AUTHOR: With the exception of his name (which is common in the Old Testament), nothing is known of the author of this book, the shortest in the Old Testament.

ORIGIN OF NAME: Obadiah is derived from the Arabic name "Abdullah", and means "servant of the Lord". The form of the name used in the Septuagint is "Obdios", and in Latin the form "Abdias" is used.

THEME: In this book, one perceives God's message to confront the sin practiced by the Edomites: the prophet used by God proclaims the destruction of the Edomites as a consequence of their failures. Obadiah's theme is the great sin of Edom. The Edomites descended from Esau, Jacob's twin brother. The Book of Genesis portrays the enmity that existed between these brothers. Edom became a great nation. When the Israelites came up from the land of Egypt, the Edomites denied them passage through their land [ Num 20:20-21
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20 But Edom insisted, "You will not be able to cross over." Then Edom attacked them with a large and mighty army.
21-Since Edom refused to let them cross his territory, Israel turned away from him. ], however, God commanded Israel to treat Edom as a brother [ Deut 23:7-8
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7-Do not reject the Edomite, for he is your brother. Do not reject the Egyptian either, for you lived as foreigners in their land.
8- The third generation of their children may enter the assembly of the Lord. ]. Nevertheless, Edom always persisted in harming Israel, as the Scriptures abundantly attest. Due to its persistent persecution of the chosen people, the prophet Obadiah announces the final destruction of Edom, as well as, in the near future, of all nations that have thus mistreated the people of God.

COMPILATION: The time when it was written is not known with certainty. Obadiah seems to describe a disaster that befell Edom after the fall of Jerusalem [ Ob 1:5-7
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5- “If thieves attacked you, looters in the middle of the night — how you are destroyed! —wouldn't they just steal as much as they thought was enough? If those who gather grapes came to you, wouldn't they leave behind at least a few bunches?
6-However, how Esau was plundered! How his hidden treasures were plundered!
7- All your allies push you to the borders; deceive you and overwhelm your best friends; those who eat with you lie in wait for you.” And Esau doesn't notice a thing! ]. Perhaps this is the first attack of the Nabataeans against Mount Seir, who defeated the Edomites at a certain time between the 6th and 4th centuries compared to [ Mal 1:3-4
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3-but I rejected Esau. I turned your mountains into a wasteland and the lands of your inheritance into a haunt of desert jackals.
4- Though Edom says, "We were crushed, but we will rebuild the ruins," thus says the Lord of hosts: "They may build, but I will tear down. They will be called the Perverse Land, the people against whom the Lord is angry forever. ]. This prophecy would therefore belong to the time of the exile or shortly after the return, approximately 586 BC. It consists of 1 chapter and 21 verses.