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Kretzmann's Popular Commentary

Obadiah 1:5

If thieves came to thee, if robbers by night, this being said for the sake of comparison, (how art thou cut off!) would they not have stolen till they had enough? They take whatever they find, what is lying there to be taken readily. If the grape-gatherers came to thee, would they not leave some grapes? the usual remnants left for gleaning. Ordinarily, if enemies come against a country, they will satisfy their immediate desire for vengeance; but in this case the ruin would be too complete to be ascribed to ordinary causes; it would clearly be God's pitiless punishment.

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See also Obadiah 1:5 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Obadiah 1:5. _IF THIEVES CAME TO THEE_] That is, if _thieves_ entered thy dwellings, they would not have taken every thing; they would have laid hold on thy wealth; and carried off as much as t...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    IF THIEVES CAME TO THEE - The prophet describes their future punishment, by contrast with that which, as a marauding people, they well knew. Thieves and robbers spoil only for their petty end. They ta...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    OBADIAH 1:1 B. THE DESERVED DOWNFALL OF EDOM. The prophet declares that interpretation of current events which Yahweh has revealed to him. Other nations are combining against Edom (Obadiah 1:1) and Ya...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    IF THE GRAPE GATHERERS. Some codices, with Aramaean, Septuagint, and Syriac, read "or if", &c. WOULD THEY NOT. ? Reference to Pentateuch (Deuteronomy 24:21). App-92. Compare Isaiah 17:6; Isaiah 24:13...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    The completeness of the destruction and desolation of Edom is depicted by a double contrast. Two cases are supposed in which something would be left behind. The thief or the robber would take his fill...

  • Charles Box Commentaries

    _EDOM'S PRIDE AND PUNISHMENT -- OBADIAH 1:1-9:_ God gave Obadiah a message about Edom. The King James Version uses the word "Rumor" to describe the vision and message of Obadiah. The word means an aut...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    IF THIEVES CAME, &C.— _When thieves come to thee, when nightly robbers, when thou art laid to rest, will they not plunder as much as shall seem good to them? When the grape-gatherers shall come to the...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    THE EXTENT OF EDOM'S JUDGMENT TEXT: Obadiah 1:5-9 5 If thieves came to thee, if robbers by night, (how art thou cut off!) would they not steal only till they had enough? if grape-gatherers came to...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    If thieves came to thee, if robbers by night, (how art thou cut off!) would they not have stolen till they had enough? if the grapegatherers came to thee, would they not leave some grapes? IF THIEV...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    THE *LORD IS KING OBADIAH _PHILIP SMITH_ ABOUT THE BOOK OF OBADIAH AUTHOR This is the shortest book in the *Old Testament. Obadiah means ‘the servant of *Yahweh’. Or it means ‘the person who giv...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    (5-9) The completeness of the overthrow awaiting Edom. It is no mere inroad of a marauding tribe. Something would escape the _robber,_ though he might go away quite satisfied with his plunder; and eve...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    אִם ־גַּנָּבִ֤ים בָּאֽוּ ־לְךָ֙ אִם ־שֹׁ֣ודְדֵי...

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    EDOM AND ISRAEL Obadiah 1:1 IF the Book of Obadiah presents us with some of the most difficult questions of criticism, it raises besides one of the hardest ethical problems in all the vexed history...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    (d) If thieves came to thee, if robbers by night, (how art thou cut off!) would they not have stolen till they had enough? if the grapegatherers came to thee, would they not leave [some] grapes? (d)...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    _Cluster. (Jeremias xlix. 9.) The Chaldeans take all, and remove the people, ver. 7._...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    "The 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? (4) Though thou ex...

  • John Calvin's Bible Commentary

    The Prophet shows in this verse that the calamity with which God was resolved to afflict the Idumeans would not be slight, for nothing would be left among them; and he amplifies what he says by a comp...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    Edom is frequently spoken of in the prophets. This people, who, as well as Jacob, were descended from Isaac, had an inveterate hatred to the posterity of the younger son who were favoured as the peopl...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    IF THIEVES CAME TO THEE, IF ROBBERS BY NIGHT,.... Whether the one came by day, and the other by night, or both by night, the same being meant by different words, whose intent is to plunder and steal,...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    If thieves came to thee, if robbers by night, (how art thou cut off!) would they not have stolen till they had enough? if the grapegatherers came to thee, would they not leave [some] grapes? Ver. 5....

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _If thieves come unto thee_ See note on Jeremiah 49:9. _How are his hidden things sought up!_ Those treasures and riches which he took all possible care to conceal, that they might not be discovered b...

  • Marginal Notes in the King James Version (1611)

    SOME GRAPES? OR, GLEANINGS...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    1-16 This prophecy is against Edom. Its destruction seems to have been typical, as their father Esau's rejection; and to refer to the destruction of the enemies of the gospel church. See the predicti...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    In this verse the prophet doth in an abrupt manner of speech, mixed of wonder and doubt, express the strange havoc and desolation made in Edom, as if lie had said, Who have been here? or in what postu...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Obadiah 1:5 thieves H1590 come H935 (H8804) robbers H7703 (H8802) off H1820 (H8738) stolen H1589 ...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    THEY WILL BE EXPELLED FROM EDOM BY THOSE WHO WILL AT FIRST APPEAR TO BE THEIR FRIENDS (OBADIAH 1:5). Their punishment will be extreme and final, and they will be ousted from their homeland by those w...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Edom's humiliation because of sin against God's people. CHARACTERS: God, Obadiah. CONCLUSION: If men in their pride and carnal security dare to challenge omnipotence, their challenge will...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee._ PRIDE I. That the most despicable people are often the most disposed to pride. Edom is described as “greatly despised.” Small and disdainable as they we...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    OBADIAH—NOTE ON OBADIAH 1:5 Edom will be thoroughly DESTROYED, with nothing remaining. ⇐...

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    CRITICAL NOTES.] Obadiah 1:5.] Spoliation shall be complete; not such as THIEVES or GRAPE-GATHERERS make, who leave the rest when they have had enough. OBADIAH 1:6. HIDDEN] places explored; all trea...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Tonight shall we turn now to Obadiah. Who Obadiah was, or where he came from, when he prophesied, nobody knows for sure. There have been a lot of guesses as to who Obadiah actually was, but they are a...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    2 Samuel 1:19; Deuteronomy 24:21; Isaiah 14:12; Isaiah 17:6; Isa

  • Wells of Living Water Commentary

    A BIRD'S-EYE VIEW OF OBADIAH _ The Book of Obadiah_ INTRODUCTORY WORDS 1: A vision concerning Edom. We are well aware that Esau was the father of Edomites. When Isaac's sons were born they were twi...

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    If thieves — If thieves by day had spoiled thee, they would not have thus stripped thee. Robbers — If robbers in the night had been with thee, they would have left somewhat behind them. 'Till they had...

  • When Critics Ask: A Popular Handbook on Bible Difficulties, Norman L. Geisler and Thomas Howe, 1960

    OBADIAH — If the Book of Obadiah is inspired Scripture, then why is it not quoted in the NT? (For a discussion of this question, see Ecclesiastes 1:1.) OBADIAH — Is the prophecy of Obadiah simply an...

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