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The Daily Insight

Who was Obadiah in 1 Kings

Author

Rachel Hickman

Published Mar 27, 2026

Obadiah is a character in 1 Kings in the Hebrew Bible. He was a majordomo in charge of Ahab’s palace. According to 1 Kings 18:4, Obadiah hid a hundred prophets of God in two caves, fifty in each, to protect them from Jezebel, Ahab’s wife.

Who was Obadiah written to?

Obadiah delivered his prophecies to the Edomites, who were descendants of Esau, Jacob’s brother (see Genesis 25:30), and lived in the territory south of Judah.

What does the word Obadiah mean?

Definition of Obadiah 1 : a Hebrew prophet. 2 : a prophetic book of canonical Jewish and Christian Scripture — see Bible Table.

What was Obadiah's message?

Obadiah’s message, simultaneously occurring both within and outside of historical time, is a message of hope in the midst of a national catastrophe. Obadiah never fails to remind his readers that in the end of time Israel shall receive back what others had taken from her.

What did God do to Edom?

The book of Obadiah clearly shows that God’s wrath and judgment came upon Edom for mistreating a “brother” nation. God exercised authority in punishing Edom to the extent that no survivors were left for her.

What book comes before Obadiah?

In the Christian Old Testament, the collection appears as twelve individual books, one for each of the prophets: the Book of Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi.

Where is Obadiah found in the Bible?

The Book of Obadiah, the fourth book of the Twelve (Minor) Prophets, contains only 21 verses.

Who was Obadiah and what did he do?

Obadiah is a character in 1 Kings in the Hebrew Bible. He was a majordomo in charge of Ahab’s palace. According to 1 Kings 18:4, Obadiah hid a hundred prophets of God in two caves, fifty in each, to protect them from Jezebel, Ahab’s wife.

Where is Edom?

Edom, ancient land bordering ancient Israel, in what is now southwestern Jordan, between the Dead Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba. The Edomites probably occupied the area about the 13th century bc.

What was Obadiah known for?

He is identified with the Obadiah who was the servant of Ahab, and it is said that he was chosen to prophesy against Edom because he was himself an Edomite. … Obadiah is supposed to have received the gift of prophecy for having hidden the “hundred prophets” from the persecution of Jezebel.

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What is Edom in the Bible?

In the Hebrew bible, the Edomites were the descendants of Jacob’s brother Esau. … The kingdom, known as Edom, was in what is now known as the Arabah Valley, which falls within the boundaries of both Jordan and Israel. The area is the site of extensive copper-mining and smelting dating back to at least 4000 B.C..

Was Edom destroyed?

1186–1155 BC). Archaeological investigation has shown that the nation flourished between the 13th and the 8th century BC and was destroyed after a period of decline in the 6th century BC by the Babylonians.

Why did God want to destroy Edom?

According to Ezekiel 25:12-14 God will take revenge on the Edomites because they had grievously offended Judah. In this passage the guilt of Edom is not portrayed in great detail, but is seems safe to construe it as a reference to the ‘betrayal of Edom’.

Who did the Edomites worship?

Qos (Edomite: 𐤒𐤅‬‬𐤎 Qāws, later Qôs; Hebrew: קוֹס‎ Qōs) also Qaus (Akkadian: 𒋡𒍑 Qa-uš), or Koze (Greek: Kωζαι Kozai) was the national god of the Edomites. He was the Idumean rival of Yahweh, and structurally parallel to him.

What book comes after Obadiah?

King James BibleClementine VulgateDouay RheimsHoseaOseeOseeJoelJoelJoelAmosAmosAmosObadiahAdiaeAdias

What are the 14 books removed from the Bible?

  • 1 Esdras (Vulgate 3 Esdras)
  • 2 Esdras (Vulgate 4 Esdras)
  • Tobit.
  • Judith (“Judeth” in Geneva)
  • Rest of Esther (Vulgate Esther 10:4 – 16:24)
  • Wisdom.
  • Ecclesiasticus (also known as Sirach)
  • Baruch and the Epistle of Jeremy (“Jeremiah” in Geneva) (all part of Vulgate Baruch)

Who is the first prophet in the Bible?

The first prophet mentioned in the Bible is Enoch, who was seventh in line from Adam.

Who actually lives in Lapland?

Parts of Lapland are the home of Sámi people, the only indigenous people within the European Union, whose land, Sápmi, spreads across Norway, Sweden, Russia and Finland. Since 1996, Sámi have had constitutional self-government in their homeland in spheres of culture and language.

Is Obadiah a good name?

The name Obadiah is a boy’s name of Hebrew origin meaning “servant of God”. For the seriously audacious biblical baby namer who wants to move beyond Elijah and Josiah, this name has considerable old-fangled charm. … There are several other men named Obadiah in the Bible, as well as a Saint Obadiah.

What did Edom do to Israel?

After the famous king’s death, Edom rebelled as Israel split into two kingdoms: Israel in the north with Samaria as its capital and Judah in the south governed from Jerusalem. The split meant that Edom was independent for a time, but it also then had to deal with the Kingdom of Judah and a resurgent Egypt.

Where is libnah?

Libnah or Lobna (Hebrew: לִבְנָה‎, whiteness; Latin: Lobna) was an independent city, probably near the western seaboard of Israel, with its own king at the time of the Israelite occupation of Canaan. It is thought to have been an important producer of revenue, and one that rebelled against the Judahite crown.

Why did Esau despise his birthright?

Contrary to what people believe, Esau despised his birthright because God had proclaimed that his birthright equaled death. God gave favor to Jacob, who was the youngest.

Who is the father of Jezebel in the Bible?

Jezebel was the daughter of the priest-king Ethbaal, ruler of the Phoenician cities of Tyre and Sidon. When Jezebel married King Ahab of Israel (ruled c. 874–853 BCE), she persuaded him to introduce the worship of the Tyrian god Baal-Melkart, a nature god.

What is the shortest Bible verse?

“Jesus wept” (Koinē Greek: ἐδάκρυσεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς, romanized: edákrusen ho Iēsoûs, pronounced [ɛˈdakrysɛn (h)o i.eˈsus]) is a phrase famous for being the shortest verse in the King James Version of the Bible, as well as many other versions.

Where are Gog and Magog?

Some accounts and maps began to place the “Caspian Mountains”, and Gog and Magog, just outside the Great Wall of China.

Who was the king of Edom in 2 Kings 3?

2 Kings 3Order in the Christian part12

Who was the hairy man in the Bible?

Genesis 25:25 narrates Esau’s birth, “Now the first came forth red, all over like a hairy garment; and they named him Esau.” The meaning of the word esau itself is not entirely certain.

What nation came out of Esau?

The nation from Esau are the Edomites. Edom means RED. This is because of Esau selling his birthright for RED stew.