The descendants of Esau, known as the Edomites, are central to the prophecy of Obadiah, who expresses a deep sadness and lament for their rebellion against God. Despite a faint hope that some might heed the warning and change, the prophecy foretells their complete destruction. Obadiah grieves over the harsh fate awaiting Edom, as depicted in verses 5-6, where their wealth will be utterly ransacked, leaving nothing behind, even hidden treasures pillaged by invaders. The prophet's empathetic tone is evident in his expressions of grief, such as "Oh, how you will be cut off!" and "Oh, how Esau will be searched out!" Beyond material loss, Edom will also suffer the removal of their renowned wisdom and understanding, as highlighted in verses 7-8. Historically known for sagacity in the region, their loss of counsel and common sense will be a profound punishment, leaving them blind to the betrayal by their allies and confederates. This betrayal will go unrecognized, as their eyes are clouded to the treachery surrounding them. Consequently, in verse 9, the Edomite leaders and warriors will lose their courage, leading to their annihilation. The root of Edom's downfall lies in their perpetual hatred, a fundamental flaw stemming from pride and Esau's lingering resentment over not receiving his father's wealth and blessings. This hatred became a defining trait of Edomite character, manifesting in historical acts of violence against Judah, particularly during the Babylonian conquest in 586 BC, where they joined forces with Nebuchadnezzar and committed atrocities. Other prophets, including Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Joel, and Amos, corroborate this record of Edom's cruelty against God's chosen people. Obadiah warns that this anti-Israel behavior will persist until God intervenes in the last days, promising that they shall be cut off forever for their heinous acts.

The descendants of Esau, known as the Edomites, are central to the prophetic message in Obadiah, where God emphasizes a specific time of judgment through the repeated phrase "in the day." This period, introduced as "in that day," marks a time when Edom's allies betray them, and their wise men, destroyed by God's hand, fail to perceive the trap set for them. God specifies that this day belongs not to Edom but to their brother Jacob, a time of distress, calamity, captivity, and destruction. Ultimately, it aligns with the Day of the Lord, a time near at hand when human history culminates in rebellion against God, and He intervenes to resolve the chaos. During this end time, the Edomites will egregiously gloat over Israel's misfortune, prompting God to decree that as they have done, so it shall be done to them, ensuring no survivor remains of the house of Esau. God identifies the Edomites' great sin as violence against their brother Jacob, detailing their transgressions in acts of hostility toward Israel. The warnings are directed at the Edomites alive during this distressing day, when they may lack significant power over Israel but retain the ability to mock, pillage, and exploit weaknesses through acts like suicidal terrorist attacks. Though God will strip them of wealth, wisdom, and courage, their gloating over Israel's fall will persist until His intervention. In the Day of the Lord, following the Great Tribulation, God proclaims that Edom shall drink the wine of His wrath, adhering to the principle of retribution: as they have done, it shall be done to them. Their reprisal will return upon their own heads for drinking in gloating over Israel on God's holy mountain, a behavior possibly recurring in historical captures of Jerusalem and current restrictions on the Temple Mount. God's retaliation will be severe, ensuring that Edom and its confederates drink until they are as though they had never been, wiped from the face of the earth in His day of vengeance.

Esau, the elder son of Isaac, received a prophecy in Genesis 27:39-40 that foretold a challenging future for his descendants. They would dwell in lands far from fertility and abundant rain, live in near-constant conflict, and generally serve the offspring of Jacob, except during brief periods of rebellion. Esau, harboring intense hatred for Jacob after the theft of the patriarchal blessing, chose to relocate rather than remain under his brother's future authority in Canaan. As recorded in Genesis 36:6, Esau took his wives, sons, daughters, household, cattle, animals, and goods, and moved to a country away from Jacob. This migration happened sometime between Isaac's blessing and Jacob's return to Canaan in Genesis 33. During the twenty years of Jacob's absence, as noted in Genesis 31:38, Esau settled his family in the land of Seir, the country of Edom, a mountainous region east of Sinai between the Dead Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba, as mentioned in Genesis 32:3. In this short time, Esau amassed a following of 400 men, as seen in Genesis 32:6 and 33:1. These men were not all direct descendants or servants but likely included Horites, relatives of Esau's wife Aholibamah, who was connected to the Horite inhabitants of Seir, according to Genesis 36:2, 8, 20, and 24. Esau's move to Seir meant living among his wife's aristocratic family, as indicated in Genesis 36:29-30. Later, as recorded in Deuteronomy 2:12, the descendants of Esau, known as Edomites, grew strong and numerous, dispossessing and destroying the Horites from Seir, taking their place just as Israel did with their own land of possession. Due to blood ties and this conquest, Esau's descendants became identified with Seir, Edom, and other names. In the end-time prophecy of the book of Obadiah, the shortest in the Old Testament, Edomites are still depicted as living in the dry, barren, rocky area east of the Jordan, south of the Dead Sea. Obadiah 1 reveals God sending a messenger among the nations to rise against Edom, with God Himself decreeing their downfall in Obadiah 2, aiming to humble their pride, as expressed in Obadiah 3-4, no matter how invincible they consider themselves in their impregnable territory.