Category:Obadiah

---excerpt from the Illustrated Bible Dictionary

Obadiah - Servant of the Lord. (1.) An Israelite who was chief in the household of King Ahab (1 Kings 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 (1 Kings 18:4, 1 Kings 18:13). Ahab seems to have held Obadiah in great honour, although he had no sympathy with his piety (1 Kings 18:5, 1 Kings 18:6, 1 Kings 18:7). The last notice of him is his bringing back tidings to Ahab that Elijah, whom he had so long sought for, was at hand (1 Kings 18:9). "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 (1 Chronicles 7:3). (3.) A descendant of Saul (1 Chronicles 8:38). (4.) A Levite, after the Captivity (1 Chronicles 9:16). (5.) A Gadite who joined David at Ziklag (1 Chronicles 12:9). (6.) A prince of Zebulun in the time of David (1 Chronicles 27:19). (7.) One of the princes sent by Jehoshaphat to instruct the people in the law (2 Chronicles 17:7). (8.) A Levite who superintended the repairs of the temple under Josiah (2 Chronicles 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.