In that day, declares the LORD, will I not destroy the wise men of Edom and the men of understanding in the mountains of Esau?
Parallel translations
- WEB “Won’t I in that day”, says Yahweh, “destroy the wise men out of Edom, and understanding out of the mountain of Esau?
- KJV Shall I not in that day, saith the LORD, even destroy the wise men out of Edom, and understanding out of the mount of Esau?
- NKJV “WillI not in that day,” says the Lord, “Even destroy the wise men from Edom, And understanding from the mountains of Esau?
- NASB “Will I not on that day,” declares the Lord, “Eliminate wise men from Edom, And understanding from the mountain of Esau?
- NLT At that time not a single wise person will be left in the whole land of Edom,” says the Lord. “For on the mountains of Edom I will destroy everyone who has understanding.
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
On the day of judgment God will destroy the renowned wise men and understanding of Edom.
Overview
Edom and especially the region of Teman were famed in the ancient world for wisdom, yet Yahweh declares he will abolish it. When God brings judgment, the cleverness in which a proud people trusts proves worthless against him. This anticipates the gospel reality that the wisdom of the world is folly before God, who saves through what the world counts foolish.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 6
- Isa 29:14Therefore I will again confound these people with wonder upon wonder. The wisdom of the wise will vanish, and the intelligence of the intelligent will be hidden.”
- Job 5:12–14He thwarts the schemes of the crafty, so that their hands find no success.
- Ps 33:10The LORD frustrates the plans of the nations; He thwarts the devices of the peoples.
- Isa 19:13–14The princes of Zoan have become fools; the princes of Memphis are deceived. The cornerstones of her tribes have led Egypt astray.
- Isa 19:3Then the spirit of the Egyptians will be emptied out from among them, and I will frustrate their plans, so that they will resort to idols and spirits of the dead, to mediums and spiritists.
- 1 Cor 3:19–20For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. As it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness.”
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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 1:8 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
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