Obadiah
     n 1: a Hebrew minor prophet [syn: Abdias]
     2: an Old Testament book telling Obadiah's prophecies; the
        shortest book in the Christian Bible [syn: Abdias, Book
        of Obadiah]

	

	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 (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."
   
     (2.) A chief of the tribe of Issachar (1 Chr. 7:3).
   
     (3.) A descendant of Saul (1 Chr. 8:38).
   
     (4.) A Levite, after the Captivity (1 Chr. 9:16).
   
     (5.) A Gadite who joined David at Ziklag (1 Chr. 12:9).
   
     (6.) A prince of Zebulun in the time of David (1 Chr. 27:19).
   
     (7.) One of the princes sent by Jehoshaphat to instruct the
   people in the law (2 Chr. 17:7).
   
     (8.) A Levite who superintended the repairs of the temple
   under Josiah (2 Chr. 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.

	

	Obadiah, servant of the Lord