Obadiah, the shortest prophetic book in the Old Testament, consists of but twenty-one verses, forming a single chapter and opening with the words, "The vision of Obadiah"—a name meaning either "worshiper" or "servant" of the Lord. Obadiah is a relatively common name but not specifically identifiable with any of the dozen or more individuals so named in the Bible. Even though the exact period when the writer of the book lived is still uncertain, he was probably a Judean seer, familiar with the difference in outlook between the Jews and the Edomites.
From Obadiah's point of view, the perennial arguments and feuds between the two groups stemmed directly from the bitter envy and jealousy that arose between the twin brothers, Jacob and Esau, children of the patriarch Isaac and his wife Rebekah.
Even within the family circle, as the Bible tells the story, there were inherent personal differences, for "Isaac loved Esau... but Rebekah loved Jacob" (Gen. 25:28). Esau became identified as Edom (literally "red" in Hebrew), the founder of the Edomite tribes. The red color so associated with Edom was later to make its ancient capital of Sela (Petra), largely built of red sandstone, famous as the rose-red city.
