Obadiah 1:6 — Word Study
WLCאֵ֚יךְ נֶחְפְּשׂ֣וּ עֵשָׂ֔ו נִבְע֖וּ מַצְפֻּנָֽיו׃
BSABut howʼêyk [in what manner, to what extent] EsauʻÊsâv [the hairy one] will be pillagedchâphas■ [plundered, thoroughly ransacked] his hidden treasuresmitspun△ [secret, concealed, valuables, precious stores] sought outbâʻâh■ [searched, thoroughly investigated]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| אֵ֚יךְ | how! | Particle |
| נֶחְפְּשׂ֣וּ | they will be plundered | Verb, Niphal, perfect third person common plural |
| עֵשָׂ֔ו | Esau | Noun proper |
| נִבְע֖וּ | they will be searched out | Verb, Niphal, perfect third person common plural |
| מַצְפֻּנָֽיו׃ | hidden treasures its | Noun common masculine plural construct, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | But how Esau will be pillaged, his hidden treasures sought out! |
| KJV | How are the things of Esau searched out! how are his hidden things sought up! |
| ASV | How are the things of Esau searched! how are his hidden treasures sought out! |
| YLT | How hath Esau been searched out! Flowed out have his hidden things, |
| WEB | How Esau will be ransacked! How his hidden treasures are sought out! |
| BBE | How are the things of Esau searched out! how are his secret stores looked for! |
Where they part company is נֶחְפְּשׂ֣וּ — see How Translations Differ.
The verse consists of a main clause followed by two subordinate clauses that detail the actions against Esau.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
subjectעֵשָׂו
verbחָפַשׂ
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
1 of 5 occurs nowhere else in the Old Testament — a word chosen on purpose.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Obadiah 1:6
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Judgment Against Edomgenerated
Obadiah 1:6 describes the impending destruction of Esau, symbolizing the nation of Edom. The verse highlights how Esau's hidden treasures will be thoroughly searched out, emphasizing the totality of the judgment that will come upon him. This judgment is part of a broader theme in Obadiah, where the prophet addresses the consequences of Edom's betrayal and violence against Israel, as seen in the surrounding verses.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psalm 139:1 | O LORD, You have searched me and known me. |
| 2 | Isaiah 10:13–14 | For he says: ‘By the strength of my hand I have done this, and by my wisdom, for I am clever. I have removed the boundaries of nations and plundered their treasures; like a mighty one I subdued their rulers. |
| 3 | Isaiah 45:3 | I will give you the treasures of darkness and the riches hidden in secret places, so that you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel, who calls you by name. |
| 4 | Jeremiah 49:10 | But I will strip Esau bare; I will uncover his hiding places, and he will be unable to conceal himself. His descendants will be destroyed along with his relatives and neighbors, and he will be no more. |
| 5 | Jeremiah 50:37 | A sword is against her horses and chariots and against all the foreigners in her midst, and they will become like women. A sword is against her treasuries, and they will be plundered. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 7 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — נֶחְפְּשׂ֣וּ, nech.pe.Sugenerated
The verb חָפַשׂ (chaphas) means to search or seek out, indicating a thorough investigation. In this context, it is in the Niphal form, which suggests that Esau will be the subject of the search, emphasizing the passive nature of the action against him.
The usage of this verb here implies a complete and exhaustive plundering of Esau's possessions, indicating that nothing will remain hidden. The choice of this verb underscores the intensity of the judgment that will befall Esau.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The sentence consists of two main clauses: the first introduces the manner of Esau's fate with the finite verb נֶחְפְּשׂ֣וּ, they will be plundered, and the second clause describes the subject, עֵשָׂ֔ו, Esau, along with the action of searching out his treasures.
The structure emphasizes the certainty of the judgment against Esau, with the verb leading the sentence to highlight the action that will be taken against him.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates נֶחְפְּשׂ֣וּ as ἐχηρευνήθη, which indicates a similar meaning of being thoroughly searched or investigated. This choice suggests a focus on the act of searching rather than merely the outcome of plundering.
The use of this Greek term aligns with the Hebrew's emphasis on the thoroughness of the judgment, although the Greek may carry a slightly different nuance of inquiry.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Obadiah 1:6 tells us that Esau will be completely plundered, and his hidden treasures will be thoroughly searched out. This verse highlights the certainty of judgment against Esau, emphasizing that nothing will remain concealed.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It means that Esau, representing Edom, will face a total loss of his possessions, indicating a severe judgment.
The mention of hidden treasures emphasizes that even what is concealed will not escape judgment; everything will be exposed.
The word 'how' expresses a sense of astonishment at the extent of the judgment that will come upon Esau.
This verse is part of Obadiah's message of judgment against Edom for its actions against Israel, highlighting the consequences of betrayal.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What does this verse teach us about the consequences of our actions?
- In what ways can we ensure that we do not hide our treasures from God?
- How can the certainty of judgment encourage us to live righteously?
- What hidden things in our lives might need to be brought to light?
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Obadiah 1:6 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleHow are [the things] of Esau searched out!.... Or how are the Esauites, the posterity of Esau, sought out!
Read John Gill on Obadiah 1 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryHow are the things of Esau searched out! how are his hidden things sought up! How are the things of Esau searched out! - by hostile soldiers seeking booty.
Read Robert Jamieson on Obadiah 1 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleEsau; the father of this people, and here put for his posterity. All that the Edomites had laid up in the most secret places, in unsearchable caves, and deep abysses of hollow rocks, how are all his treasures found out, seized, and brought forth a prey to greedy soldiers! How durst they adventure here?
Read Matthew Poole on Obadiah 1 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsObadiah 1:6 How are [the things] of Esau searched out! [how] are his hidden things sought up!Ver. 6. How are the things of Esau searched out!] Or, as Drusius reads it, How are the posterity of Esau searched out! the men to the slaughter, the wealth to the spoil! what cunning and daring soldiers were these to pry into every corner for prey, and to pull them out of every lurking hole, where they might have been circumvented and butchered, in those dark and narrow places: this shows surely that they were both armed and animated by God himself. Confer Joe 2:6-9, but especially Jeremiah 49:10-11, where you have the full of that which is here but abridged; and therefore this verse hath not so…
Read John Trapp on Obadiah 1 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(5-9) The completeness of the overthrow awaiting Edom. It is no mere inroad of a marauding tribe. Something would escape the robber, though he might go away quite satisfied with his plunder; and even a raid in vintage time, for the purpose of doing all the mischief possible to the country, would leave here and there a scattered bunch, gleanings for the inhabitants when the spoilers had retired, but now everything is doomed to destruction. Edom is completely robbed and ransacked. Notice how the sad, almost pathetic, conviction of this breaks out—as if rather from a friend (see Introduction) than an enemy—in the parenthetical “how art thou cut off!” in the very middle of the sentence. Every…
Read Charles John Ellicott on Obadiah 1 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges6. the things of Esau] lit. how are they searched out, Esau; i. e. everything, people and property alike, that belongs to Esau. his hidden things] rather places; his treasure-houses and receptacles hewn in the secret places of the rocks, and inaccessible as he thought them. Comp. Jeremiah 49:10. Hidden treasures, R.V.
Read Cambridge on Obadiah 1 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleHow are the things of Esau searched out! - literally, “How are Esau, out searched!” i. e., Esau, as a whole and in all its parts and in all its belongings, all its people and all its property, one and all.
Read Albert Barnes on Obadiah 1 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the BibleIn Obadiah 1:5-6 the prophet pictures the completeness of the destruction by a comparison of the calamity to come with familiar experiences. Thieves… robbers… grape-gatherers — R.V.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Obadiah 1 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
But how Esau will be pillaged, his hidden treasures sought out!
How Esau will be ransacked! How his hidden treasures are sought out!
But how Esau will be pillaged, his hidden treasures sought out!
How the people of Esau will be thoroughly plundered! Their hidden valuables will be ransacked!
Tyndale line
How are the things of Esau searched out! how are his hidden things sought up!
How are the things of Esau searched! how are his hidden treasures sought out!
How are the things of Esau searched out! how are his hidden treasures sought up!
How are the things of Esau searched out! how are his hidden things sought!
Howe are the things of Esau sought vp, and his treasures searched?
Strictly literal
How is Esau searched! his hidden things sought out!
How hath Esau been searched out! Flowed out have his hidden things,
How has Esau been searched out! His hidden things have flowed out,
How are [the treasures] of Esau searched out! how are his hidden things laid open!
How Esau has been ransacked, his hidden treasures will be searched out!
From the Latin
How have they searched Esau, how have they sought out his hidden things?
Simplified
But how Esau will be plundered and their hidden treasures looted!
How are the things of Esau searched out! how are his secret stores looked for!
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text reads אֵ֚יךְ נֶחְפְּשׂ֣וּ עֵשָׂ֔ו נִבְע֖וּ מַצְפֻּנָֽיו׃, which is closely matched by the Septuagint in terms of meaning, though the word order differs. The Dead Sea Scrolls show some variations, with one manuscript restoring words that were lost, but the core message remains consistent across the witnesses.
אֵ֚יךְ נֶחְפְּשׂ֣וּ עֵשָׂ֔ו נִבְע֖וּ מַצְפֻּנָֽיו׃
4 of the 5 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
[איך] [נחפשו] [עשו] [נבעו] [מצפני׳ו]
nothing on the leather here — 5 supplied entire by an editor.
איך נחפשו עשו נבעו מצפני׳ו
4 words on the leather — 1 partly restored.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Obadiah 1:6
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
אֵיךְ (*'eyk*) and its variants express the concept of 'how?' in various contexts, functioning as both interrogative and exclamatory forms. The entries indicate that it can also imply 'where' and is used in expressions of lamentation or satisfaction. The word appears in different spellings, reflecting its usage in the Old Testament.
אֵיךְ 69 adv.
interrog. How?
as an exclam. How!
base
אֵיכָה adv.
interrog. In what manner?
exclam. How!
Where?
base
אֵיכָ֫כָה (Ct) אֵֽיכָכָ֫ה (Est) How?
base
H349a אֵיךְ . interrog. How?
. as an exclam. How!
H349b אֵיכָה . interrog. In what manner?
. as an exclam. How!
H349c אֵיכָ֫כָה (Ct) אֵֽיכָכָ֫ה (Est) How?
349 'eyk ake
also eykah {ay-kaw'}; and teykakah {ay-kaw'-kah}; prolonged
from 335; how? or how!; also where:--how, what.
see HEBREW for 0335
אֵיךְ (ekh) — how?.
interrog adv
how?
אֵיכָה (e.khah) — how?.
interrog adv
1) how?
interj
2) how! (in lamentation)
3) expression of satisfaction
אֵיכָ֫כָה (e.kha.khah) — how?.
how?
Another spelling of ekh (אֵיךְ "how?" H0349A)
Part — ParticleHTi
Represents various Hebrew and Greek words, interrogative, interjectional and relative. Its different uses refer to
(1) the manner or way, e.g. Ge 44:34, "How shall I go up to my father?" ('ekh); Mt 6:28, "how they grow" (pos); 1Co 15:35, "How are the dead raised?";
(2) degree, extent, frequently, "how great" (Da 4:3, mah; Mr 5:19, hosos, "how much"); "how many" (Mt 27:13, posos); "how much" (Ac 9:13, hosos); "how much more" (Mt 7:11, posos;
חָפַשׂ (chaphas) is a Hebrew verb meaning to search or seek out. It can also imply disguising oneself or being searched for. The word has various forms, including Qal (to search), Niphal (to be searched out), and Hithpael (to disguise oneself). It encompasses a range of meanings related to searching, testing, and exposure.
[חָפַשׂ] vb. search
Qal search, search out
search for
= think out, devise
search = test
Niph. searched out = exposed and plundered
Pi.
search through
search for
Pu. be searched for = be hidden
Hithp. disguise oneself (lit. let oneself be searched for)
base
H2664 [חָפַשׂ] search
2664 chaphas khaw-fas'
a primitive root; to seek; causatively, to conceal oneself
(i.e. let be sought), or mask:--change, (make) diligent
(search), disquise self, hide, search (for, out).
חָפַשׂ (cha.pha.s) — to search.
1) to search, search for, to search out, disguise oneself
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to search for
1a2) to think out, devise
1a3) to search, test
1b) (Niphal) to be searched out, be exposed
1c) (Piel) to search, search through, search for
1d) (Pual) to be searched for, be sought out
1e) (Hithpael)
1e1) to disguise oneself
1e2) to let oneself be searched for
V-Niphal-Perf-3cp — Verb · Niphal · perfect third person common pluralHVNp3cp
עֵשָׂו (Esav) refers to Esau, the hairy eldest son of Isaac and Rebekah, and the twin brother of Jacob. He is noted for selling his birthright for food and is considered the progenitor of the Arab peoples. The name is also associated with Edom, and the entries indicate that it derives from a root meaning 'rough' or 'sensibly felt.'
עֵשָׂו 97 n.pr.m. Esau
base
H6215 עֵשָׂו Esau
6215 `Esav ay-sawv'
apparently a form of the passive participle of 6213 in the
original sense of handling; rough (i.e. sensibly felt); Esav,
a son of Isaac, including his posterity:--Esau.
see HEBREW for 06213
עֵשָׂו (e.sav) — Esau.
A man living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.25.25;
son of: Isaac (H3327) and Rebekah (H7259);
brother of: Israel (H3478); married to Oholibamah (H0173), Judith (H3067), Adah (H5711H) and Mahalath (H4258);
father of: Eliphaz (H0464), Reuel (H7467), Jeush (H3266), Jalam (H3281) and Korah (H7141); also called Edom at Gen.25.30; 36.1,8,19,21; 1x,54;
Also named: e.dom (אֱדוֹם "Edom" H0123H)
§ Esau = "hairy"
eldest son of Isaac and Rebecca and twin brother of Jacob; sold the birthright for food when he was hungry and the divine blessing went to Jacob; progenitor of the Arab peoples
עֵשָׂו (e.sav) — Esau.
People descended from Esau = "hairy"
eldest son of Isaac and Rebecca and twin brother of Jacob; sold the birthright for food when he was hungry and the divine blessing went to Jacob; progenitor of the Arab peoples
N-proper — Noun properHNpl
e'-so (`esaw, "hairy"; Esau):
Son of Isaac, twin brother of Jacob. The name was given on account of the hairy covering on his body at birth: "all over like a hairy garment" (Ge 25:25). There was a prenatal foreshadowing of the relation his descendants were to sustain to those of his younger brother, Jacob (Ge 25:23). The moment of his birth also was signalized by a circumstance that betokened the same destiny (Ge 25:26).
The young Esau was fond of the strenuous, daring life of the chase--he became a skillful hunter, "a man of the field" ('ish sadheh). His father warmed toward him rather than toward Jacob, because Esau's hunting expeditions resulted in meats that appealed to the old man's taste (
Esau
Hairy, Rebekah’s first-born twin son (Gen. 25:25). The name of Edom, “red”, was also given to him from his conduct in connection with the red lentil “pottage” for which he sold his birthright (30, 31). The circumstances connected with his birth foreshadowed the enmity which afterwards subsisted between the twin brothers and the nations they founded (25:22, 23, 26). In process of time Jacob, following his natural bent, became a shepherd; while Esau, a “son of the desert,” devoted himself to the perilous and toilsome life of a huntsman. On a certain occasion, on returning from the chase, urged by the cravings of hunger, Esau sold his birthright to his brother, Jacob, who thereby obtained the covenant blessing (Gen. 27:28, 29, 36;
(hairy), the eldest son of Isaac, and twin-brother of Jacob. The singular appearance of the child at his birth originated the name. (Genesis 25:25) Esau’s robust frame and "rough" aspect were the types of a wild and daring nature. He was a thorough Bedouin, a "son of the desert." He was much loved by his father, and was of course his heir, but was induced to sell his birthright to Jacob. Mention of his unhappy marriages may be found in (Genesis 26:34) The next episode in the life of Esau is the loss of his father’s covenant blessing, which Jacob secured through the craft of his mother, and the anger of Esau, who vows vengeance. (Genesis 27:1) ... Later he marries a daughter of Ishmael, (
The son of Isaac, and twin brother of Jacob, Ge 25:1-34. He was the elder of the two, and was therefore legally the heir, but sold his birthright to Jacob. We have an account of his ill-advised marriages, Ge 26:34; of his loss of his father’s chief blessing, and his consequent anger against Jacob, Ge 27:1-46; of their subsequent reconciliation, Ge 32:1-33:20; and of his posterity, Ge 36:1-43. He is also called Edom; and settled in the mountains south of the Dead Sea, extending to the gulf of Akaba, where he became very powerful. This country was called from him the land of Edom, and afterwards IDUMAEA, which see.
בָּעָה (ba`ah) is a Hebrew verb that encompasses the meanings of inquiring, seeking, and causing to swell or boil up. It can refer to a rising desire or the act of searching out, with its forms indicating both active and passive states. The entries suggest a figurative use related to earnest desire and inquiry.
[בָּעָה] vb. inquire, cause to swell or boil up
Qal
of rising desire, seek, inquire
cause to boil up
Niph. searched out; swelling, swelling out
base
H1158 [בָּעָה] inquire, cause to swell or boil up .. of rising desire, seek, inquire
. cause to boil up
. searched out; swelling, swelling out
1158 ba`ah baw-aw'
a primitive root; to gush over, i.e. to swell; (figuratively)
to desire earnestly; by implication to ask:--cause, inquire,
seek up, swell out.
בָּעָה (ba.ah) — to enquire.
1) to seek out, swell, cause to swell, boil up, enquire
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to seek, enquire
1a2) to cause to boil up
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be searched out
1b2) to be swelling, bulging, swelling out
V-Niphal-Perf-3cp — Verb · Niphal · perfect third person common pluralHVNp3cp
מַצְפּוֹן (mitspun) refers to a hidden treasure or secret thing. It is derived from the root meaning to hide, indicating a concealed or secretive nature. The term appears in contexts related to treasures, such as in Obadiah 6, where it specifically mentions treasures.
[מַצְפּוֹן] n.[m.] hidden treasure, treasure;—sf. מַצְפּוּנָיו Ob 6 his treasures.
done
H4710 מַצְפּוֹן, מִצְפֻּן
4710 mitspun mits-poon'
from 6845; a secret (place or thing, perhaps,
treasure):--hidden thing.
see HEBREW for 06845
מַצְפּוֹן (mits.pun) — treasure.
hidden treasure, treasure
N-mp | Suff — Noun common masculine plural construct · suffixHNcmpc/Sp3ms