The Meaning of Obadiah 1:10 Explained

Obadiah 1:10

KJV: For thy violence against thy brother Jacob shame shall cover thee, and thou shalt be cut off for ever.

YLT: For slaughter, for violence to thy brother Jacob, Cover thee doth shame, And thou hast been cut off -- to the age.

Darby: Because of violence against thy brother Jacob, shame shall cover thee, and thou shalt be cut off for ever.

ASV: For the violence done to thy brother Jacob, shame shall cover thee, and thou shalt be cut off for ever.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

For [thy] violence  against thy brother  Jacob  shame  shall cover  thee, and thou shalt be cut off  for ever. 

What does Obadiah 1:10 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Pride was not the only reason God would humble Edom. The Edomites had also cursed the people whom God had purposed to bless, the Israelites (cf. Genesis 27:40-41; Exodus 15:15; Numbers 20:14-21; Deuteronomy 2:4; Judges 11:17-18; 1 Samuel 14:47-48; 2 Samuel 8:13-14; 1 Kings 11:15-16; 1 Chronicles 18:11-13; Psalm 60; et al.). In doing this they had incurred God"s wrath ( Genesis 12:3). "Violence" (Heb. hamas) includes both moral wrong and physical brutality. This violence was especially despicable since it was against Edom"s brother, Jacob (i.e, the Israelites). Consequently, great shame would cover Edom (cf. Genesis 12:2), and God would cut her off forever (cf. Genesis 12:9).

Chapter Summary: Obadiah 1

1  The destruction of Edom,
3  for their pride,
10  and for their wrong unto Jacob
17  The salvation and victory of Jacob

What do the individual words in Obadiah 1:10 mean?

For violence against your brother Jacob shall cover you Shame and you shall be cut off forever
מֵחֲמַ֛ס אָחִ֥יךָ יַעֲקֹ֖ב תְּכַסְּךָ֣ בוּשָׁ֑ה וְנִכְרַ֖תָּ לְעוֹלָֽם

מֵחֲמַ֛ס  For  violence 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: חָמָס  
Sense: violence, wrong, cruelty, injustice.
אָחִ֥יךָ  against  your  brother 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: אָח  
Sense: brother.
יַעֲקֹ֖ב  Jacob 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יַעֲקֹב  
Sense: son of Isaac, grandson of Abraham, and father of the 2 patriarchs of the tribes of Israel.
תְּכַסְּךָ֣  shall  cover  you 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, third person feminine singular, second person masculine singular
Root: כָּסָה  
Sense: to cover, conceal, hide.
בוּשָׁ֑ה  Shame 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: בּוּשָׁה  
Sense: shame.
וְנִכְרַ֖תָּ  and  you  shall  be  cut  off 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Nifal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: כָּרַת  
Sense: to cut, cut off, cut down, cut off a body part, cut out, eliminate, kill, cut a covenant.
לְעוֹלָֽם  forever 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֹולָם  
Sense: long duration, antiquity, futurity, for ever, ever, everlasting, evermore, perpetual, old, ancient, world.