Meaning
Obadiah servant of the Lord. (1.) An Israelite who was chief in the household of King Ahab (1Kings 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 See ms 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 (1Chr 7:3).
(3.) A descendant of Saul (1Chr 8:38).
(4.) A Levite, after the Captivity (1Chr 9:16).
(5.) A Gadite who joined David at Ziklag (1Chr 12:9).
(6.) A prince of Zebulun in the time of David (1Chr 27:19).
(7.) One of the princes sent by Jehoshaphat to instruct the people in the law (2Chr 17:7).
(8.) A Levite who superintended the repairs of the temple under Josiah (2Chr 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.
