Bible Strands
Obadiah
the name means serving Jah Strong's Lexicon
Obadiah was a palace administrator under King Ahab who feared the Lord and protected a hundred prophets during Jezebel's persecution.
From Easton's Bible Dictionary
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 (4, 13). Ahab seems 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."
Easton's Illustrated Bible Dictionary, 1897 — public domain, quoted in full and unedited.
First named at 1 Kings 18:3.
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Verses that name Obadiah
- 1 Kings 18:3 and Ahab summoned Obadiah, who was in charge of the palace. (Now Obadiah greatly feared the LORD,
- 1 Kings 18:4 for when Jezebel had slaughtered the prophets of the LORD, Obadiah had taken a hundred prophets and hidden them, fifty men per cave, providing them with food and water.)
- 1 Kings 18:5 Then Ahab said to Obadiah, “Go throughout the land to every spring and every valley. Perhaps we will find grass to keep the horses and mules alive so that we will not have to destroy any livestock.”
- 1 Kings 18:6 So they divided the land to explore. Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went the other way by himself.
- 1 Kings 18:7 Now as Obadiah went on his way, Elijah suddenly met him. When Obadiah recognized him, he fell facedown and said, “Is it you, my lord Elijah?”
- 1 Kings 18:16 So Obadiah went to inform Ahab, who went to meet Elijah.