en_tn_condensed/oba/01/18.md

# The house of Jacob will be a fire ... Joseph a flame

Yahweh speaks of the descendantsof Jacob and Joseph as if they were fire because they will destroy the descendants of Esau like a fire that quickly and completely burns up straw.

# The house of Jacob ... the house of Joseph

Often "the house of Jacob" represents Israel, but here it represents only the people in the southern part of Israel. Joseph was one of Jacob's sons. Here "the house of Joseph" represents the people in the northern part of Israel.

# the house of Esau

"descendants of Esau" 

# for Yahweh has spoken it

This is an oath formula that means it will certainly happen because Yahweh said it.