Obadiah 1:13
What does Obadiah 1:13 mean?
A plain-English look at Obadiah 1:13 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Obadiah 1:13 means
Obadiah forbids what Edom did: entering the gate of God’s people to exploit their calamity, fixing their gaze on Judah’s affliction, and laying hands on their goods. What began as indifference and gloating turned into opportunistic plunder. The triple repetition of “in the day of their calamity” magnifies the sin—Edom did not merely plunder, they did so at the most vulnerable moment. The verse reveals a hard heart that moves from watching to seizing. God’s people are called “my people,” reminding the reader that to touch them in their distress is to provoke the Lord, who identifies Himself with their suffering.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000Enter not into the gate of my people in the day of their calamity; yea, look not thou on their affliction in the day of their calamity, neither lay ye hands on their substance in the day of their calamity.
KJV
King James Version · 1611Thou shouldest not have entered into the gate of my people in the day of their calamity; yea, thou shouldest not have looked on their affliction in the day of their calamity, nor have laid hands on their substance in the day of their calamity;
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901Enter not into the gate of my people in the day of their calamity; yea, look not thou on their affliction in the day of their calamity, neither lay ye hands on their substance in the day of their calamity.
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949Do not go into the doors of my people on the day of their downfall; do not be looking on their trouble with pleasure on the day of their downfall, or put your hands on their goods on the day of their downfall.
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862Nor come into a gate of My people in a day of their calamity, Nor look, even thou, on its misfortune in a day of its calamity, Nor send forth against its force in a day of its calamity,
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752Neither shalt thou enter into the gate of my people in the day of their ruin: neither shalt thou also look on in his evils in the day of his calamity: and thou shalt not be sent out against his army in the day of his desolation.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890Thou shouldest not have entered into the gate of my people in the day of their calamity, nor have looked, even thou, on their affliction in the day of their calamity, neither shouldest thou have laid [hands] on their substance in the day of their calamity;
Context
This verse continues the indictment by moving from inner attitudes to overt actions—entering Jerusalem’s gates and looting. It bridges to the final and most grievous acts in verse 14: intercepting refugees and betraying survivors. The progression matters: Edom’s sin escalated from passivity to predation and then to persecution, explaining why the judgments described earlier are comprehensive and severe.
v.12But 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.
v.13This passage
v.14And stand thou not in the crossway, to cut off those of his that escape; and deliver not up those of his that remain in the day of distress.
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- 2 Samuel 16:12
It may be that Jehovah will look on the wrong done unto me, and that Jehovah will requite me good for his cursing of me this day.
- Psalms 22:17
I may count all my bones. They look and stare upon me;
- Zechariah 1:15
And I am very sore displeased with the nations that are at ease; for I was but a little displeased, and they helped forward the affliction.
- Ezekiel 35:10
Because thou hast said, These two nations and these two countries shall be mine, and we will possess it; whereas Jehovah was there:
- Ezekiel 35:5
Because thou hast had a perpetual enmity, and hast given over the children of Israel to the power of the sword in the time of their calamity, in the time of the iniquity of the end;