Bible Strands

Obadiah 1:13

You should not enter the gate of My people in the day of their disaster, nor gloat over their affliction in the day of their disaster, nor loot their wealth in the day of their disaster.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — God addresses a neighboring nation regarding Judah’s day of disaster, issuing commands during the city’s military collapse. The words — The Hebrew אַל־תָּבֹא ('al-taVo) literally means "may not you go," and תֵּרֶא (tere) means "you look," establishing the prohibition against entering the gate or gazing at the calamity. The thread — This warning against exploiting another’s ruin parallels Ezekiel 35:5 and Zechariah 1:15, where God opposes those who add to a neighbor’s disaster. Why it lands — The text commands the reader to refrain from entering the enemy’s gate, watching their suffering, or taking their wealth, demanding active restraint rather than opportunistic celebration.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

אַל־'al-may notתָּב֤וֹאta.Vo'you goבְשַֽׁעַר־ve./sha.'ar-in/ [the] gate ofעַמִּי֙'a.M/ipeople/ myבְּי֣וֹםbe./Yomon/ [the] day ofאֵידָ֔ם'ei.Da/mdisaster/ theirאַל־'al-may notתֵּ֧רֶאTe.re'you lookגַם־gam-alsoאַתָּ֛ה'a.Tahyouבְּרָעָת֖וֹbe./ra.'a.T/oon/ calamity/ hisבְּי֣וֹםbe./Yomon/ [the] day ofאֵיד֑וֹ'ei.D/odisaster/ hisוְאַל־ve./'al-and/ may notתִּשְׁלַ֥חְנָהtish.Lach.nahyou stretch outבְחֵיל֖וֹve./chei.L/oon/ wealth/ hisבְּי֥וֹםbe./Yomon/ [the] day ofאֵידֽוֹ׃'ei.D/odisaster/ his

King James Version

Thou shouldest not have entered into the gate of my people in the day of their calamity; yea, thou shouldest not have looked on their affliction in the day of their calamity, nor have laid hands on their substance in the day of their calamity;

Cross-references