Obadiah 1:2 (LSB)

Passage

“Behold, I will make you small among the nations; You are greatly despised.

Nearby Context

Obadiah 1:1 The vision of Obadiah. Thus says Lord Yahweh concerning Edom— We have heard a report from Yahweh, And an envoy has been sent among the nations saying, “Arise! And let us arise against her for battle”—

Obadiah 1:2 “Behold, I will make you small among the nations; You are greatly despised.

Obadiah 1:3 The arrogance of your heart has deceived you, You who dwell in the clefts of the cliff, In the height of your habitation, Who says in his heart, ‘Who will bring me down to earth?’

Obadiah 1:4 Though you build loftily like the eagle, Though you set your nest among the stars, From there I will bring you down,” declares Yahweh.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "behold", "make", "small", "nations", "greatly", and "despised". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "behold" and "make", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 1's "The vision of Obadiah Thus says Lord..." into verse 3's "The arrogance of your heart has deceived...", so "behold" and "make" 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 "behold" and "make" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.