Name
The book of Obadiah is named for its presumed author. Obadiah means “servant of the Lord.”
Author
The vision of Obadiah (v. 1), makes Obadiah the presumed author of the book. There are several (perhaps 12 or more) different Obadiah’s mentioned in the Old Testament. Nothing else is known about this Obadiah.
Genre
Prophecy (fourth of twelve books commonly referred to as the “Minor Prophets”).
Literary Form
Entirely prophetic poetry.
Time Frame
Obadiah does not specifically date the book, and since there are no internal clues, it is impossible to determine the book’s date with certainty. There are three prominent opinions: 1) during the reign of Jehoram (848-841 B.C., 2) during the reign of Ahaz (731-715 B.C.), and 3) in 585 B.C. shortly after the destruction of the temple in 586 B.C.
Most scholars’ opinions are based on their interpretation of verse 11, which refers to Jerusalem’s destruction. If they believe the verse is prophetic, they believe option 1, if they believe the verse is a historical reference, they believe option 3.
Emphasis
The emphasis of Obadiah is on the judgment to come upon the nation of Edom. The judgment comes both on Edom’s historical nation and on Edom as a representative of all nations who oppressed Israel. Once the judgment has fallen on these nations during the day of the Lord, Israel will be restored to their land.
Outline
- The prophecy of judgment against Edom  (vv. 1-9)
- Esau’s sin against Jacob (vv. 10-14)
- Judgment: The Day of the Lord (vv. 15-18)
- The restoration of Israel (vv. 19-21)
