Obadiah 1:4

THE MESSAGE

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Though you seem to soar like an eagleand make your nest among the stars,even from there I will bring you down.

Hebrew Names Version
Though you mount on high as the eagle, and though your nest is set among the stars, I will bring you down from there, says the LORD.

King James Version (1611)
Though thou exalt thy selfe as the eagle, and though thou set thy nest among the starres, thence will I bring thee downe, saith the Lord.

King James Version
Though thou exalt thyself as the eagle, and though thou set thy nest among the stars, thence will I bring thee down, saith the Lord .

English Standard Version
Though you soar aloft like the eagle, though your nest is set among the stars, from there I will bring you down, declares the Lord .

New American Standard Bible
"Though you make your home high like the eagle, Though you set your nest among the stars, From there I will bring you down," declares the LORD.

New Century Version
Even if you fly high like the eagle and make your nest among the stars, I will bring you down from there," says the Lord .

Amplified Bible
"Though you build [your nest] on high like the eagle, Though you set your nest among the stars, I will bring you down from there," says the LORD.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Though thou exalt thy selfe as the egle, and make thy nest among the starres, thence will I bring thee downe, sayth the Lord.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Though you build high like the eagle, Though you set your nest among the stars, From there I will bring you down," declares the LORD.

Legacy Standard Bible
Though you build loftily like the eagle,Though you set your nest among the stars,From there I will bring you down," declares Yahweh.

Berean Standard Bible
Though you soar like the eagle and make your nest among the stars, even from there I will bring you down," declares the LORD.

Contemporary English Version
I will still bring you down, even if you fly higher than an eagle or nest among the stars. I, the Lord , have spoken!

Complete Jewish Bible
If you make your nest as high as an eagle's, even if you place it among the stars, I will bring you down from there." says Adonai .

Darby Translation
Though thou exalt thyself as the eagle, and though thou set thy nest among the stars, thence will I bring thee down, saith Jehovah.

Easy-to-Read Version
This is what the Lord says: "Even though you fly high like the eagle and put your nest among the stars, I will bring you down from there.

George Lamsa Translation
Though you rise high like the eagle, and though your nest is set among the stars, thence I will bring you down, says the LORD.

Good News Translation
Even though you make your home as high as an eagle's nest, so that it seems to be among the stars, yet I will pull you down.

Lexham English Bible
Even if you soar like the eagle, even if your nest is set among the stars, from there I will bring you down!" declares Yahweh:

Literal Translation
Though you rise high as the eagle, and though you set your nest between the stars, I will bring you down from there, declares Jehovah.

American Standard Version
Though thou mount on high as the eagle, and though thy nest be set among the stars, I will bring thee down from thence, saith Jehovah.

Bible in Basic English
Though you go up on high like an eagle, though your house is placed among the stars, I will make you come down from there, says the Lord.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
Though thou make thy nest as high as the eagle, and though thou set it among the stars, I will bring thee down from thence, saith the LORD.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Yea though thou exalt thy selfe as the egle, and make they nest among the starres, thence wil I bring thee downe, sayth the Lorde.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
If thou shouldest mount up as the eagle, and if thou shouldest make thy nest among the stars, thence will I bring thee down, saith the Lord.

English Revised Version
Though thou mount on high as the eagle, and though thy nest be set among the stars, I will bring thee down from thence, saith the LORD.

World English Bible
Though you mount on high as the eagle, and though your nest is set among the stars, I will bring you down from there, says Yahweh.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Thouy thou schalt be reisid as an egle, and thouy thou schalt putte thi nest among sterris, fro thennus Y schal drawe thee doun, seith the Lord.

Update Bible Version
Though you mount on high as the eagle, and though your nest is set among the stars, I will bring you down from there, says Yahweh.

Webster's Bible Translation
Though thou shalt exalt [thyself] as the eagle, and though thou shalt set thy nest among the stars, thence will I bring thee down, saith the LORD.

New English Translation
Even if you were to soar high like an eagle, even if you were to make your nest among the stars, I can bring you down even from there!" says the Lord .

New King James Version
Though you ascend as high as the eagle, And though you set your nest among the stars, From there I will bring you down," says the LORD.

New Living Translation
But even if you soar as high as eagles and build your nest among the stars, I will bring you crashing down," says the Lord .

New Life Bible
Even when you build your home as high as the eagle, and make your nest among the stars, I will bring you down from there," says the Lord.

New Revised Standard
Though you soar aloft like the eagle, though your nest is set among the stars, from there I will bring you down, says the Lord .

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Though thou build high like an eagle, and though, among the stars, thou set thy nest, from thence, will I bring thee down, Declareth Yahweh.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Though thou be exalted as an eagle, and though thou set thy nest among the stars: thence will I bring thee down, saith the Lord.

Revised Standard Version
Though you soar aloft like the eagle, though your nest is set among the stars, thence I will bring you down, says the LORD.

Young's Literal Translation
If thou dost go up high as an eagle, And if between stars thou dost set thy nest, From thence I bring thee down, An affirmation of Jehovah.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
But though thou wentest vp as hye as the Aegle, and maydest thy nest aboue amonge the starres: yet wolde I plucke the downe from thece.

Contextual Overview

¹ Obadiah's Message to Edom from God , the Master. We got the news straight from God by a special messenger sent out to the godless nations: "On your feet, prepare for battle; get ready to make war on Edom! ²"Listen to this, Edom: I'm turning you to a no-account, the runt of the godless nations, despised. You thought you were so great, perched high among the rocks, king of the mountain, Thinking to yourself, ‘Nobody can get to me! Nobody can touch me!' Think again. Even if, like an eagle, you hang out on a high cliff-face, Even if you build your nest in the stars, I'll bring you down to earth." God 's sure Word. ⁵"If thieves crept up on you, they'd rob you blind—isn't that so? If they mugged you on the streets at night, they'd pick you clean—isn't that so? Oh, they'll take Esau apart, piece by piece, empty his purse and pockets. All your old partners will drive you to the edge. Your old friends will lie to your face. Your old drinking buddies will stab you in the back. Your world will collapse. You won't know what hit you. So don't be surprised"—it's God 's sure Word!— "when I wipe out all sages from Edom and rid the Esau mountains of its famous wise men. Your great heroes will desert you, Teman. There'll be nobody left in Esau's mountains. Because of the murderous history compiled against your brother Jacob, You will be looked down on by everyone. You'll lose your place in history. On that day you stood there and didn't do anything. Strangers took your brother's army into exile. Godless foreigners invaded and pillaged Jerusalem. You stood there and watched. You were as bad as they were. You shouldn't have gloated over your brother when he was down-and-out. You shouldn't have laughed and joked at Judah's sons when they were facedown in the mud. You shouldn't have talked so big when everything was so bad. You shouldn't have taken advantage of my people when their lives had fallen apart. You of all people should not have been amused by their troubles, their wrecked nation. You shouldn't have taken the shirt off their back when they were knocked flat, defenseless. And you shouldn't have stood waiting at the outskirts and cut off refugees, And traitorously turned in helpless survivors who had lost everything.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

exalt: Job 20:6, Job 20:7, Job 39:27, Job 39:28, Jeremiah 49:16, Habakkuk 2:9

among: Isaiah 14:12-15, Jeremiah 51:53, Amos 9:2

Reciprocal: 1 Kings 20:32 - Thy servant Job 29:18 - I shall die Job 40:11 - behold Psalms 101:5 - an high Psalms 104:17 - the birds Psalms 108:10 - who will lead Psalms 139:8 - I ascend Proverbs 16:18 - General Isaiah 16:6 - have Isaiah 47:1 - down Jeremiah 21:13 - Who Jeremiah 22:23 - makest Jeremiah 48:28 - leave Jeremiah 49:4 - Who Jeremiah 49:8 - dwell Matthew 11:23 - which art Mark 7:22 - pride Luke 10:15 - which Revelation 4:7 - a flying

Cross-References

Genesis 1:31
God looked over everything he had made; it was so good, so very good! It was evening, it was morning— Day Six.

Ecclesiastes 11:7
Oh, how sweet the light of day, And how wonderful to live in the sunshine! Even if you live a long time, don't take a single day for granted. Take delight in each light-filled hour, Remembering that there will also be many dark days And that most of what comes your way is smoke.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Though thou exaltest [thyself] as the eagle,.... That soars aloft, flies on high, even out of sight, higher than any other bird does: or, "exaltest thy habitation"; and makest it as high as the eagle's nest; see Jeremiah 49:16;

and though thou set thy nest among the stars; even higher than the eagle's; an hyperbolical expression, supposing that which never was or can be done; yet, if it was possible, would not secure from danger: or should their castles and fortresses be built upon the top of the highest mountains, which seem to reach the heavens, and be among the stars:

thence will I bring thee down, saith the Lord; this is said in answer to the question put, or bold challenge made, in Obadiah 1:3; if men cannot do it, God will; and, if he employs instruments to effect it, it shall be done by them; all seeming difficulties are easily surmounted by an omnipotent Being; what are the heights of mountains, or the strength of fortresses, to him? thus the whore of Rome sits upon seven mountains, and mystical Babylon reigns over the kings of the earth; yet shall be thrown down and found no more, for the Lord is strong that judgeth her, Revelation 17:9.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Though thou exalt thyself as the eagle - (or, thy nest) The eagle builds its nest in places nearly inaccessible to man. The Edomites were a race of eagles. It is not the language of poetry or exaggeration; but is poetic, because so true. “And though thou set thy nest in the stars.” This is men’s language, strange as it is. “I shall touch the stars with my crown;” “I shall strike the stars with my lofty crown;” “since I have touched heaven with my lance.” As Job says Job 20:6-7, “Though his excellency mount up to the heavens and his head reacheth unto the clouds,” yet,” he shall perish forever, like his own dung.” And Isaiah to the king of Babylon, the type of Anti Christ and of the Evil one Isaiah 14:13, Isaiah 14:11, “Thou hast said in thy heart, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; thy pomp is brought down to the grave, the worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee” . “The pagan saw this. AEsop, when asked, what doeth God? said, ‘He humbles the proud and exalts the humble.’ And another , ‘whom morning’s dawn beholdeth proud, The setting sun beholdeth bowed. ‘“

“They who boast of being Christians, and are on that ground self-satisfied, promising themselves eternal life, and thinking that they need not fear Hell, because they are Christians and hold the faith of the Apostles, while their lives are altogether alien from Christianity, are such Edomites, priding themselves because they dwell in clefts of the rocks. For it sufficeth not to believe what Christ and the apostles taught, unless thou do what they commanded. These spiritual Edomites, from a certain love or some fear of future torments, are moved by grief for sin, and give themselves to repentance, fastings, almsgiving, which is no other than to enter the clefts of the rocks; because they imitate the works of Christ and the Italy apostles who are called rocks, like those to whom John said, Matthew 3:7. “O ye generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?”

But, since they have no humility, they become thereby the more inflated with pride, and the more of such works they do, the more pleasures they allow themselves, and become daily the prouder and the wickeder. “The pride” then “of” their “heart deceiveth” them, because they seem in many things to follow the deeds of the holy, and they fear no enemies, as though they “dwelt in clefts of the rocks.” They exalt their throne, in that, through the shadow of lofty deeds, they seem to have many below them, mount as high as they can, and place themselves, where they think they need fear no peril. But to them the Lord saith, “Though thou exalt thyself as the eagle - thence will I bring thee down.” For, however exalted they be, and however they seem good and great, they are “brought down to the ground” and out from the caverns of the rocks, wherein they deemed that they dwelt securely, in that they lapse into overt shameful sin; from where all perceive, what they were then too, when they were thought to be righteous.

And striking is it, that they are compared to “eagles.” For although the eagle fly aloft, yet thence, it looks to the earth and the carcasses and animals which it would devour, as Job writes of it Job 39:28-30, “She dwelleth and abideth upon the rock, upon the crag of the rock, and the strong place. From thence she seeketh the prey; her eyes behold afar off; her young ones also suck up blood, and where the slain are, there is she.” So these, while they pretend perfection, never turn their eyes away from earthly goods, always casting them on honors, or wealth, or pleasure, without which they count life to be no life. Well, too, is it called their nest. For, toil how they may, in seeking an assured, restful, security of life, yet, what they build, is a nest made of hay and stubble, constructed with great toil, but lightly destroyed. This security of rest they lose, when they are permitted, by the just judgment of God, to fall into uncleanness, ambition or foulest sins, and are deprived of the glory which they unjustly gained, and their folly becomes manifest to all. Of such, among the apostles, was the traitor Judas. But the rich too and the mighty of this world, although they think that their possessions and what, with great toil, they have gained, when they have raised themselves above others, are most firm, it is but that nest which they have placed among the stars, soon to be dissipated by wind and rain.”

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Obadiah 1:4. Though thou exalt thyself as the eagle — Though like this bird thou get into the highest cliff of the highest rock, it will not avail thee. To defend thee, when Jehovah has determined thy destruction, thy deepest caves and highest rocks will be equally useless. See Jeremiah 49:16.