Obadiah 1:5
If thieves came to thee, if robbers by night, (how art thou cut off!) would they not have stolen till they had enough? if the grapegatherers came to thee, would they not leave [some] grapes?
If thieves {H1590} came {H935} to thee, if robbers {H7703} by night {H3915},(how {H349} art thou cut off {H1820}!) would they not have stolen {H1589} till they had enough {H1767}? if the grapegatherers {H1219} came {H935} to thee, would they not leave {H7604} some grapes {H5955}?
If thieves were to come to you, or if robbers by night (Oh, how destroyed you are!), wouldn't they stop when they'd stolen enough? If grape-pickers came to you, Wouldn't they leave some grapes for gleaning?
“If thieves came to you, if robbers by night— oh, how you will be ruined— would they not steal only what they wanted? If grape gatherers came to you, would they not leave some gleanings?
If thieves came to thee, if robbers by night (how art thou cut off!), would they not steal only till they had enough? if grape-gatherers came to thee, would they not leave some gleaning grapes?
Cross-References
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Jeremiah 49:9 (5 votes)
If grapegatherers come to thee, would they not leave [some] gleaning grapes? if thieves by night, they will destroy till they have enough. -
Deuteronomy 24:21 (5 votes)
When thou gatherest the grapes of thy vineyard, thou shalt not glean [it] afterward: it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow. -
Isaiah 17:6 (3 votes)
¶ Yet gleaning grapes shall be left in it, as the shaking of an olive tree, two [or] three berries in the top of the uppermost bough, four [or] five in the outmost fruitful branches thereof, saith the LORD God of Israel. -
Lamentations 1:1 (2 votes)
¶ How doth the city sit solitary, [that was] full of people! [how] is she become as a widow! she [that was] great among the nations, [and] princess among the provinces, [how] is she become tributary! -
Isaiah 14:12 (2 votes)
How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! [how] art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! -
2 Samuel 1:19 (2 votes)
The beauty of Israel is slain upon thy high places: how are the mighty fallen! -
Jeremiah 50:23 (2 votes)
How is the hammer of the whole earth cut asunder and broken! how is Babylon become a desolation among the nations!
Commentary
Obadiah 1:5 KJV
This verse employs a striking comparison to emphasize the totality of the judgment coming upon Edom. The prophet Obadiah contrasts the typical behavior of thieves or grapegatherers with the complete destruction that Edom will face.
When thieves or robbers raid, they usually take what they need or can carry, but they don't necessarily strip a place bare of absolutely everything. Similarly, when vintagers harvest a vineyard, they gather the main crop, but they traditionally leave some grapes behind for the poor and gleaners (see Leviticus 19:10).
The rhetorical questions highlight this contrast: even these common raiders or harvesters leave something. But the judgment on Edom, described parenthetically as "how art thou cut off!", will be far more severe. It implies a complete and utter devastation, a stripping away so thorough that nothing of value will remain.
The key message is that God's judgment on Edom, due to their pride and cruelty towards Israel, would be more devastating and complete than any human plundering. It speaks to the severity and finality of divine justice when it falls.
This verse is very similar to the prophecy against Edom found in Jeremiah 49:9.
Please note that only the commentary section is AI-generated — the main Scripture and cross-references are stored on the site and are from trusted and verified sources.