountain

17a But in Mount Zion there shall be those who escape, and it shall be holy,

2:32b For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as the LORD has said

18a The house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame

2:3a Fire devours before them, and behind them a flame burns.

18a-b The house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, and the house of Esau stubble;

2:5b like the crackling of a flame of fire devouring the stubble,

 

One final example, again of Obadiah reworking a prior prophet, is that of Amos (Ibid., 36):

 

There also appears to be a dependence on the book of Amos, in terms of both themes and phraseology . . . Amos also refers to the brotherhood between Israel and Edom. Other paralleled themes include the Edomites taking Israelites captive (Obad 1:14/Amos 1:6, 9) and the restoration of Israel to include Edomite territory (Obad 1:19-21/Amos 9:12-14). A few possible textual connections are noted below:

 

Obadiah

Amos

4 Though you soar like the eagle, though your nest is set among the stars, from there I will bring you down, declares the Lord.

9:2 If they dig into Sheol, from there shall my hand take them; if they climb up to heaven, from there I will bring them down.

10 Because of the violence done to your brother Jacob, shame shall cover you, and you shall be cut off forever.

1:11 Thus says the Lord: “For three transgressions of Edom, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because he pursued his brother with the sword and cast off all pity, and his anger tore perpetually, and he kept his wrath forever.

18a The house of Jacob shall be a fire

1:12 So I will send a fire upon Teman, and it shall devour the strongholds of Bozrah.”