The time: 586 B.C.; the place: Jerusalem; the event: the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonian armies. We see the angry soldiers as they wreck the walls, slay the people, and burn the city. But we see something else. We see a group of neighboring citizens—the Edomites—as they stand on the other side and encourage the Babylonians to ruin the city. “Raze it! Raze it!” they are calling. “Dash their little children against the stones and wipe out the Jews!” (Ps. 137:7–9) Who are these people who desire such terrible things to happen to their neighbors? They are brethren to the Jews. The Edomites were the descendants of Esau, Jacob’s older brother (Gen. 25:21–26). Esau was outwardly a much better man than scheming Jacob, yet God chose Jacob and rejected Esau. Esau moved to the mountains in the south and established the Edomite kingdom (Idumaea), but they remained enemies.[2]

since Psalm 137 places Babylon and Edom in parallel, it has seemed clear to many that in one way or another Edom was involved in the Judean disaster. Lam 4:21f, often assumed to belong shortly after 587 b.c., has been thought to give added support. Evidence that during the period of Babylonian rule Edomites may have taken over some parts of southern Judean territory would support this. [3]

Verse 9 contains two wishes for vengeance. These are the same as curses, but their result is intended to bring happiness to the avenger. In some languages it will be necessary to appeal to God as the one who will provide the reward of happiness; for example, “Let God make the person happy who does to you the bad things you did to us. Let God make the person happy who takes your babies and smashes them against a rock.”[4]

On the other hand, Edom did not oppose Babylon, and probably remained intact. Josephus notes (Ant 10.9.7 §181) that Nebuchadnezzar subjected Ammon and Moab five years after the fall of Jerusalem[5]

The end of the Edomite kingdom and monarchy may have been a result of the campaigns of Nabonidus in S Transjordan and N Arabia in the years after 552 b.c. (Lindsay 1976; Bartlett 1979: 57–58). According to the Nabonidus Chronicle, Nabonidus besieged a place called [uru A/U]du-um-mu (perhaps to be interpreted as “the city of Edom,” i.e., Bozrah). If so, Nabonidus may be responsible for the destruction, burning, and clearing of the acropolis at Buseira [6]

و مرجع اخر

 

[1] McGee, J. Vernon: Thru the Bible Commentary: The Prophets (Hosea/Joel). electronic ed. Nashville : Thomas Nelson, 1991 (Thru the Bible Commentary 27), S. 107

[3]Ackroyd, Peter R.: Obadiah, Book of. In: Freedman, David Noel (Hrsg.): The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary. New York : Doubleday, 1996, S. 5:4

[4]Bratcher, Robert G. ; Reyburn, William David: A Translator’s Handbook on the Book of Psalms. New York : United Bible Societies, 1991 (Helps for Translators), S. 1117