Obadiah

In Bible versions:

Obadiah: NET AVS NIV NRSV NASB TEV

a man who was in charge of king Ahab's household
son of Arnan, a descendant of Hananiah, Zerubbabel and David
son of Izrahiah of Issachar
son of Azel of Benjamin
son of Shemaiah; a Levite leader of a group of returned exiles
a Gadite officer who defected to David in the wilderness
a man of Zebulun in Saul and David's time
a prince King Jehoshaphat sent to teach the law around Judah
son of Jehiel; head of the Joab Clan group of returnees
a priest who signed the covenant to keep God's law
a gatekeeper in the time of Nehemiah

---

servant of the Lord

Arts:

Arts Topics: Elijah and Obadiah; Obadiah; Portraits of Obadiah, Prophet

Hebrew

Strongs #05662: hydbe `Obadyah or whydbe `Obadyahuw

Obadiah = "servant of Jehovah"

1) the 4th of the 12 minor prophets; nothing personal is known of him
but it is probable that he was contemporary with Jeremiah, Ezekiel,
and Daniel
1a) the prophetic book by him; prophesies against Edom
2) father of Ishmaiah, one of the chiefs of Zebulun in the time of David
3) a Merarite Levite overseer of the work of restoring the temple in
the time of king Josiah of Judah
4) chief of the household of king Ahab of Israel; an devout worshipper
of Jehovah who at risk to his own life hid over 100 prophets during
the persecution of Jezebel
5) a descendant of David
6) a chief of the tribe of Issachar
7) a Benjamite, one of the 6 sons of Azel and a descendant of king Saul
8) a Levite, son of Shemaiah and a descendant of Jeduthun
9) a Gadite chief, the 2nd of the lion-faced Gadites who joined David
at Ziklag
10) a prince of Judah in the time of king Jehoshaphat of Judah
11) a priest, son of Jehiel of the sons of Joab who returned from
exile with Ezra
12) a gatekeeper in the time of Nehemiah
13) one of the men who sealed the covenant with Nehemiah
13a) perhaps the same as 12

5662 `Obadyah o-bad-yaw'

or mObadyahuw {o-bad-yaw'-hoo}; active participle of 5647 and
3050; serving Jah; Obadjah, the name of thirteen
Israelites:-Obadiah.
see HEBREW for 05647
see HEBREW for 03050

Obadiah [EBD]

servant of the Lord. (1.) An Israelite who was chief in the household of King Ahab (1 Kings 18:3). Amid great spiritual degeneracy he maintained his fidelity to God, and interposed to protect The Lord's prophets, an hundred of whom he hid at great personal risk in a cave (4, 13). Ahab seems to have held Obadiah in great honour, although he had no sympathy with his piety (5, 6, 7). The last notice of him is his bringing back tidings to Ahab that Elijah, whom he had so long sought for, was at hand (9-16). "Go," said Elijah to him, when he met him in the way, "go tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here."

(2.) A chief of the tribe of Issachar (1 Chr. 7:3).

(3.) A descendant of Saul (1 Chr. 8:38).

(4.) A Levite, after the Captivity (1 Chr. 9:16).

(5.) A Gadite who joined David at Ziklag (1 Chr. 12:9).

(6.) A prince of Zebulun in the time of David (1 Chr. 27:19).

(7.) One of the princes sent by Jehoshaphat to instruct the people in the law (2 Chr. 17:7).

(8.) A Levite who superintended the repairs of the temple under Josiah (2 Chr. 34:12).

(9.) One who accompanied Ezra on the return from Babylon (Ezra 8:9).

(10.) A prophet, fourth of the minor prophets in the Hebrew canon, and fifth in the LXX. He was probably contemporary with Jeremiah and Ezekiel. Of his personal history nothing is known.

Obadiah [NAVE]

OBADIAH
1. The governor of Ahab's house. Conceals in a cave one hundred prophets persecuted by Jezebel, 1 Kin. 18:3, 4.
Meets Elijah and receives a commission from him, 1 Kin. 18:3-16.
2. Head of a family, 1 Chr. 3:21.
3. A descendant of Tola, 1 Chr. 7:3.
4. Son of Azel, 1 Chr. 8:38; 9:44.
5. A Levite, 1 Chr. 9:16.
6. A Gadite warrior who joined David at Ziklag, 1 Chr. 12:9.
7. Father of Ishmaiah, 1 Chr. 27:19.
8. A prince of Judah who instructed the people in the law, 2 Chr. 17:7-9.
9. A Levite. One of the overseers in the repairing of the temple by Josiah, 2 Chr. 34:12.
10. A descendant of Joab who returned from Babylon, Ezra 8:9.
11. A priest who sealed with Nehemiah a covenant to observe God's law, Neh. 10:5.
12. A gatekeeper of Jerusalem, under Nehemiah, Neh. 12:25.
13. A prophet who prophesied the destruction of Edom, Obad. 1.

OBADIAH [SMITH]

(servant of the Lord),

1. A man whose sons are enumerated in the genealogy of the tribe of Judah. (1 Chronicles 3:21) (B.C. 470.)
2. A descendant of Issachar and a chief man of his tribe. (1 Chronicles 7:3) (B.C. 1014.)
3. One of the six sons of Azel, a descendant of Saul. (1 Chronicles 8:33; 9:44) (B.C. 720.)
4. A Levite, son of Shemaiah, and descended from Jeduthun. (1 Chronicles 9:16; Nehemiah 12:25)
5. The second of the lion-faced Gadites who joined David at Ziklag. (1 Chronicles 12:9) (B.C. 1054.)
6. One of the Princes of Judah in the reign of Jehoshaphat. (2 Chronicles 17:7) (B.C. 909.)
7. The son of Jehiel, of the sons of Joab, who came up in the second caravan with Ezra. (Ezra 8:9)
8. A priest, or family of priests, who settled the covenant with Nehemiah. (Nehemiah 10:5)
9. The fourth of the twelve minor prophets. We know nothing of him except what we can gather from the short book which bears his name. The question of his date must depend upon the interpretation of the 11th verse of his prophecy. He there speaks of the conquest of Jerusalem and the captivity of Jacob as having occurred, He probably refers to the captivity by Nebuchadnezzar, B.C. 688. It must have been uttered at some time in the five years which intervened between B.C. 588 and 583. The book of Obadiah is a sustained denunciation of the Edomites, melting into a vision of the future glories of Zion when the arm of the Lord should have wrought her deliverance and have repaid double upon her enemies.
10. An officer of high rank in the court of Ahab. (1 Kings 18:3) He was a devout worshipper of Jehovah, and at the peril of his life concealed over a hundred prophets during the persecution by Jezebel; (1 Kings 18:3-16) (B.C. 904.)
11. The father of Ishmaiah who was chief of the tribe of Zebulun in David?s reign. (1 Chronicles 27:19) (B.C. before 1014.)
12. A Merarite Levite in the reign of Josiah, and one of the overseers of the workmen in the restoration of the temple. (2 Chronicles 34:12) (B.C.623.)

OBADIAH [ISBE]

OBADIAH - o-ba-di'-a (`obhadhyah, more fully `obhadhyahu, "servant of Yahweh"):

(1) The steward or prime minister of Ahab, who did his best to protect the prophets of Yahweh against Jezebel's persecution. He met Elijah on his return from Zarephath, and bore to Ahab the news of Elijah's reappearance (1 Ki 18:3-16).

(2) The prophet (Ob 1:1).

See OBADIAH, BOOK OF.

(3) A descendant of David (1 Ch 3:21).

(4) A chief of the tribe of Issachar (1 Ch 7:3).

(5) A descendant of Saul (1 Ch 8:38; 9:44).

(6) A Levite descended from Jeduthun (1 Ch 9:16), identical with Abda (Neh 11:17).

(7) A chief of the Gadites (1 Ch 12:9).

(8) A Zebulunite, father of the chief Ishmaiah (1 Ch 27:19).

(9) One of the princes sent by Jehoshaphat to teach the law in Judah (2 Ch 17:7).

(10) A Merarite employed by Josiah to oversee the workmen in repairing the temple (2 Ch 34:12).

(11) The head of a family who went up with Ezra from Babylon (Ezr 8:9).

(12) One of the men who sealed the covenant with Nehemiah (Neh 10:5).

(13) A gate-keeper in the days of Nehemiah (Neh 12:25).

The name "Obadiah" was common in Israel from the days of David to the close of the Old Testament. An ancient Hebrew seal bears the inscription "Obadiah the servant of the King."

John Richard Sampey