Obadiah 1:3
What does Obadiah 1:3 mean?
A plain-English look at Obadiah 1:3 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Obadiah 1:3 means
The core sin is named: pride. Edom trusted in its geography—dwelling in rock clefts with high, seemingly impregnable habitations. Their heart said, “Who shall bring me down?” Security bred arrogance and blindness. The verse exposes how self-reliance deceives: natural advantages can mask spiritual vulnerability. Edom’s elevation, like eagles nesting on cliffs, became a false refuge. The question they asked was not whether they were righteous, but whether anyone could topple them—a mark of presumption. Jehovah, through Obadiah, unmasks this illusion. Height does not equal might before God. The proud heart is the first fortress to fall, because it cannot perceive its true peril before the Lord.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000The pride of thy heart hath deceived thee, O thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high; that saith in his heart, Who shall bring me down to the ground?
KJV
King James Version · 1611The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee, thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high; that saith in his heart, Who shall bring me down to the ground?
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901The pride of thy heart hath deceived thee, O thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high; that saith in his heart, Who shall bring me down to the ground?
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949You have been tricked by the pride of your heart, O you whose living-place is in the cracks of the rock, whose house is high up; who has said in his heart, Who will make me come down to earth?
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862The pride of thy heart hath lifted thee up, O dweller in clifts of a rock, (A high place <FI>is<Fi> his habitation, He is saying in his heart, `Who doth bring me down <FI>to<Fi> earth?')
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752The pride of thy heart hath lifted thee up, who dwellest in the clefts of the rocks, and settest up thy throne on high: who sayest in thy heart: Who shall bring me down to the ground?
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890The pride of thy heart hath deceived thee, thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high; — he that saith in his heart, Who shall bring me down to the ground?
Context
Having declared Edom small and despised, the prophet now explains why God opposes them: their deceiving pride rooted in their lofty dwellings. This verse prepares for the direct counter from God in the next line—however high Edom climbs, Jehovah will bring them down (verse 4). The focus shifts from the external (nations rising) to the internal (the heart’s pride). Understanding this heart-issue is key to grasping the justice of the ensuing judgments.
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Jeremiah 49:4
Wherefore gloriest thou in the valleys, thy flowing valley, O backsliding daughter? that trusted in her treasures, saying, Who shall come unto me?
- Isaiah 10:14
and my hand hath found as a nest the riches of the peoples; and as one gathereth eggs that are forsaken, have I gathered all the earth: and there was none that moved the wing, or that opened the mouth, or chirped.
- Proverbs 18:12
Before destruction the heart of man is haughty; And before honorgoethhumility.
- 2 Chronicles 25:12
And other ten thousand did the children of Judah carry away alive, and brought them unto the top of the rock, and cast them down from the top of the rock, so that they were all broken in pieces.
- Jeremiah 49:16
As for thy terribleness, the pride of thy heart hath deceived thee, O thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, that holdest the height of the hill: though thou shouldest make thy nest as high as the eagle, I will bring thee down from thence, saith Jehovah.
- Proverbs 16:18
Pridegoethbefore destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall.