Difference between revisions of "Obadiah"

<p> ("worshipper of Jehovah"; Arabic: Αbdallah .) </p> <p> 1. One of Israhiah's "five" sons, of [[Issachar]] (1 Chronicles 7:3). But as four only are mentioned, Kennicott with four manuscripts omits "and the sons of Israhiah," thus making him brother not father of Obadiah, and both sons of Uzzi. [[Syriac]] and Arabic have our text, but "four." </p> <p> 2. 1 Chronicles 8:38; 1 Chronicles 9:44. </p> <p> 3. 1 Chronicles 9:16; Nehemiah 12:24-25. </p> <p> 4. 1 Chronicles 3:21. </p> <p> 5. 1 Chronicles 12:8-9. </p> <p> 6. 2 Chronicles 17:7. </p> <p> 7. Ezra 8:9. </p> <p> 8. Nehemiah 10:5. </p> <p> 9. Over Ahab's house. A kind of lord high chamberlain or mayor of the palace (1 Kings 18:3). As there were saints in Nero's palace (Philippians 1:13; Philippians 4:22), so they were in wicked Ahab's palace. Had not his value as a servant made him necessary to Ahab, his piety would have destroyed him. The pressure of the drought in the third year was such that [[Ahab]] could trust none so well as Obadiah to search throughout the land for water to preserve his "beasts," his stud of "horses and mules." Ahab cared more for these than for his perishing subjects! In a corrupt court, in spite of the persecuting idolatrous queen Jezebel, "Obadiah feared Jehovah," not merely a little but "greatly." So much so that he dared to hide from her fury 100 prophets, feeding them by fifty in a cave (compare on love to the Lord's brethren, Matthew 25:40). Ahab went in one direction in search of water, Obadiah another by himself. The latter was startled by the sudden appearance of Elijah, who had disappeared since his first announcement of the drought coming at his word (1 Kings 17:1). Obadiah knew him and reverently fell on his face saying, "art thou that my lord Elijah?" </p> <p> The suddenness of his appearing and Obadiah's past avoidance of direct contact with him for prudence sake made him ask in order to be sure he was not making a mistake. [[Elijah]] told him to tell Ahab of his presence. Obadiah in distrustful fear (for [[Scripture]] records the failings as well as the graces of its heroes, for our learning) regarded the message as tantamount to his destruction, supposing the Spirit would carry Elijah elsewhere and so Ahab, disappointed of his victim, would wreak his vengeance on Obadiah. No boastful spirit, but a desire to deprecate Elijah's exposing him to death, prompted his mention of his services to the cause of God. He could truly say what ought to be a motto for the young, "I fear [[Jehovah]] from my youth" (compare 2 Timothy 3:15). Elijah's assurance that he would show himself to Ahab sufficed to dispel his fears and to re-establish his faith. After his return to Ahab we hear of him no more. [[Godliness]] is a hardy plant that can live amidst the frosts of persecution and the relaxing warmth of a corrupt court, and not merely in the conservatory of a pious family (1 Corinthians 10:13; Isaiah 27:3; 1 Peter 1:5). </p> <p> 10. The prophet. Many conjecture Obadiah to be the same as (Obadiah 1:6), but that is too early a date. His prophetic theme is Edom; and Edom's revolt under Joram, Jehoshaphat's son, is recorded 2 Chronicles 21:10. He stands fourth of the minor prophets in the [[Hebrew]] canon, fifth in the [[Septuagint]] [[Jerome]] makes him contemporary with Hosea, Joel, and Amos. This is more likely than that he was a contemporary of Jeremiah, and that he refers to Edom's cruelty to the [[Jews]] at Jerusalem's capture by the [[Chaldees]] in 2 Chronicles 21:11-16; 2 Chronicles 21:20 (compare Lamentations 4:21-22; Ezekiel 25:12-14; Ezekiel 25:35; Psalms 137:7). The prophecy of Obadiah is too terse and fresh and compact a whole to have been copied from Jeremiah. It must be Jeremiah who copies from Obadiah and stamps him as inpired; compare Obadiah 1:5 with Jeremiah 49:9; Obadiah 1:6 with Jeremiah 49:10; Obadiah 1:8 with Jeremiah 49:7. </p> <p> What is disjointed in Jeremiah is progressive and consecutive in Obadiah. Jeremiah would be more likely to copy from an old prophet than from a contemporary. The capture of [[Jerusalem]] alluded to by Obadiah is probably that by the [[Philistines]] and Arabs under [[Joram]] (2 Chronicles 21:8-10; 2 Chronicles 21:16-17), when Edom, who had just before revolted from under [[Judah]] and had been punished by Joram, in revenge gave an earnest of that unbrotherly cruelty which he in a still worse degree showed at Jerusalem's capture by Nebuchadnezzar. Amos 1:6; Amos 1:11, and Joel 4:19, refer to the same capture by Philistines and Arabs. It cannot be that by [[Israelites]] under [[Pekah]] in Amaziah's reign, for Obadiah calls the captors "strangers" and "foreigners" (Obadiah 1:11). He evidently belongs to the same prophetic cycle as Joel and Amos, and so is connected with them in the canon. </p> <p> Joel drew the outline which succeeding prophets fill in (compare Obadiah 1:10 with Joel 3:19; Amos 1:11; Obadiah 1:11 with Joel 3:3; Joel 3:5; Joel 3:17, where the language is the same, "strangers," "cast lots," "the day of the Lord," Obadiah 1:15; Joel 3:14. The same retribution in kind, Obadiah 1:15; Joel 3:4; Joel 3:7; Obadiah 1:17 also with Joel 3:17; Obadiah 1:18 with Joel 2:3; Joel 2:5; Obadiah 1:21 with Amos 9:12). Joel probably was in Joash's reign, Obadiah in Amaziah's, Amos in Uzziah's. [[Amaziah]] slew of [[Edom]] in the valley of Salt ten thousand, and took [[Selah]] by war (2 Kings 16:7), an earnest of Edom's foretold doom (Obadiah 1:1, etc.). </p> <p> CONTENTS. </p> <p> (I.) The doom of Edom (Obadiah 1:1-9). </p> <p> (II.) Cause of that doom (Obadiah 1:10-16). </p> <p> (III.) Re-establishment of [[Israel]] in their rightful possessions. </p> <p> Expanding southward, westward, eastward, and northward, they shall acquire additionally Edom, Philistia, and northern [[Canaan]] to [[Zarephath]] (Sarepta near Sidon). Benjamin's acquiring [[Gilead]] implies that the transjordanic tribes will acquire new possessions. (See EDOM for the fulfillment.) "Saviours shall come up on Mount [[Zion]] to judge the Mount of Esau, and the kingdom shall be the Lord's"; no longer under the usurping prince of this world. In the millennial kingdom to come there will be a "prince" not a "king" (Ezekiel 44:3; Ezekiel 44:7); "saviours" or "deliverers" like the "judges," bringing in sabbattic rest. </p> <p> The [[Maccabees]] (Judah's deliverers from [[Antiochus]] Epiphanes) who conquered Edom were types. "To judge Esau" means to punish, as 1 Samuel 3:13. Edom typifies Israel's and God's last foes (Isaiah 63:1-4). The Mount of [[Esau]] shall be abased before Mount Zion. [[Messiah]] will assume the kingdom with His transfigured saints, the [[Antitype]] to all former "saviours." They shall "judge the world," and as king priests shall be mediators of blessing to the nations in the flesh. (Daniel 2:44; Daniel 7:14; Daniel 7:27; Zechariah 14:9; Luke 1:33; Revelation 11:15; Revelation 19:6, "Alleluia! for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.") Obadiah quotes here Psalms 22:28, "the kingdom is the Lord's." </p> <p> 11. 1 Chronicles 27:19. </p> <p> 12. 2 Chronicles 34:12. </p>

<p> Obadi'ah. (servant of the Lord). </p> <p> 1. A man, whose sons are enumerated, in the genealogy of the tribe of Judah. 1 Chronicles 3:21. (B.C. 470). </p> <p> 2. A descendant of Issachar, and a chief man of his tribe. 1 Chronicles 7:3. (B.C. 1014). </p> <p> 3. One of the six sons of Azel, a descendant of Saul. 1 Chronicles 8:33; 1 Chronicles 9:44. (B.C. 720). </p> <p> 4. A Levite, son of Shemaiah, and descended from Jeduthun. 1 Chronicles 9:16; Nehemiah 12:25. </p> <p> 5. The second of the lion-faced Gadites, who joined David at Ziklag. 1 Chronicles 12:9. (B.C. 1054). </p> <p> 6. One of the Princes of Judah, in the reign of Jehoshaphat. 2 Chronicles 17:7. (B.C. 909). </p> <p> 7. The son of Jehiel, of the sons of Joab, who came up in the second caravan with Ezra. Ezra 8:9. </p> <p> 8. A priest, or family of priests, who settled the covenant with Nehemiah. Nehemiah 10:5. </p> <p> 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 book's 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. </p> <p> 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. </p> <p> 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). </p> <p> 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). </p> <p> 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). </p>

<p> 1. The governor of Ahab's house. He feared the Lord greatly, and had the boldness, in spite of Ahab and Jezebel, to hide a hundred of the prophets of Jehovah, and feed them with bread and water, when [[Jezebel]] was cutting off the prophets. When Elijah sent Obadiah to tell Ahab that he was there, he feared that the Spirit of the Lord would catch away Elijah, and he would be slain; but he obeyed, and Elijah met the king . Obadiah is a remarkable instance of how a servant who feared the Lord could maintain his integrity amid flagrant wickedness, though otherwise he seems out of his right place, for he was not separate like Elijah. His false position may account for his dwelling upon his own work for the Lord, and his fear for his life before Ahab. 1 Kings 18:3-16 . </p> <p> 2. Descendant of David. 1 Chronicles 3:21 . </p> <p> 3. Son of Izrahiah, a descendant of Issachar. 1 Chronicles 7:3 . </p> <p> 4. Son of Azel, a Benjamite. 1 Chronicles 8:38; 1 Chronicles 9:44 . </p> <p> 5. Son of Shemaiah, a Levite. 1 Chronicles 9:16 . [[Apparently]] called ABDA in Nehemiah 11:17 . </p> <p> 6. [[Gadite]] who resorted to David at Ziklag, 1 Chronicles 12:9 . </p> <p> 7. A Zebulunite, father of Ishmaiah. 1 Chronicles 27:19 . </p> <p> 8. Prince sent by [[Jehoshaphat]] to teach the people. 2 Chronicles 17:7 . </p> <p> 9. [[Levite]] who was overseer in the repairs of the temple. 2 Chronicles 34:12 . </p> <p> 10. Son of Jehiel: he returned from exile. Ezra 8:9 . </p> <p> 11. [[Priest]] who sealed the covenant. Nehemiah 10:5 . </p> <p> 12. Levite who acted as doorkeeper. Nehemiah 12:25 . </p> <p> 13. The prophet, of whom personally nothing is known. Obadiah 1:1 . </p>

<p> We meet with many of this name in Scripture. The name is evidently derived from Habad, a slave, or labourer; and the [[Jah]] being connected with it, renders the name Obad-jah, the Lord's servant, or slave or labourer. In a gospel-sense this is very blessed; for as slaves were purchased, so believers are said "to be bought with a price," and therefore, above all men, are called upon to "glorify God in their body and in their spirit, which are God's." (1 Corinthians 6:20) But Peter, the apostle, makes a beautiful contrast between the purchase of the slaves of men, and the purchased of the Lord. "Forasmuch (saith he) as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot." (1 Peter 1:18-19) </p> <p> We have no less than five men of the name of Obadiah in the first book of Chronicles, 1 Chronicles 3:21; 1Ch 7:3; 1Ch 8:38; 1Ch 9:16; and 1 Chronicles 12:9;—and one in the second book of the Chronicles, 2 Chronicles 17:7. There is another of this name, Nehemiah 10:5; and a principal man he was in signing the covenant. And we must not forget in this enumeration, the faithful Obadiah in the days of Ehjah. (See 1 Kings 18:1-46.) But the most important to us among the Obadiahs of the Scripture, is the one whom God the [[Holy]] [[Ghost]] raised up for a prophet and hath given to the church, even to this hour, this man's labours. See the prophecy of Obadiah. I do not presume to say as much, but I humbly would ask, whether the close of his man's vision hath not respect to the latter day glory, in a blessed event yet to be fulfilled. (See Obadiah 1:1:17-21) </p>

<p> <strong> OBADIAH </strong> is a name of a type common among the Semitic peoples; It occurs frequently in the OT, for the most part as the name of persons of whom little or nothing is known. It has also been found on an ancient Hebrew seal. For the meaning of the name, ‘servant of Jahweh,’ see art. [[Servant]] of the Lord, § <strong> 2 </strong> . The different persons thus named are <strong> 1 </strong> . The author of the Vision of Obadiah: see following article. <strong> 2 </strong> . Ahab’s steward, the protector of Jahweh’s prophets against Jezebel ( 1 Kings 18:3-16 ). This person lived in the 9th cent. b.c. 3. A descendant of [[Saul]] ( 1 Chronicles 8:38 ), who lived, to judge from his position in the genealogy, about b.c. 700. On the probable genuineness of the genealogy see G. B. Gray, <em> Studies in Heb. [[Proper]] [[Names]] </em> , p. 241 f. <strong> 4 </strong> . An Issacharite ( 1 Chronicles 7:3 ). <strong> 5 </strong> . A descendant of David in the 5th cent. b.c., if the Hebrew text ( 1 Chronicles 3:21 ) correctly makes him a grandson of Zerubbabel, but in the 4th if the LXX [Note: Septuagint.] is right and he belonged to the sixth generation after Zerubbabel. <strong> 6 </strong> . The head of a family who returned with Ezra ( Ezra 8:9 = <strong> [[Abadias]] </strong> of 1Es 8:35 ). <strong> 7 </strong> . A priestly contemporary of Nehemiah ( Nehemiah 10:5 ). <strong> 8 </strong> . A door-keeper ( Nehemiah 12:25 ). <strong> 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. </strong> Various persons in the genealogies or stories of the Chronicler ( 1 Chronicles 9:16 [= <strong> Abda, </strong> Nehemiah 11:17 ] 1 Chronicles 12:9 , 1Ch 27:19 , 2 Chronicles 17:7; 2 Chronicles 34:12 ). On the Chronicler’s use of such names, see G. B. Gray, <em> op. cit </em> ., pp. 170 190. </p> <p> G. B. Gray. </p>

<p> 1. The chief officer of king Ahab's household, who preserved the lives of one hundred prophets from the persecuting Jezebel, by concealing them in two caves and furnishing them with food, 1 Kings 18:4 . </p> <p> 2. The fourth of the minor prophets, supposed to have prophesied about 587 B. C. It cannot indeed be decided with certainty when he lived, but it is probable that he was contemporary with Jeremiah and Ezekiel, who denounced the same dreadful judgments on the Edomites, as the punishment of their pride, violence, and cruel insulting over the Jews after the destruction of their city. The prophecy, according to usher, was fulfilled about five years after the destruction of Jerusalem. </p> <p> 3. [[Eight]] or ten others of this name are mentioned in 1 Chronicles 3:21 7:3 8:38 9:16,44 12:9 27:19 2 Chronicles 17:7 34:12 Ezra 8:9 Nehemiah 10:5 . </p>

<p> Obadiah (ôla-dî'ah or ŏb'a-dî'ah), servant of Jehovah. The name of 13 persons in Scripture. The most noted of these were: 1. The officer of Ahab's court who hid 150 prophets from Jezebel. 2. The prophet whose prophecy is placed fourth among the minor prophecies. Absolutely nothing is known of his life. His prophecy was possibly uttered subsequently to b.c. 588, as we draw from verse 11. The captivity of this verse is in all probability that by [[Nebuchadnezzar]] in b.c. 588. </p> <p> [[Prophecy]] of, contains a general accusation of Edom, and an account of the prosperity of Zion when Jacob should return from his captivity and Esau be discomfited. There is a striking resemblance between the first nine verses of this prophecy and Jeremiah 49:7-16. One prophet must have read the other's prophecy. </p>

<p> the prophet is thought to have been the same as the governor of Ahab's house, 1 Kings 18:3 , &c; and some are of opinion, he was that Obadiah whom [[Josiah]] made overseer of the works of the temple, 2 Chronicles 34:12 . Indeed, the age in which this prophet lived is very uncertain. Some think that he was contemporary with Hosea, Amos, and Joel; while others are of opinion that he lived in the time of Jeremiah and Ezekiel, and that he delivered his prophecy about B.C. 585, soon after the destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar. His book, which consists of a single chapter, is written with great beauty and elegance, and contains predictions of the utter destruction of the Edomites, and of the future restoration and prosperity of the Jews. </p>

<li> 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. <div> <p> Copyright StatementThese dictionary topics are from M.G. Easton M.A., D.D., Illustrated [[Bible]] Dictionary, Third Edition, published by [[Thomas]] Nelson, 1897. Public Domain. </p> <p> Bibliography InformationEaston, Matthew George. Entry for 'Obadiah'. Easton's Bible Dictionary. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/ebd/o/obadiah.html. 1897. </p> </div> </li>

<p> The Bible mentions at least twelve people named Obadiah. The most important is the prophet who wrote about the [[Edomites]] (see OBADIAH, BOOK OF). Of the remainder, the best known is the manager of Ahab’s royal household. When all around him were worshipping Baal, this man remained faithful to God. He protected God’s prophets from Jezebel’s violence, and on one occasion carried a message from Elijah to Ahab (1 Kings 18:1-16). </p>

<p> Obadi´ah (servant of Jehovah), the name of several persons mentioned in Scripture. </p> <p> Obadiah, the fourth of the Minor Prophets according to the Hebrew, the fifth according to the Greek, and the eighth according to chronological arrangement, is supposed to have prophesied about the year B.C. 599. We have however, but a small fragment of his prophecies, and it is impossible to determine anything with certainty respecting himself or his history. It is evident from that he prophesied while Jerusalem was subjected to the yoke of the Chaldeans, and after the expatriation of several of the citizens—which refers him to the period after the seventh year of the captivity, B.C. 599. From a comparison of , with; , with; and , with , it is evident that one of these prophets had read the other's work. It is not easy, observes Calmet, to decide which of the two copied from the other; but from the fact that Jeremiah had made use of the writings of other prophets also, it has been generally concluded that Obadiah was the original writer. </p> <p> His prophecies are directed against the Edomites, and in this respect correspond with , , , and . He menaces Edom with destruction for their hostile feeling towards Judah, and their insulting conduct towards the Hebrews when Jerusalem was taken but consoles the Jews with a promise of restoration from their captivity, when the Hebrews and the Ten Tribes shall repossess both their land and that of Edom and Philistia—a prophecy which was fulfilled in the time of the Maccabees, under John Hyrcanus, B.C. 125. </p> <p> The language of Obadiah is pure; but Jahn and others have observed that he is inferior to the more ancient prophets in his too great addiction to the interrogatory form of expression (see ). His sentiments are noble, and his figures bold and striking. </p> <p> Obadiah, the governor of King Ahab's household, and high in the confidence of his master, notwithstanding his aversion to the idolatries which the court patronized. In the persecution raised by Jezebel, Obadiah hid one hundred of the Lord's prophets in caves, and supplied them secretly with nourishment during the famine. It was this person, when sent out to explore the country in the vain search of pasture unconsumed by the drought, whom Elijah encountered when about to show himself to Ahab, and who was reluctantly prevailed upon to conduct the prophet to his master , B.C. 906. </p> <p> One of the heroes of the tribe of Gad, who joined David at Ziklag . </p> <p> One of the nobles whom Jehoshaphat sent to teach in the cities of Judah . </p> <p> One of the [[Levites]] who presided over the restoration of the temple under Josiah . </p> <p> Obadiah, the head of a party, consisting of 218 males, with females and children in proportion, who returned with Ezra from [[Babylon]] . </p> <p> One of the priests who sealed the written covenant which Nehemiah caused the people to enter into . </p> <p> Other persons of this name occur in;;;;; . </p>

<p> ''''' ō ''''' - ''''' ba ''''' - ''''' dı̄´a ''''' ( עבדיה , <i> ''''' ‛ōbhadhyāh ''''' </i> , more fully עבדיהוּ , <i> ''''' ‛ōbhadhyāhū ''''' </i> , "servant of Yahweh"): </p> <p> (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 Kings 18:3-16 ). </p> <p> (2) The prophet (Obadiah 1:1 ). See [[Obadiah]] , Book Of . </p> <p> (3) A descendant of David (1 Chronicles 3:21 ). </p> <p> (4) A chief of the tribe of Issachar (1 Chronicles 7:3 ). </p> <p> (5) A descendant of Saul (1 Chronicles 8:38; 1 Chronicles 9:44 ). </p> <p> (6) A L evite descended from Jeduthun (1 Chronicles 9:16 ), identical with [[Abda]] (Nehemiah 11:17 ). </p> <p> (7) A chief of the [[Gadites]] (1 Chronicles 12:9 ). </p> <p> (8) A Z ebulunite, father of the chief [[Ishmaiah]] (1 Chronicles 27:19 ). </p> <p> (9) One of the princes sent by Jehoshaphat to teach the law in Judah (2 Chronicles 17:7 ). </p> <p> (10) A M erarite employed by Josiah to oversee the workmen in repairing the temple (2 Chronicles 34:12 ). </p> <p> (11) The head of a family who went up with Ezra from Babylon (Ezra 8:9 ). </p> <p> (12) One of the men who sealed the covenant with Nehemiah (Nehemiah 10:5 ). </p> <p> (13) A gate-keeper in the days of Nehemiah (Nehemiah 12:25 ). </p> <p> 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." </p>

<p> A Hebrew prophet who appears to have lived about 588 B.C., shortly after the destruction of Jerusalem, at which the Edomites had assisted, and whose prophecy was written to assure the exiles in Babylon that the judgment of God had gone forth against Edom, and that with the execution of it Israel would be restored. </p>