The Meaning of Obadiah 1:12 Explained

Obadiah 1:12

KJV: But thou shouldest not have looked on the day of thy brother in the day that he became a stranger; neither shouldest thou have rejoiced over the children of Judah in the day of their destruction; neither shouldest thou have spoken proudly in the day of distress.

YLT: And -- thou dost not look on the day of thy brother, On the day of his alienation, Nor dost thou rejoice over sons of Judah, In the day of their destruction, Nor make great thy mouth in a day of distress.

Darby: But thou shouldest not have looked on the day of thy brother in the day of his disaster; neither shouldest thou have rejoiced over the children of Judah in the day of their destruction; nor have opened wide thy mouth in the day of distress.

ASV: But 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.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

But thou shouldest not have looked  on the day  of thy brother  in the day  that he became a stranger;  neither shouldest thou have rejoiced  over the children  of Judah  in the day  of their destruction;  neither shouldest thou have spoken  proudly  in the day  of distress. 

What does Obadiah 1:12 Mean?

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 1:12 mean?

But not you should have gazed on the day of your brother in the day of his captivity nor should you have rejoiced over the sons of Judah of their destruction should have spoken proudly you of distress
וְאַל־ תֵּ֤רֶא בְיוֹם־ אָחִ֙יךָ֙ בְּי֣וֹם נָכְר֔וֹ וְאַל־ תִּשְׂמַ֥ח לִבְנֵֽי־ יְהוּדָ֖ה אָבְדָ֑ם תַּגְדֵּ֥ל פִּ֖יךָ צָרָֽה

וְאַל־  But  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb
Root: אַל  
Sense: not, no, nor, neither, nothing (as wish or preference).
תֵּ֤רֶא  you  should  have  gazed 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect Jussive, second person masculine singular
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
בְיוֹם־  on  the  day  of 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
אָחִ֙יךָ֙  your  brother 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: אָח  
Sense: brother.
בְּי֣וֹם  in  the  day 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
נָכְר֔וֹ  of  his  captivity 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: נָכְרִי  
Sense: foreign, alien.
וְאַל־  nor 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb
Root: אַל  
Sense: not, no, nor, neither, nothing (as wish or preference).
תִּשְׂמַ֥ח  should  you  have  rejoiced 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: שָׂמַח  
Sense: to rejoice, be glad.
לִבְנֵֽי־  over  the  sons 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
יְהוּדָ֖ה  of  Judah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהוּדָה  
Sense: the son of Jacob by Leah.
אָבְדָ֑ם  of  their  destruction 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct, third person masculine plural
Root: אָבַד  
Sense: perish, vanish, go astray, be destroyed.
תַּגְדֵּ֥ל  should  have  spoken  proudly 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect Jussive, third person feminine singular
Root: גָּדַל  
Sense: to grow, become great or important, promote, make powerful, praise, magnify, do great things.
צָרָֽה  of  distress 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: צָרָה 
Sense: straits, distress, trouble.