Obadiah 1:14
“Neither shouldest thou have stood in the crossway, to cut off those of his that did escape; neither shouldest thou have delivered up those of his that did remain in the day of distress.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Edom is charged with ambushing fugitives at the crossroads and handing over the survivors of Judah.
What Does Obadiah 1:14 Mean?
This is the climax of Edom's cruelty. As Judah's people fled, Edom stood at the crossways, the escape routes, to cut down the fugitives, and handed over to the enemy those who had survived. The brother became the executioner of the brother's last hope.
The progression across these verses is sobering: from standing aloof, to gloating, to looting, to hunting down the helpless. Sin left unchecked grows colder and crueler. The verse warns the reader how indifference can ripen into active harm, and calls us instead to be those who shelter the fleeing and protect the vulnerable rather than betray them.