Bible Strands
Obadiah 1:20
And the exiles of this host of the Israelites will possess the land of the Canaanites as far as Zarephath; and the exiles from Jerusalem who are in Sepharad will possess the cities of the Negev.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The prophet Obadiah delivers this oracle concerning the judgment of Edom and the restoration of Israel, placing the promise within the immediate sequence of tribal land reclamation in Obadiah 1:19–21.
The words — The Hebrew וְגָלֻת (ve-galut) translates literally as "and the exiles," while עַד (ad) means "to" or "as far as," defining the northern boundary of the reclaimed territory.
The thread — The mention of Zarephath links to 1 Kings 17:9 and Luke 4:26 as a Sidonian location, while the pattern of displaced Israelites reclaiming territory parallels the land transactions and restoration themes in Jeremiah 32:44.
Why it lands — The text states that exiles from Israel and Jerusalem will occupy former Canaanite and Negev lands. It requires the reader to acknowledge that the downfall of Edom directly enables Israel's territorial restoration, which culminates in the declaration that the kingdom belongs to the LORD.
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
King James Version
And the captivity of this host of the children of Israel shall possess that of the Canaanites, even unto Zarephath; and the captivity of Jerusalem, which is in Sepharad, shall possess the cities of the south.
Cross-references
- 1 Kings 17:9 “Get up and go to Zarephath of Sidon, and stay there. Behold, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.”
- Luke 4:26 Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to the widow of Zarephath in Sidon.
- Jeremiah 32:44 Fields will be purchased with silver, and deeds will be signed, sealed, and witnessed in the land of Benjamin, in the areas surrounding Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah—the cities of the hill country, the foothills, and the Negev—because I will restore them from captivity, declares the LORD.”
- Jeremiah 33:13 In the cities of the hill country, the foothills, and the Negev, in the land of Benjamin and the cities surrounding Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, the flocks will again pass under the hands of the one who counts them, says the LORD.
- Jeremiah 3:18 In those days the house of Judah will walk with the house of Israel, and they will come together from the land of the north to the land that I gave to your fathers as an inheritance.
- Jeremiah 13:19 The cities of the Negev have been shut tight, and no one can open them. All Judah has been carried into exile, wholly taken captive.
- Jeremiah 33:26 then I would also reject the descendants of Jacob and of My servant David, so as not to take from his descendants rulers over the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. For I will restore them from captivity and will have compassion on them.”
- Ezekiel 34:12 As a shepherd looks for his scattered sheep when he is among the flock, so I will look for My flock. I will rescue them from all the places to which they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness.
- Hosea 1:10 Yet the number of the Israelites will be like the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured or counted. And it will happen that in the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not My people,’ they will be called ‘sons of the living God.’
- Amos 9:14 I will restore My people Israel from captivity; they will rebuild and inhabit the ruined cities. They will plant vineyards and drink their wine; they will make gardens and eat their fruit.