The meaning of “עֹבַדְיָה”
Understanding ʻÔbadyâh reveals the original theological depth often simplified in translation.
or עֹבַדְיָהוּ ʻÔbadyâhûw (obad-yaw'-hoo); active participle of עָבַד and יָהּ; serving Jah Obadiah. - § Obadiah = "serv...
עֹבַדְיָה
or עֹבַדְיָהוּ ʻÔbadyâhûw (obad-yaw'-hoo); active participle of עָבַד and יָהּ; serving Jah Obadiah. - § Obadiah = "servant of Jehovah" - Obadjah, the name of thirteen Israelites 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
Occurrences in the Bible
| Reference | Text | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Kings 18:6 | “So they divided the land between them to pass throughout it: Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went another way by himself.” Word: עֹבַדְיָה (ʻÔbadyâh) | |
| 1 Chronicles 9:16 | “And Obadiah the son of Shemaiah, the son of Galal, the son of Jeduthun, and Berechiah the son of Asa, the son of Elkanah, that dwelt in the villages of the Netophathites.” Word: עֹבַדְיָה (ʻÔbadyâh) | |
| 2 Chronicles 34:12 | “And the men did the work faithfully: and the overseers of them were Jahath and Obadiah, the Levites, of the sons of Merari; and Zechariah and Meshullam, of the sons of the Kohathites, to set it forward; and other of the Levites, all that could skill of instruments of musick.” Word: עֹבַדְיָה (ʻÔbadyâh) | |
| Ezra 8:9 | “Of the sons of Joab; Obadiah the son of Jehiel, and with him two hundred and eighteen males.” Word: עֹבַדְיָה (ʻÔbadyâh) | |
| Nehemiah 12:25 | “Mattaniah, and Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, Akkub, were porters keeping the ward at the thresholds of the gates.” Word: עֹבַדְיָה (ʻÔbadyâh) |