Obed-Edom

Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary

We have the honourable testimony which God the Holy Ghost gave of this man,  2 Samuel 6:9-12; and again recorded,  1 Chronicles 13:13-14. And his numerous family,  1 Chronicles 26:4-5. His name is compounded of Obed, slave—and Edom, or the Idumean. But as Obed-jah, the prophet, was called the slave or labourer of the Lord, so Obed-edom, the slave of the Adam or Edom, the earth or earthy, was eminently the Lord's chosen for that peculiar service of receiving the ark, when David himself trembled on the occasion.

But I hope the reader, in beholding the blessing of the Lord upon Obed-edom and his house, for the ark of God's sake, will not overlook the cause. That ark was a type of the ever-blessed Jesus. In receiving the ark into his house, into his family, and among his people, he did, to all intents and purposes, receive Christ into his heart, and like the faithful descendant of the faithful Abraham, "saw the day of Christ afar off, rejoiced, and was glad."

Obed-edom was no stranger to the dreadful consequences which had fallen on the Philistines for their daring impiety, in taking the ark of God, and detaining it. He could be no stranger to the awful death of Uzzah, for touching it presumptuously; for, no doubt, it was in every one's mouth. Nay, he could not but know that the reason wherefore David wished Obed-edom to take the ark into his house was, because he was afraid to take it into his own. What was it then, that prompted the mind of this pious faithful Gittite to receive the ark of God under such alarming circumstances? What was it, but thy grace almighty Lord, that taught him to rejoice in thee and thy favour, while others were trembling under thy judgments? Oh! the blessedness of' distinguishing grace, which makes that to thy people "a savour of life unto life," whilst to others it becomes"a savour of death unto death." Three whole months was Obed-edom favoured with the abode of the ark. No doubt, the tokens of the divine presence were so visibly bestowed upon this man and his household, that the whole neighborhood, yea, the whole kingdom, could not but take notice of it; for it is said, "that it was told king David, saying, the Lord hath blessed the house of Obed-edom, and all that pertained to him, because of the ark of God,"  2 Samuel 6:12.

Hear this ye parents, masters of families, and guardians of houses, interested in your own present and everlasting welfare, and that of your young ones of the rising generation. Behold the blessedness in Obed-edom, and all that pertained to him, for receiving the ark of God into his house. And observe the special time when this was done. It was when others trembled, he was made hold with an holy boldness. When none ventured to serve the interest of God, and to receive his ark, he was faithful.

And what is it now? If that ark was a type of Christ, who are they that may be said to be faithful in the midst of the present perverse and crooked generation, but they who receive Christ Jesus the Lord into their hearts, and houses, and families, whilst others despise him! Who are the Obed-edoms of the present day, but such as receive Christ Jesus the Lord, and walk in him, and live to him, and rejoice in him, as the Lord our Righteousness! And if there ever was a day of peculiar blessedness, for the manifesting this distinguishing love to Jesus and his cause, surely the present is the one. Oh! for grace, therefore, that while the ark of God, the Christ of God, is shut out of such numberless houses in this adulterous and sinful generation, many an Obed-edom may yet be found in our British Israel to welcome the Lord Jesus to their hearts, and he, and he alone, be formed there the hope of glory. Hail Obed-edom, thou faithful servant of thy Lord! Ever will thy memory be blessed in the church; and when the temple of God is opened again in heaven, as it was to the beloved apostle ( Revelation 11:19.) and the ark of the Testament is beheld by the whole church, still will it be held in everlasting remembrance how the Lord blessed the house of Obed-edom upon earth, for the ark of God's sake.

Holman Bible Dictionary

serving Edom

1. A Philistine from Gath who apparently was loyal to David and Israel. At Obed-edom's house David left the ark of the covenant following the death of Uzzah at the hand of God ( 2 Samuel 6:6-11 ). Obed-edom was unusually blessed of God (probably a reference to prosperity) during the three months the ark was at his house. 2. A Levite who served as both gatekeeper and musician in the tabernacle in Jerusalem during David's reign (1Chronicles 15:18, 1 Chronicles 15:24;  1 Chronicles 16:5 ). His duties related especially to the ark of the covenant. A guild of Levites may have adopted the name “Obed-edom” as their title as keepers of the ark.

3. A member of the Korhites (1Chronicles 26:1, 1 Chronicles 26:4-8 ) who kept the south of the Temple ( 1 Chronicles 26:15 ).

4. A keeper of the sacred vessels of the Temple. Joash of Israel took him with the sacred vessels to Samaria following his capture of Jerusalem and of Amaziah king of Judah ( 2 Chronicles 25:23-24 ).

Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible

Obed-Edom . 1. A Philistine, a native of Gath, who lived in or near Jerusalem. In his house David deposited the ark after the death of Uzzah, and here it remained three months, bringing a blessing by its presence (  2 Samuel 6:10 f.,   1 Chronicles 13:14 ). It is in all probability the same O. that appears as 2. The eponym of a family of door-keepers in the Temple (  1 Chronicles 15:18;   1 Chronicles 15:24;   1 Chronicles 16:38; 1Ch 26:4;   1 Chronicles 26:8;   1 Chronicles 26:15 ,   2 Chronicles 25:24 ). 3. The eponym of a post-exilic family of singers (  1 Chronicles 15:21;   1 Chronicles 16:5 ).

Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary

son of Jeduthun, a Levite,  1 Chronicles 16:38 , and the father of Shemaiah and others,  1 Chronicles 16:5 . We learn that the Lord blessed this man exceedingly, on account of the ark resting under his roof,  2 Samuel 6:10-11 . David having removed the ark to the place he had previously prepared for its reception, Obed-Edom and his sons were appointed to be keepers of the doors of the temple,  1 Chronicles 15:18;  1 Chronicles 15:21 . Obed-Edom is called the Gittite, probably because he was of Gathrimmon, a city of the Levites beyond Jordan,  Joshua 21:24-25 .

People's Dictionary of the Bible

Obed-edom ( Ô'Bed-Ç'Dom ) Servant Of Edom. 1. A Gittite who lived in David's time,  1 Chronicles 13:13, and at whose house the ark was left, after the dreadful death of Uzzah.  2 Samuel 6:6-10. The blessing which came on the house of Obed-edom for the ark's sake encouraged David to remove it to Jerusalem.  2 Samuel 6:10 to  2 Samuel 12:2. The temple-treasurer in the reign of Amaziah.  2 Chronicles 25:24.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

One who had charge of the temple treasures ( 2 Chronicles 25:24 ).

Copyright Statement These dictionary topics are from M.G. Easton M.A., DD Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Third Edition, published by Thomas Nelson, 1897. Public Domain.

Bibliography Information Easton, Matthew George. Entry for 'Obed-Edom'. Easton's Bible Dictionary. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/ebd/o/obed-edom.html. 1897.

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

A Levite, whose special prosperity while keeper of the ark after the dreadful death of Uzziah encouraged David to carry it up to Jerusalem. Obed-edom and his sons were made doorkeepers of the tabernacle at Jerusalem,  2 Samuel 6:10-12;  1 Chronicles 15:18-24;  16:38;  26:4 -  8,15 .

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature

(Heb. Obed'-edom', עֹבֶד אדֵוֹם , Servant Of Edom; Sept. in 2 Samuel Ο᾿Βὴθ Ε᾿Δώμ , in Chronicles Ἀβεδδαρά , Ἀβδεδόμ , Ἀβδοδόμ , with many other v. rr.), the name apparently of three Levites.

1. A person in whose premises, and under whose care, the ark was deposited when the death of Uzzah caused David to apprehend danger in taking it farther. B.C. 1043. It remained there three months, during which the family of Obed-edom so signally prospered that the king was encouraged to resume his first intention, which he then happily carried into effect ( 2 Samuel 6:10-12;  1 Chronicles 13:13-14;  1 Chronicles 15:25). We learn from  1 Chronicles 16:38, where the name is used generically, that Obededom's connection with the ark did not then terminate, he and his family having charge of the doors of the sanctuary ( 1 Chronicles 15:18;  1 Chronicles 15:24). This individual is distinguished from the following, whose time, functions, and circumstances closely resemble his, by the clear indications in the text:

(a.) He is described as a Gittite ( 2 Samuel 6:10-11), that is, probably, a native of the Levitical city of Gath-Rimmon in Dan, which was assigned to the Kohathites ( Joshua 21:25), and is thus distinguished from "Obed- edom the son of Jeduthun," who was a Merarite. (See Jeduthun). That the former was a Kohathite or Korhite is plain from  1 Chronicles 26:1;  1 Chronicles 26:8.

(b.) In one passage ( 1 Chronicles 16:38) they are both named separately. It is Obed-edom the Gittite who was appointed to sound "with harps on the Sheminith to excel" ( 1 Chronicles 15:21;  1 Chronicles 16:5). That it was also he, with his family of eight sons and their children, "mighty men of valor" ( 1 Chronicles 26:4-8), who kept the south gate ( 1 Chronicles 26:15) and the house of Asuppim, is evident from the expression of the chronicler ( 1 Chronicles 26:5), adding, "for God blessed him," referring apparently to  2 Samuel 6:11, "the Lord blessed Obededom and all his household." J. Rowland, in Fairbairn's Dictionary, remarks, "The site of Obed-edom's house is still a remarkable spot. About two miles from the site of Kirjath- jearim, near Chesla, or ancient Chesalon, on the way thence to Jerusalem, a little beyond Khirbet el-Uz, or the ruins of Uzzah, Perez-uzzah, on the right-hand side of the road, is a little ravine; and on the other side of that ravine — i.e. on the south side of it-is a high and prominent ridge, in the western extremity of which is a little depression, a flat space or plateau, about three or four acres of land, intensely green, surrounded by a belt of trees, and called Kuryet es Suideh, the Blessed City, or abode of the Blessed One." (See Kirjath-Jearim).

2. A son of Jeduthun, and one of the Temple wardens ( 1 Chronicles 16:38, second clause; and apparently mentioned there only). B.C. 1043.

3. A person who had charge of the sacred vessels in the time of Amaziah, king of Judah ( 2 Chronicles 25:24). B.C. cir. 835. But the name is possibly generic here also (see 1), and may merely denote the descendants of the Obed-edom in whose house the ark had rested.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ō´bed - ē´dom ( עבד־אדום (  2 Chronicles 25:24 ), עבד־אדם (  2 Samuel 6:10;  1 Chronicles 13:13 ,  1 Chronicles 13:14;  1 Chronicles 15:25 ), but elsewhere without hyphen, ‛ōbhēdh - 'ĕdhōm ,"servant of (god) Edom"; so W. R. Smith, Religion of Semites2 , 42, and H. P. Smith, Samuel , 294 f, though others explain it as = "servant of man"): In  2 Samuel 6:10 ,  2 Samuel 6:11 ,  2 Samuel 6:12;  1 Chronicles 13:13 ,  1 Chronicles 13:14 a Philistine of Gath and servant of David, who received the Ark of Yahweh into his house when David brought it into Jerusalem from Kiriath-jearim. Because of the sudden death of Uzzah, David was unwilling to proceed with the Ark to his citadel, and it remained three months in the house of Obed-edom, "and Yahweh blessed Obed-edom, and all his house" (  2 Samuel 6:11 ). According to  1 Chronicles 13:14 the Ark had a special "house" of its own while there. He is probably the same as the Levite of   1 Chronicles 15:25 . In  1 Chronicles 15:16-21 Obed-edom is a "singer," and in   1 Chronicles 15:24 a "doorkeeper," while according to   1 Chronicles 26:4-8 ,  1 Chronicles 26:15 he is a Korahite doorkeeper, to whose house fell the overseership of the storehouse (  1 Chronicles 26:15 ), while  1 Chronicles 16:5 ,  1 Chronicles 16:38 names him as a "minister before the ark," a member of the house or perhaps guild of Jeduthun (see   2 Chronicles 25:24 ).

Obed-edom is an illustration of the service rendered to Hebrew religion by foreigners, reminding one of the Simon of Cyrene who bore the cross of Jesus ( Matthew 27:32 , etc.). The Chronicler naturally desired to think that only Levites could discharge such duties as Obed-edom performed, and hence, the references to him as a Levite.

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Kitto's Popular Cyclopedia of Biblial Literature

O´bed-E´dom (serving Edom), a Levite in whose premises, and under whose care, the ark was deposited, when the death of Uzzah caused David to apprehend danger in taking it farther. It remained here three months, during which the family of Obed-edom so signally prospered, that the king was encouraged to resume his first intention, which he then happily carried into effect . We learn from , that Obed-Edom's connection with the ark did not then terminate, he and his brethren having charge of the doors of the sanctuary .