Behold, I have made thee small among the heathen: thou art greatly despised.
Parallel translations
- WEB Behold, I have made you small among the nations. You are greatly despised.
- BSB “Behold, I will make you small among the nations; you will be deeply despised.
- NKJV “Behold, I will make you small among the nations; You shall be greatly despised.
- NASB “Behold, I will make you small among the nations; You are greatly despised.
- NLT The Lord says to Edom, “I will cut you down to size among the nations; you will be greatly despised.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
God declares that he himself will make proud Edom small and despised among the nations, reversing her sense of greatness.
Overview
Edom trusted in her secure mountain strongholds and felt invincible, but the Lord announces that he will reduce her to insignificance. The passive verbs of human boasting give way to God's active 'I have made you,' underscoring that nations rise and fall by his hand. This humbling of the proud anticipates the gospel pattern in which God brings down the lofty and lifts up the lowly.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 8
- Isa 23:9The LORD of hosts hath purposed it, to stain the pride of all glory, and to bring into contempt all the honourable of the earth.
- Num 24:18And Edom shall be a possession, Seir also shall be a possession for his enemies; and Israel shall do valiantly.
- Luke 1:51–52He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
- Job 34:25–29Therefore he knoweth their works, and he overturneth them in the night, so that they are destroyed.
- Mic 7:10Then she that is mine enemy shall see it, and shame shall cover her which said unto me, Where is the LORD thy God? mine eyes shall behold her: now shall she be trodden down as the mire of the streets.
- Ezek 29:15It shall be the basest of the kingdoms; neither shall it exalt itself any more above the nations: for I will diminish them, that they shall no more rule over the nations.
- Ps 107:39–40Again, they are minished and brought low through oppression, affliction, and sorrow.
- 1 Sam 2:7–8The LORD maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up.
Resources, by level
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
The day of the LORD against proud Edom and the promise that 'the kingdom shall be the LORD's' anticipate the final reign of Christ over every hostile power.
How Obadiah 1:2 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.