<strong>OBADIAH</strong> (ō'ba-dī'a, Heb. <em>‘ōvadhyâh, servant of Jehovah</em>). The name of several men in the OT:<br /><br />

1. The governor of Ahab’s household (<bibleref ref="1Kgs.18.3-1Kgs.18.16">1Kgs.18.3-1Kgs.18.16</bibleref>) who “feared the <span class="small-caps">Lord</span> greatly” (<span class="small-caps">kjv</span>), but who seemed to fear Ahab even more.<br /><br />

2. The head of a household of David’s descendants (<bibleref ref="1Chr.3.21">1Chr.3.21</bibleref>).

3. A chief man of Issachar in David’s time (<bibleref ref="1Chr.7.3">1Chr.7.3</bibleref>).

4. One of the six sons of Azel, a Benjamite (<bibleref ref="1Chr.8.38">1Chr.8.38</bibleref> copied in <bibleref ref="1Chr.9.44">1Chr.9.44</bibleref>).

5. A Levite who returned early from captivity (<bibleref ref="1Chr.9.16">1Chr.9.16</bibleref>). He is called “Abda” in <bibleref ref="Neh.11.17">Neh.11.17</bibleref>.

6. One of the martial Gadites who joined David in the wilderness (<bibleref ref="1Chr.12.9">1Chr.12.9</bibleref>).

7. Father of Ishmaiah, a prince of Zebulun in the days of David (<bibleref ref="1Chr.27.19">1Chr.27.19</bibleref>).

8. One of five princes of Judah whom Jehoshaphat sent out to teach the people of Judah the Law of the Lord (<bibleref ref="2Chr.17.7">2Chr.17.7</bibleref>).

9. A Levite of the Merarite family, whom Josiah made an overseer of repairing the temple (<bibleref ref="2Chr.34.12">2Chr.34.12</bibleref>).<br /><br />

10. A Jew who led back 218 men in Ezra’s return from captivity (<bibleref ref="Ezra.8.9">Ezra.8.9</bibleref>).

11. A priestly covenanter with Nehemiah (<bibleref ref="Neh.10.5">Neh.10.5</bibleref>).<br /><br />

12. A gatekeeper of Jerusalem in Nehemiah’s time (<bibleref ref="Neh.12.25">Neh.12.25</bibleref>).<br /><br />

13. The prophet who wrote the <span class="auto-link">[[Book of Obadiah]]</span>.

<hr/>
<strong>OBADIAH</strong>, <strong>ō’ bə dī’ ə</strong> (<span class="hebrew">עֹֽבַדְיָ֑ה</span> or <span class="hebrew">עֹבַדְיָ֖הוּ</span>, <em>a slave</em> or <em>worshiper of Yahweh</em>). This is one of the commonest names in the OT.<br /><br />

1. A descendant of Issachar (<bibleref ref="1Chr.7.3">1 Chron 7:3</bibleref>).

2. One of the leaders of the Gadites who joined David at Ziklag (<bibleref ref="1Chr.12.9">12:9</bibleref>).

3. A descendant of Saul and Jonathan (<bibleref ref="1Chr.8.38">8:38</bibleref>; <bibleref ref="1Chr.9.44">9:44</bibleref>).

4. The father of Ishmaiah, whom David placed over the tribe of Zebulon (<bibleref ref="1Chr.27.19">27:19</bibleref>).

5. Ahab’s royal chamberlain. He had risked his life to save a hundred of the prophets, when they were being hunted by Jezebel. The task allotted him by Ahab shows that his position was more important than his title suggests. Elijah met him on his way back from Zarephath (<bibleref ref="1Kgs.18.3-1Kgs.18.16">1 Kings 18:3-16</bibleref>). Jewish tradition (BT <em>San.</em> 39b) identifies him with the prophet Obadiah, but like most of these suggestions it is clearly valueless.<br /><br />

6. One of Jehoshaphat’s ministers of state (princes) entrusted with the task of teaching the law in Judah (<bibleref ref="2Chr.17.7">2 Chron 17:7</bibleref>).

7. A Levite of the family of Merari, one of the overseers of the repair work in the Temple under Josiah (<bibleref ref="2Chr.34.12">34:12</bibleref>).<br /><br />

8. The prophet (<bibleref ref="Obad.1.1-Obad.1.21">Obad 1</bibleref>). <em>See</em> [[Book of Obadiah]].<br /><br />

9. A postexilic descendant of David and Jehoiachin (<bibleref ref="1Chr.3.21">1 Chron 3:21</bibleref>).

10. A postexilic Levite, descendant of Jeduthun (<bibleref ref="1Chr.9.16">1 Chron 9:16</bibleref>). He is commonly identified with Abda (<bibleref ref="Neh.11.17">Neh 11:17</bibleref>).

11. A family head who returned from Babylonia to Jerusalem with Ezra (<bibleref ref="Ezra.8.9">Ezra 8:9</bibleref>).<br /><br />

12. One of the priests who signed the covenant with Nehemiah (<bibleref ref="Neh.10.5">Neh 10:5</bibleref>).<br /><br />

13. A Levitical gatekeeper in charge of the storehouses in the time of Nehemiah (<bibleref ref="Neh.12.25">Neh 12:25</bibleref>).<br /><br />

<h2>International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915)</h2>

(`obhadhyah, more fully `obhadhyahu, "servant of Yahweh"):<br /><br />

(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 (<bibleref ref="1Kgs.18.3-1Kgs.18.16">1Ki 18:3-16</bibleref>).

(2) The prophet (<bibleref ref="Obad.1.1">Ob 1:1</bibleref>).

See [[Book of Obadiah]].<br /><br />

(3) A descendant of David (<bibleref ref="1Chr.3.21">1Ch 3:21</bibleref>).

(4) A chief of the tribe of Issachar (<bibleref ref="1Chr.7.3">1Ch 7:3</bibleref>).

(5) A descendant of Saul (<bibleref ref="1Chr.8.38">1Ch 8:38</bibleref>; <bibleref ref="1Chr.9.44">9:44</bibleref>).

(6) A Levite descended from Jeduthun (<bibleref ref="1Chr.9.16">1Ch 9:16</bibleref>), identical with Abda (<bibleref ref="Neh.11.17">Ne 11:17</bibleref>).

(7) A chief of the Gadites (<bibleref ref="1Chr.12.9">1Ch 12:9</bibleref>).

(8) A Zebulunite, father of the chief Ishmaiah (<bibleref ref="1Chr.27.19">1Ch 27:19</bibleref>).

(9) One of the princes sent by Jehoshaphat to teach the law in Judah (<bibleref ref="2Chr.17.7">2Ch 17:7</bibleref>).

(10) A Merarite employed by Josiah to oversee the workmen in repairing the temple (<bibleref ref="2Chr.34.12">2Ch 34:12</bibleref>).<br /><br />

(11) The head of a family who went up with Ezra from Babylon (<bibleref ref="Ezra.8.9">Ezr 8:9</bibleref>).

(12) One of the men who sealed the covenant with Nehemiah (<bibleref ref="Neh.10.5">Ne 10:5</bibleref>).<br /><br />

(13) A gate-keeper in the days of Nehemiah (<bibleref ref="Neh.12.25">Ne 12:25</bibleref>).<br /><br />

The name "Obadiah" was common in Israel from the days of David to the close of the <span class="auto-link">[[Old Testament]]</span>. An ancient Hebrew seal bears the inscription "Obadiah the servant of the King."