A sadness permeates Obadiah's prophecy against Edom, reflecting a lament for a people caught in rebellion against God. There is a fleeting hope that some Edomites might heed the warning and turn from the foretold path. Yet, the judgment is severe; Edom will not merely be defeated but annihilated. Obadiah describes a complete ransacking, where nothing will be left, not even hidden treasures, as if thieves stripped everything to the bare walls. The prophet expresses grief over this fate, using expressions of heartache like "Oh, how you will be cut off!" and "Oh, how Esau shall be searched out!" The punishment extends beyond material loss. Edom, historically known for wisdom and counsel, will see these qualities stripped away. Their allies will betray them, and the Edomites will remain unaware of the treachery, blinded to their peril. This loss of understanding will lead to a collapse of courage among their leaders and warriors, resulting in their total destruction. Edom's fundamental flaw is hatred, rooted in pride and a longstanding grudge against their brother, Israel. This hatred manifested in violence, notably during the fall of Judah in 586 BC, when Edom joined Babylonian forces and committed atrocities against the defenseless. God takes great offense at Edom's actions, promising through Obadiah and other prophets that they shall be cut off forever. The evidence shows Edom's persistent hostility toward Israel and Judah, a crime spree that will continue until God intervenes in the last days. Edom will reap what they have sown, facing desolation and perpetual judgment for their violence and cruelty.

God, in the prophetic book of Obadiah, emphasizes a specific time of judgment for Edom through repetitive phrases like "in the day" and "on the day," signaling a period when the Edomites' iniquity reaches its peak, sealing their fate. In Obadiah 8, God introduces this time as "in that day," when Edom's allies betray them with a cunning snare they fail to perceive, partly because God has destroyed their wise men who might have discerned the trap. Subsequent verses clarify that this day belongs not to Edom, but to their brother Jacob, marked by distress, calamity, captivity, and destruction. In Obadiah 15, God declares that the day of the Lord upon all nations is near, a time when Edom's past gloating over Israel's misfortune will recur most egregiously, prompting God to decree, "As you have done, it shall be done to you," ensuring no survivor remains of the house of Esau. Obadiah 10 identifies Edom's great sin as violence against their brother Jacob, with following verses detailing their transgressions. The warnings in Obadiah 12-14 target Edomites alive during this distressing day, when they may lack significant power over Israel but still mock, pillage, and exploit weaknesses. God states in Obadiah 6-9 that He will strip Edom of wealth, wisdom, and courage, yet they will continue to gloat at Israel's fall. In Obadiah 15-16, God proclaims that Edom shall drink the wine of His wrath in the Day of the Lord, a time of retribution where their reprisal returns upon their own head. God warns that they will drink until they are as though they had never been, a dire threat of being wiped from existence for their actions, including drinking in feasting and gloating over Israel during past captures of Jerusalem and possibly in the present control over the Temple Mount area.

Esau, the elder son of Isaac, received a prophecy in Genesis 27:39-40 that foretold a harsh future for his descendants, dwelling in barren lands with little rain, living in conflict, and serving Jacob's offspring with rare moments of rebellion. Choosing to avoid his brother's future authority in Canaan, Esau moved his family and possessions to a country away from Jacob, as noted in Genesis 36:6. During the twenty years of Jacob's absence, Esau relocated southeastward to the mountainous region of Seir, the country of Edom, east of Sinai between the Dead Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba, as mentioned in Genesis 32:3. There, he amassed a following of 400 men, likely including Horites, relatives of his wife Aholibamah, who were native to Seir, according to Genesis 36:2, 8, 20, and 24. Over time, as recorded in Deuteronomy 2:12, the descendants of Esau, known as Edomites, dispossessed and destroyed the Horites, taking their place in Seir, and thus became identified as both Seir and Edom. In the book of Obadiah, the shortest in the Old Testament, a continuous prophecy addresses Edom, focusing on the sibling rivalry with Israel and its end-time resolution. Edomites are depicted as still inhabiting the dry, barren, rocky area east of the Jordan and south of the Dead Sea. Obadiah 1 reveals that God has sent a messenger among the nations to rise against Edom, orchestrating a military alliance to bring her down, as God is the prime mover of world affairs with a purpose to deflate Edom's pride. Obadiah 2 emphasizes that it is God's decree to humble Edom, using nations as agents to fulfill His will. The root of Edom's issue, as stated in Obadiah 3, is the pride of her heart, bolstered by the impregnable geography of her territory, making her feel invincible. This pride, likened to boiling or seething, connects back to Esau's heated anger, a trait passed to his descendants. God challenges this arrogance in Obadiah 4, declaring that no matter how high Edom considers herself, from there He will bring her down.