Bottom Line The pride of your heart has deceived you… I will bring you down, says the Lord… and [they/you] shall be as though [they/you] had never been. –Obadiah 1:3a, 4b, 16b The book of Obadiah is the shortest book in the Old Testament with only 21 verses so you may as well read the whole book. The following notes may help you appreciate the elegance and complexity of the book as well as the dire consequences of one particular trait common to us humans. Obadiah is an example of Hebrew poetry which is different from western poetry with our well known rhyming and metered structure. Hebrew poetry is characterized by parallels and repeated themes rather than meter and rhymes. Obadiah has four stanzas parsed into verses 1-2, 3-14, 15-16, and 17-21. Additionally, Biblical Hebrew, the original language of Obadiah, has only two verb tenses which express action, unlike the past, present, and future tenses in English which are timing tenses. In Biblical Hebrew the perfect tense is used for a completed action. The imperfect tense is used for actions that are in process but not completed (like our present tense) and actions that haven’t started yet (like our future tense). Considering the Hebrew action tenses when reading the English translation of Obadiah, which uses all three English timing tenses, provides interesting perspective on how Obadiah’s prophecy unfolds. Obadiah is packed with intricate details and sweeping prophesy. Nevertheless, the main message from Obadiah and the thing that “ticks God off” is pride that supplants God’s rightful place in our hearts. Finally, the last stanza (verses 17-21) proclaims a dramatic prophecy about the end times and the fate of the Jews.