7. Men of thy confederacy--that is, thy confederates.
brought thee . . . to the border--that is, when Idumean ambassadors
shall go to confederate states seeking aid, these latter shall conduct
them with due ceremony to their border, giving them empty compliments,
but not the aid required
[DRUSIUS]. This view agrees with the context,
which speaks of false friends deceiving Edom: that is, failing to
give help in need (compare
Job 6:14, 15).
CALVIN translates, "have driven," that is,
shall drive thee; shall help to drive thee to thy border
on thy way into captivity in foreign lands.
the men that were at peace with thee--literally, "the men of thy
peace." Compare
Ps 41:9;
Jer 38:22,
Margin, where also the same formula occurs, "prevailed against
thee."
they that eat thy bread--the poorer tribes of the desert who
subsisted on the bounty of Edom. Compare again
Ps 41:9,
which seems to have been before Obadiah's mind, as his words were
before Jeremiah's.
have laid a wound under thee--"laid" implies that their intimacy
was used as a SNARE laid with a view to
wound; also, these guest friends of Edom, instead of the cushions
ordinarily laid under guests at table, laid snares to
wound, that is, had a secret understanding with Edom's foe for that
purpose. MAURER translates, "a snare." But
English Version agrees with the Hebrew, which means,
literally, "a bandage for a wound."
none understanding--none of the wisdom for which Edom was famed (see
Ob 8)
to extricate him from his perilous position.
in him--instead of "in thee." The change implies the alienation of
God from Edom: Edom has so estranged himself from God, that He speaks
now of him, not to him.
JFB.
Picture Study Bible