Obadiah 1:5Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

However, it is unavoidable and not by choice that this transpires for fear compels thieves to flee swiftly, and those in hiding to make quick retreats; if they have pilfered anything, they perceive it sufficient for their enjoyment. Yet, for those who harvest grapes, the challenge of finding them lies in the leaves that are not cleared away, obscuring what is obtainable. But you, Esau, or Edomite, of the lineage of Esau, it is declared, faced the gravest misfortune, for even what was concealed was taken from you, and there was no one who sought refuge, rendering the very inaccessibility of the land futile.

The essence of these remarks suggests that if thieves, who typically tunnel under homes during the night to pilfer possessions, were to invade your dwelling, they would explore every shadowy corner. Surely, they would claim what they deemed necessary for themselves, potentially leaving some items behind, either due to satisfaction or oversight. If harvesters entered your vineyard, whether as foes seeking to take as enemies do or as hired hands, despite the careful selection of grapes, they would likely miss a few clusters obscured by vines and foliage.

However, the enemies commanded by the Lord (referring to the Babylonians and Nebuchadnezzar’s forces) searched exhaustively, probing all your hidden places, along with the crevices and caves in which you take refuge. To provide context, the southern region of Edom from Eleutheropolis to Petra and Elam, which Esau inherited, contains many cave dwellings, using subterranean structures to escape the intense heat of the sun.

When I say, “I have laid bare,” it means I have revealed what was concealed beneath the ground and disclosed all that you had hidden. When I, alongside my foes, searched through all that belonged to you, nothing remained secret. The thieves and robbers of the night signify those who, being children of darkness, propagate heretical teachings that contradict the truth, taking what they desire and continually seeking to steal from the flock of the Church. They infiltrate the vineyard of our Lord, which He brought forth from the Egypt of this age (Psalm 79:9-10), and they aim to so fully deplete it that not a single cluster is left.

In contrast, the Lord unveils all their secrets and the hidden mysteries associated with the patriarchs of Esau—specifically, the original proponents of heresy—through His saints and teachers of the Church. His first triumph lies in revealing that which was previously concealed. Therefore, it is astonishingly declared, ‘How Esau was searched, his hiding places were plundered!’

Consider Marcion, Valentinus, and all heretics: observe how they, burdened with a guilty conscience, take pride in their demonic teachings and artfully constructed rhetoric, misleading the naive as if sharing divine mysteries. Yet, when the word breaks forth to expose their thirty aeons, uncovering the four, the eight, the twelve, and the concept of a dualistic god, along with the absurdity of Abraksu (Abrakhas), the wisdom of Esau will be rendered foolishness, and all their secrets will be laid bare.