Obadiah 1:12 (LSB)

Passage

Now do not look on your brother’s day with triumph, The day of his misfortune. And do not be glad over the sons of Judah In the day when they perish; And do not let your mouth speak great things In the day of their distress.

Nearby Context

Obadiah 1:10 “Because of violence to your brother Jacob, You will be covered with shame, And you will be cut off forever.

Obadiah 1:11 On the day that you stood aloof, On the day that strangers took his wealth captive And foreigners entered his gate And cast lots for Jerusalem— You too were as one of them.

Obadiah 1:12 Now do not look on your brother’s day with triumph, The day of his misfortune. And do not be glad over the sons of Judah In the day when they perish; And do not let your mouth speak great things In the day of their distress.

Obadiah 1:13 Do not enter the gate of My people In the day of their disaster. Indeed, you, do not look on their calamity with triumph In the day of their disaster. And do not send out for their wealth In the day of their disaster.

Obadiah 1:14 Do not stand at the fork of the road To cut down those among them who escape; And do not deliver over their survivors In the day of their distress.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "look", "brother", "triumph", "misfortune", "glad", "over", "sons", and "judah". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "look" and "brother", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 11's "On the day that you stood aloof..." into verse 13's "Do not enter the gate of My...", so "look" and "brother" belong inside that flow. In Obadiah context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "look" and "brother" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.