Original Word: קֶטֶל
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: qetel
Pronunciation: keh'-tel
Phonetic Spelling: (keh'-tel)
KJV: slaughter
NASB: slaughter
Word Origin: [from H6991 (קָטַל - slay)]

1. a violent death

slaughter

From qatal; a violent death -- slaughter.

see HEBREW qatal

Word Origin
from qatal
Definition
slaughter
NASB Translation
slaughter (1).

[קֶ֫טֶל] noun [masculine]] slaughter; — מִקָּ֑טֶל ᵑ0 Obadiah 9, but join to Psalm 139:10 (then מִקֶּטֶל), ᵐ5 We Now GASm.

Meaning and Scope

קֶטֶל refers to a wholesale “slaughter,” a violent and devastating loss of life. The term carries the sense of an overwhelming bloodshed that leaves no survivor, emphasizing both the magnitude and finality of the judgment being described.

Canonical Setting

The single scriptural occurrence is Obadiah 1:9: “Then your mighty men, O Teman, will be terrified, so that everyone in the mountains of Esau will be cut down in the slaughter” (Berean Standard Bible). In Obadiah, the prophetic vision denounces Edom for its arrogance and complicity in Judah’s calamity. קֶטֶל functions as the climactic description of the LORD’s retribution—an uncompromising reckoning in which even the strongest Edomite warriors fall.

Historical Context

Edom’s hostility toward Israel spans centuries (Genesis 27:41; Numbers 20:14-21; Psalm 137:7). When Babylon destroyed Jerusalem (586 B.C.), Edom capitalized on Judah’s weakness, gloating over her ruin (Obadiah 1:12-14). The “slaughter” foretold in Obadiah was historically realized as successive powers—Babylon, then later the Nabateans—erased Edom’s national existence. Archaeological strata at sites such as Bozrah and Petra confirm a rapid decline beginning in the sixth century B.C., validating the prophetic word.

Theological Themes

1. Divine Justice. קֶטֶל illustrates God’s righteous judgment against unrepentant pride and violence. The LORD, who “does not leave the guilty unpunished” (Exodus 34:7), applies the lex talionis principle: Edom’s violence toward Jacob returns upon its own head (Obadiah 1:15).
2. Covenant Faithfulness. God’s defense of Jacob stems from His enduring covenant promises (Genesis 12:3). Edom’s downfall underscores the inviolability of those promises and the peril of opposing them.
3. The Day of the LORD. Obadiah’s portrayal of slaughter blends local judgment with eschatological expectation (Joel 2:1-11; Isaiah 34:1-8), foreshadowing the final accounting when all nations face the righteous King (Matthew 25:31-46; Revelation 19:11-16).

Linkage to Divine Judgment Elsewhere

Though קֶטֶל itself is unique to Obadiah, the motif of catastrophic slaughter appears throughout Scripture:
• Deuteronomy 32:41-43 announces Yahweh’s avenging sword.
• Jeremiah 46:10 labels the judgment against Egypt “a day of vengeance… to devour, to consume, and to slaughter.”
• Isaiah 34 depicts Edom’s land as soaked with blood, connecting back to Obadiah’s theme.

These parallels display a unified biblical testimony: persistent rebellion culminates in a divinely decreed massacre.

Foreshadowing in Salvation History

The slaughter pronounced on Edom anticipates two wider truths:

1. Final Triumph of God’s Kingdom. Obadiah 1:21 concludes, “the kingdom will be the LORD’s,” highlighting the removal of every rival power.
2. Necessity of Atoning Blood. The severity of קֶטֶל accentuates humanity’s need for a substitute. Where Edom’s blood is spilled in judgment, the New Covenant centers on the blood of Jesus Christ, willingly shed “once for all” (Hebrews 10:10), satisfying divine justice and offering deliverance from the ultimate slaughter of eternal condemnation.

Pastoral and Homiletical Implications

• Warning against Pride. The Edomite example calls individuals and nations to humility before God (Proverbs 16:18; James 4:6).
• Advocacy for Covenant Loyalty. The passage encourages believers to bless Israel and to trust God’s steadfast covenant dealings (Romans 11:28-29).
• Urgency of Repentance. If unrepentant pride leads to קֶטֶל, then repentance secures mercy (Jonah 3:5-10; 1 John 1:9).
• Hope in Divine Vindication. Sufferers can rest assured that God sees injustice and will act decisively (Psalm 94:1-3).

Summary

קֶטֶל in Obadiah 1:9 is more than a descriptive noun; it is a theological signpost pointing to God’s unwavering justice, His covenant fidelity, and the ultimate supremacy of His kingdom. It exhorts the faithful to humility, encourages perseverance amid persecution, and magnifies the grace offered through the atoning work of Jesus Christ, who delivers believers from the final and eternal slaughter awaiting the unredeemed.

מִקָּֽטֶל׃ מקטל׃ mikKatel miq·qā·ṭel miqqāṭelInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts