Introduction to Obadiah 1:3
Obadiah 1:3 continues the prophetic judgment against Edom, emphasizing its arrogance and false sense of security. The verse contains several significant grammatical elements, including the noun זְדֹ֤ון (zedon, “pride”), the Hifil verb הִשִּׁיאֶ֔ךָ (hishi’ekha, “has deceived you”), and the construct phrase שֹׁכְנִ֥י בְחַגְוֵי־סֶּ֖לַע (shokhni beḥagvei-sela‘, “dwelling in the clefts of the rock”). These elements highlight how Edom’s pride has led to its downfall, revealing the theological and linguistic depth of divine retribution.
זְדֹ֤ון לִבְּךָ֙ הִשִּׁיאֶ֔ךָ שֹׁכְנִ֥י בְחַגְוֵי־סֶּ֖לַע מְרֹ֣ום שִׁבְתֹּ֑ו אֹמֵ֣ר בְּלִבֹּ֔ו מִ֥י יֹורִדֵ֖נִי אָֽרֶץ׃
Analysis of Key Words/Phrases
1. זְדֹ֤ון לִבְּךָ֙ (zedon libbekha) – “The pride of your heart”
2. הִשִּׁיאֶ֔ךָ (hishi’ekha) – “Has deceived you” (Hifil verb)
3. שֹׁכְנִ֥י בְחַגְוֵי־סֶּ֖לַע (shokhni beḥagvei-sela‘) – “Dwelling in the clefts of the rock” (construct phrase)
4. מְרֹ֣ום שִׁבְתֹּ֑ו (merom shivto) – “His lofty dwelling”
5. אֹמֵ֣ר בְּלִבֹּ֔ו (omer belibo) – “Saying in his heart”
6. מִ֥י יֹורִדֵ֖נִי אָֽרֶץ (mi yorideni aretz) – “Who will bring me down to the ground?”
Explanation of Grammatical Function
1. The Construct Chain זְדֹ֤ון לִבְּךָ֙ (Zedon Libbekha)
The phrase זְדֹ֤ון לִבְּךָ֙ (zedon libbekha, “the pride of your heart”) follows a construct chain, where:
– זְדֹ֤ון (zedon, “pride, arrogance”) is the construct noun.
– לִבְּךָ֙ (libbekha, “your heart”) is the absolute noun with a pronominal suffix.
This structure indicates possessive association, meaning “the pride belonging to your heart”.
2. The Hifil Verb הִשִּׁיאֶ֔ךָ (Hishi’ekha)
The verb הִשִּׁיאֶ֔ךָ (hishi’ekha, “has deceived you”) is in the Hifil stem, which conveys causative action.
– Root: נָשָׁא (nasha’, “to deceive, mislead”).
– Hifil form: Indicates causation, meaning “has caused you to be deceived.”
– Subject: זְדֹ֤ון לִבְּךָ֙ (zedon libbekha, “the pride of your heart”).
– Object: ךָ (-kha, “you,” referring to Edom).
This verb highlights self-deception due to arrogance, implying that Edom’s downfall is rooted in its misplaced confidence.
3. The Construct Phrase שֹׁכְנִ֥י בְחַגְוֵי־סֶּ֖לַע (Shokhni Beḥagvei-Sela‘)
The phrase שֹׁכְנִ֥י בְחַגְוֵי־סֶּ֖לַע (shokhni beḥagvei-sela‘, “dwelling in the clefts of the rock”) describes Edom’s perceived security.
– שֹׁכְנִ֥י (shokhni, “dwelling”) – Qal active participle, indicating continuous habitation.
– בְחַגְוֵי־סֶּ֖לַע (beḥagvei-sela‘, “in the clefts of the rock”) – A construct chain indicating location.
This phrase reflects Edom’s geographical advantage, as it was situated in the mountainous region of Seir, providing a sense of invulnerability.
4. The Phrase מְרֹ֣ום שִׁבְתֹּ֑ו (Merom Shivto)
The phrase מְרֹ֣ום שִׁבְתֹּ֑ו (merom shivto, “his lofty dwelling”) further describes Edom’s self-perceived security.
– מְרֹ֣ום (merom, “height, exaltation”) – Suggests elevated status or location.
– שִׁבְתֹּ֑ו (shivto, “his dwelling”) – Noun with 3rd person masculine singular suffix (“his dwelling place”).
This parallelism reinforces the theme of false security.
5. The Indirect Speech אֹמֵ֣ר בְּלִבֹּ֔ו (Omer Belibo)
The phrase אֹמֵ֣ר בְּלִבֹּ֔ו (omer belibo, “saying in his heart”) introduces inner speech.
– אֹמֵ֣ר (omer, “saying”) – Qal active participle, indicating ongoing thought.
– בְּלִבֹּ֔ו (belibo, “in his heart”) – A prepositional phrase indicating internal reflection.
This phrase reveals Edom’s internal arrogance, thinking itself beyond the reach of divine judgment.
6. The Rhetorical Question מִ֥י יֹורִדֵ֖נִי אָֽרֶץ (Mi Yorideni Aretz)
The question מִ֥י יֹורִדֵ֖נִי אָֽרֶץ (mi yorideni aretz, “Who will bring me down to the ground?”) is rhetorical, expressing Edom’s false sense of security.
– מִי (mi, “who”) – Interrogative pronoun.
– יֹורִדֵ֖נִי (yorideni, “will bring me down”) – Hifil imperfect 3rd person masculine singular of יָרַד (yarad, “to go down”), with a 1st person singular object suffix.
– אָֽרֶץ (aretz, “earth, ground”) – Expresses humiliation and defeat.
Edom assumes no power can humble it, but this assumption is ironically refuted in the following verses.
The Role of Deception and False Security in Divine Judgment
Obadiah 1:3 highlights Edom’s arrogance through its pride (זְדֹ֤ון לִבְּךָ֙), false security (שֹׁכְנִ֥י בְחַגְוֵי־סֶּ֖לַע), and self-deception (הִשִּׁיאֶ֔ךָ). The Hifil verb form emphasizes that Edom’s pride has actively caused its downfall, while the rhetorical question מִ֥י יֹורִדֵ֖נִי אָֽרֶץ underscores its misplaced confidence.
