Midrasch zu Owadjah 1:1

“Your iniquity is completed, daughter of Zion; He will not continue to exile you. He will reckon your iniquity, daughter of Edom, He will expose your sins” (Lamentations 4:22).
“Your iniquity is completed, daughter of Zion.” Rabbi Ḥelbo said in the name of Rabbi Yoḥanan: The removal of Pharaoh’s ring regarding Israel in Egypt was more effective than the forty years that Moses prophesied to them, because with this one there was redemption, and with that one there was no redemption.⁶³The removal of the ring was in order to formally stamp a royal edict. Pharaoh’s edicts, which brought suffering upon the Israelites, were effective in causing them to repent, which led to redemption. Moses’ exhortations did not cause the people to repent in the wilderness (see Deuteronomy 9:7). Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said: The removal of Aḥashverosh’s ring regarding Israel⁶⁴To authorize Haman’s plot to eradicate the Jewish people. in Media was more effective than the six hundred thousand prophets who prophesied in the days of Elijah. Why? Because with this one there was redemption, and with that one there was no redemption. The Rabbis say: The scroll of Lamentations was more effective than the forty years that Jeremiah prophesied to them. Why? Because Israel received complete retribution for their sins on the day that the Temple was destroyed. That is what is written: “Your iniquity is completed, daughter of Zion.”⁶⁵Once they were punished, they were no longer liable for further punishment.
“He will reckon your iniquity, daughter of Edom.” Rabbi Pinḥas said in the name of Rabbi Oshaya: Why was suffering created? To come upon the house to which it should go.⁶⁶Suffering always has a role, whether to punish Israel or as vengeance against Israel’s persecutors. That is what is written: “Your iniquity is completed, daughter of Zion; He will not continue to exile you. He will reckon your iniquity, daughter of Edom, He will expose your sins.”⁶⁷After the sins of the daughters of Zion will be completely expiated, suffering will be directed to the daughters of Edom. Similarly, “The Lord will remove from you all illness” (Deuteronomy 7:15). Why was suffering created? To come upon the house to which it should go. That is what is written: “He will give them to your enemies” (Deuteronomy 7:15). Similarly, “the vision of Obadiah: So said the Lord God concerning Edom: We have heard tidings from the Lord, and an envoy was sent among the nations: Arise, and let us rise against it…” (Obadiah 1:1).⁶⁸The chapter continues with a description of the suffering that God will inflict of Edom. And this verse: “Your iniquity is completed, daughter of Zion; He will not continue to exile you. [He will reckon your iniquity, daughter of Edom, He will expose your sins].”
End of the Fourth Alphabetical Acrostic

(Ob. 1, 1) The vision of the Lord … concerning Edom. And why did Obadiah prophesy concerning Edom? R. Isaac said: "The Holy One, praised be He! said: 'Let Obadiah, who lived among two wicked people (Achab and his wife) and did not learn their custom, come and prophesy to Esau who lived among two righteous people (Isaac and Rebecca) and did not learn their ways.' " And Ephraim of Kasha, a disciple of R. Maier, said in the name of R. Maier: "Obadiah was an Edomite proselyte. And this is what people say: 'From the very woods shall it go to the hatchet [as a handle to cut the woods].'"

(Lev. 13:2:) “When anyone has on the skin of his flesh.” This text is related (to Hab. 1:7), “Terrible and dreadful [is that one].”²⁷In the biblical context THAT ONE is the nation of the Chaldeans. This verse is speaking about the first Adam, about Pharaoh, about Edom, about Sennacherib and about Nebuchadnezzar.²⁸Cf. Lev. R. 18:2. How does it concern the first Adam? R. Abba bar Kahana said, “When the Holy One, blessed be He, created the first Adam, He created him in His likeness, as stated (in Gen. 1:27), ‘And God created man (Adam) in His own image.’” And when He created him, He created him [to extend] from the one end of the world to the other, as stated (in Deut. 4:32), “So please ask about the former days which came before you, [ever since the day that God created man upon the earth, even from one end of heaven to the other].”²⁹Cf. Gen. R. 8:1. Now he ruled over the whole earth, as stated (in Gen. 1:28), “and rule over the fish of the sea […].” It also says (in Gen. 9:2), “And the dread of you and the fear of you [shall be upon every beast of the earth].” It is therefore stated (in Hab. 1:7), “Terrible and dreadful.” This refers to the first Adam. (Ibid., cont.:) “His justice and his dignity proceed from himself.”³⁰The midrash requires such a literal translation. In the biblical context a more normal translation would read with reference to the Chaldeans: THEIR JUSTICE AND THEIR DIGNITY PROCEED FROM THEMSELVES. This refers to Eve who came out of him, as she caused him to die, as stated (in Gen. 3:6), “Then she also gave some to her husband, and he ate.” And where is it shown that she came out of him? Where it is so written (in Gen. 2:23), “bone out of my bone and flesh out of my flesh.” Ergo (in Hab. 1:7), “Terrible and dreadful [is that one],” this refers to the first Adam; “his justice and his dignity proceed from himself,” this refers to Eve, who came out from him. Another interpretation (of Hab. 1:7), “Terrible and dreadful is that one”: This refers to Pharaoh, [when] he was world ruler,³¹Gk.: Kosmokraton. as stated (concerning him in Ps. 105:20), “the ruler of peoples released him (i.e., Joseph).” (Hab. 1:7, cont.:), “His justice and his dignity proceed from himself.” This refers to Moses, since he was reared within that one's house, so that he believed that he [actually] was a child of his house, as stated (in Exod. 2:10), “When the boy had grown up, she brought him [to Pharaoh's daughter; and he became her son].” Then he arose and brought ten plagues upon him, as stated (in Exod. 3:10), “So come now, I will send you unto Pharaoh.” R. Judah said, “The rod had a weight of forty seah and was [made] of sapphire;³²Gk.: sappheirinon, an adj. meaning “of sapphire,” or “of lapsis lazuli.” it also had ten plagues (makkot) inscribed upon it with the acronym³³notarikon. dtsk 'dsh b'hb.³⁴D = dam (“blood”), Ts = Tsefardia‘ (“frogs”), K= kinnim (“gnats”), ‘ = ‘arov (“flies”), D = dever (“cattle pestilence”), Sh = shehin (“boils”), B = barad (“hail”), ‘ = ‘arbeh (“locusts”), H = hoshekh (“darkness”), B = bekhorot (“first-born”). Then Moses, when he had looked at the rod and seen the punishment (makkah) which had been appointed to come, brought it upon Pharaoh. Ergo (in Hab. 1:7), “Terrible and dreadful [is that one],” this refers to Pharaoh; “his justice and his dignity proceed from himself,” this refers to Moses. And also the messiah, who in the future will take retribution from Gog and Magog and all of its troops, grew up with them in the city, as stated (Isaiah 27:10), “there shall the calf feed, and there shall he lie down and consume the branches thereof.” Another interpretation (of Hab. 1:7), “Terrible and dreadful [is that one]”: This refers to Edom, of which it is stated (in Dan. 7:7), “frightful, dreadful, and [exceedingly] strong.” (Hab. 1:7, cont.), “His justice and his dignity proceed from himself.” This refers to Obadiah since he was an Edomite proselyte and he also prophesied [against] him (i.e., against Edom, in Obad. 1:1), “The vision of Obadiah; thus says the Lord God to Edom […].”³⁵Cf. Sanh. 39b. Ergo (in Hab. 1:7), “Terrible and dreadful,” this refers to Edom; “his justice and his dignity proceed from himself,” this refers to Obadiah.Another interpretation (of Hab. 1:7), “Terrible and dreadful”: This refers to Sennacherib, since it is stated (in II Kings 19:24), “with the sole of my feet I have dried up all the streams of Egypt.” He also said (in II Kings 18:35 = Is. 36:20 // II Chron. 32:14), “Who are there among all the gods of the lands which have saved their land from my hand?” And it also says (in Is. 8:8), “and the radial bones³⁶For this translation of muttah, see Jastrow, s.v. In the context of Scripture, a more normal translation of muttah would be “spread.” of his wings (i.e., the army of Sennacherib) shall fill the breadth of your land, O Immanu-El].”³⁷Cf. M. Pss. 79:1. One sixtieth of the troops³⁸Gk.: ochlos. had been sufficient for the Land of Israel, since it is stated (ibid.), “and the radial bone of his wings.” This radial bone of a cock is one sixtieth of its wings. When he came to enter Jerusalem, he said to his troops, “You sleep, and in the morning we shall throw our rings into its midst and stone them with them.”³⁹In other words, Sennacherib believed that his army was so large and Jerusalem so small that his army could bury the city in their rings. Cf. Sanh. 95a, according to some renderings of which, each soldier would use as much mortar as necessary to seal a letter with a signet ring. So Levi, in his Talmud and Midrash lexicon, s.v., gulmohrag. See also Rashi on this passage, according to whom the army would use stones easily dislodged from the wall of Jerusalem. Ergo (in Hab. 1:7), “Terrible and dreadful is he.” (Ibid., cont.:), “His justice and his dignity proceed from himself.” These refer to his children. When he went up to destroy Jerusalem, he did not succeed. [It is so stated (in II Kings 19:35 = Is. 37:36),] “the angel of the Lord went out and smote [one hundred and eighty-thousand] in the camp of Assyria….” It is also written (in II Chron. 32:21), “so he returned shamefaced to his own land, and when he came into the house of his god, [some of those who came out of his own belly struck him down there with the sword].” Ergo (in Hab. 1:7), “Terrible and dreadful is he,” this refers to Sennacherib; “his justice and his dignity proceed from himself,” this refers to his children, who killed him. Another interpretation (of Hab. 1:7), “Terrible and dreadful is he”: This refers to Nebuchadnezzar, of whom it is stated (in Is. 14:13), “And I will ascend to the heavens; [above the stars of God I will set my throne].” (Hab. 1:7, cont.:) “His justice and his dignity proceed from himself.” This refers to Evil-merodach (his son). Our masters have said, “When Nebuchadnezzar was driven away, just as it is written (in Dan. 4:29), ‘You shall be driven away from humankind’; all that time Evil-merodach served in his place.” Then when he returned, he put him in prison. Now whoever was imprisoned by him never emerged from the prison until the day of his death. Thus it is stated (in Is. 14:17), “he never released his prisoners to their homes.” When Nebuchadnezzar died, they wanted to make Evil-merodach king. They approached him, but he did not accept. He said to them, “I listened to you the first time. For that reason I was imprisoned. So now I shall not listen to you. Perhaps he is alive. Then he will rise up against me and kill me.” They stood over Nebuchadnezzar, dragged him from his grave, and brought him out. Then he saw that he was dead, and they made him king. [This act was] to fulfill what is stated (in Is. 14:19), “And you have been cast from your grave like a detestable offshoot.” Ergo (Hab. 1:7), “Terrible and dreadful is he,” this refers to Nebuchadnezzar; “his justice and his dignity proceed from himself,” this refers to Evil-merodach. Another interpretation (of Hab. 1:7), “Terrible and dreadful is he”: This refers to the human race, which rules over all which the Holy One, blessed be He, has created in His world. Thus it is stated (in Ps. 8:7), “You have set him as ruler over the [works] of Your hands [….].” (Hab. 1:7, cont.) “His justice and his dignity proceed from him.” Thus when he sins, the Holy One, blessed be He, brings torments upon him from his [own body]. Why? Because His ways are not like the ways of flesh and blood. When [a person of] flesh and blood wants to punish his slaves, he brings [whips] and fetters to punish them and cause them pain; but the Holy One, blessed be He, is not like that. Rather it is from a person's whole body that He punishes and beats him. And from where is it shown? From what is written about the matter (in Lev. 13:2), “When anyone has on the skin of his flesh [a swelling or a sore or a bright spot, and it becomes on the skin of his flesh the plague of leprosy, he shall be brought unto Aaron the priest].” One verse says (in Is. 46:10), “My plan shall come to pass, and I will accomplish all My desire.” But another verse says (in Ezek. 33:11), “As I live, says the Lord, [it is not my delight for the wicked to die].” This is what is written about the matter, (in Lev. 13:2), “When anyone has on the skin of his flesh ….”; and it is [yet also] written (in Ps. 5:5), “For You are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil may not abide with You.”

Likewise, (Ovadiah 1:1) "The vision of Ovadiah: Thus has said the L-rd G-d to Edom: We have heard a report, etc." Why did Ovadiah prophesy against Edom? To apprise us of the greatness of a tzaddik, who grew up in the lap of an evildoer but did not emulate his deeds, and how great the wickedness of an evildoer, who grew up between two righteous ones and did not emulate their deeds. Esav (Edom) grew up between two righteous ones, Isaac and Rivka, and did not emulate their deeds. Ovadiah grew up between two wicked ones, Achan and Izevel, and did not emulate their deeds. Let Ovadiah come, who grew up between two wicked ones and did not emulate their deeds, and prophecy against Esav, who grew up between two righteous ones, Isaac and Rivka, and did not emulate their deeds. Thus — "The vision of Ovadiah: Thus has said the L-rd G-d to Edom, etc." "of the families of Menasheh the son of Joseph." Just as Joseph held Eretz Yisrael dear (viz. Bereshit 50:25), so did the daughters of Tzelofchad. "And these are the names of his daughters: Machlah, Noah, Choglah, Milkah, and Tirtzah." — But perhaps all who are first in Scripture are first in worth? It is, therefore, written (Bamidbar 36:11) "And Machlah, Tirtzah, Choglah, Milkah, and Noah, the daughters of Tzelofchad, etc." (the order being changed to teach us that they were all of equal worth.)