Abdias
(A Minor Prophet).
This name is the Greek form of the Hebrew
`Obhádhyah, which means "the servant [or worshipper] of Yahweh".
The fourth and shortest of the minor prophetical books of the Old Testament
(it contains only twenty-one verses) is ascribed to
Abdias. In the title of the book it is usually regarded as a proper
name. Some recent scholars, however, think that it should be
treated as an appellative, for, on the one hand, Holy Writ often
designates a true prophet under the appellative name of "the
servant of Yahweh", and on the other, it nowhere gives any distinct
information concerning the writer of the work ascribed to Abdias.
It is true that in the absence of such authoritative information
Jews and Christian traditions have been freely circulated to supply
its place; but it remains none the less a fact that "nothing is
known of Abdias; his family, station in life, place of birth, manner
of death, are equally unknown to us" (Abbé Trochon, Les petits
prophètes, 193). The only thing that may be inferred from the work
concerning its author is that he belonged to the Kingdom of Juda.
The short prophecy of Abdias deals almost exclusively with the fate
of Edom as is stated in its opening words. God has summoned the
nations against her. She trusts in her rocky fastnesses, but in vain.
She would be utterly destroyed, not simply spoiled as by
thieves (1-6). Her former friends and allies have turned against
her (7), and her wisdom shall fail her in this extremity (8,9). She
is justly punished for her unbrotherly conduct towards Juda when
foreigners sacked Jerusalem and cast lots over it (10-11). She is
bidden to desist from her unworthy conduct (12-14). The "day of
Yahweh" is near upon "all the nations", in whose ruin Edom shall
share under the united efforts of "the house of Jacob" and "the
house of Joseph" (16-18). As for Israel, her borders will be
enlarged in every direction; "Saviours" shall appear on Mount Sion
to "judge" the Mount of Esau, and the rule of Yahweh shall be
established (19-20).
DATE OF THE PROPHECY OF Abdias
Besides the shortness of the book
of Abdias and its lack of a detailed title such as is usually
prefixed to the prophetical writings of the Old Testament, there are
various reasons, literary and exegetical, which prevents scholars
from agreeing upon the date of its composition. Many among them
(Keil, Orelli, Vigouroux, Trochon, Lesêtre, etc.) assign its
composition to about the reign of Joram (ninth century B.C.).Their
main ground for this position is derived from Abdias's reference
(11-14) to a capture of Jerusalem which they identify with the
sacking of the Holy City by the Philistines and the Arabians under
Joram (II Paralip., xxi, 16,17). The only other seizure of
Jerusalem to which Abdias (11-14) could be understood to refer would
be that which occurred during the lifetime of the prophet Jeremias
and was effected by Nabuchodonosor (588-587 B.C.). But such
reference to this latter capture of the Jewish capital is ruled out,
we are told, by the fact that Jeremias's description of this event
(Jer., xlix, 7-22) is so worded as to betray its dependence on
Abdias (11-14) as on an earlier writing. It is ruled out also by
Abdias's silence concerning the destruction of the city or of the
Temple which was carried out by Nabuchodonosor, and which, as far as
we know, did not occur in the time of King Joram. A second argument
for this early date of the prophecy is drawn from a comparison of
its text with that of Amos and Joel. The resemblance is intimate
and, when closely examined, shows, it is claimed, that Abdias was
anterior to both Joel and Amos. In fact, in Joel, ii, 32 (Heb.,
iii, 5) "as the Lord hath said" introduces a quotation from Abdias
(17). Hence it is inferred that the prophecy of Abdias originated
between the reign of Joram and the time of Joel and Amos, that is,
about the middle of the ninth century B.C. The inference is said
also to be confirmed by the purity of style of Abdias's prophecy.
Other scholars, among whom may be mentioned Meyrick, Jahn, Ackerman,
Allioli, etc., refer the composition of the book to about the time
of the Babylonian Captivity, some three centuries after King Joram.
They think that the terms of Abdias (11-14) can be adequately
understood only of the capture of Jerusalem by Nabuchodonosor; only
this event could be spoken of as the day "when strangers carried
away his [Juda's] army captive, and foreigners entered into his
gates, and cast lots upon Jerusalem"; as "the day of his [Juda's]
leaving his country . . . . the day of their [the children of Juda's]
destruction"; "the day of their ruin"; etc. They also admit that
Abdias (20) contains an implicit reference to the writer as one of
the captives in Babylon. Others again, ascribe the present book of
Abdias to a still later date. They agree with the defenders of the
second opinion in interpreting Abdias (11-14) as referring to the
capture of Jerusalem by Nabuchodonosor, but differ from them in
holding that (20) does not really prove that the author of the book
lived during the Babylonian exile. They claim that a close study of
Abdias (15-21), with its apocalyptic features (reference to the day
of the Lord as being at hand upon all nations, to a restoration of
all Israel, to the wonderful extent of territory and position in
command which await the Jews in God's kingdom), connects necessarily
the prophecy of Abdias with other works in Jewish literature [Joel,
Daniel, Zacharias (ix-xiv)] which, as they think, belong to a date
long after the return from Babylon. These, then are the three
leading forms of opinion which prevail at the present day regarding
the date of composition of the book of Abdias, none of which
conflicts with the prophetical import of the work concerning the
utter ruin of Edom at a later date and concerning the Messianic times.
Phillippe, in Dict. de la Bible; Selbie, in Hast., Dict. of Bible,
s.v. Obadiah. Recent Commentaries: Trochon (1883); Peters (1892);
Perowne (1898); Nowack (1897).
FRANCIS E. GIGOT
Transcribed by Hilary Ho Sang
The 1913 Catholic Encyclopedia