Obadiah (Steward of Ahab's Household)

Biblical Account

Obadiah appears only in 1 Kings 18:3–16. His name means "servant of the LORD" in Hebrew. Several people in the Bible bear this name, and he is generally understood to be a different person from the author of the prophetic book of Obadiah.

The King James Version calls him "the governor of his house," a high office responsible for managing the king's household affairs and royal property. The text introduces him with the words "Obadiah feared the LORD greatly" (1 Kings 18:3). When Queen Jezebel was killing the prophets of the LORD, he hid one hundred prophets in caves, fifty to a cave, and "fed them with bread and water" (1 Kings 18:4).

As the drought dragged on, Ahab and Obadiah divided the land between them, each going through the country to the springs of water in search of grass for the horses and mules. During this search Obadiah met Elijah on the way, recognized him, and fell on his face before him. Elijah told him to inform Ahab that he was there. Obadiah was at first afraid to do so: Ahab had searched the whole land for Elijah, and Obadiah feared that if the Spirit of the LORD carried Elijah away to some other place, he himself would be put to death. He also pointed out that he had feared the LORD from his youth and had hidden the prophets (1 Kings 18:12–13). When Elijah swore that he would surely show himself to Ahab that day, Obadiah went and told Ahab (1 Kings 18:15–16). This encounter leads into the contest on Mount Carmel. Obadiah does not appear again in Scripture.

Significance Within Scripture

Obadiah is portrayed as a man who remained faithful to the LORD even within a royal court where the worship of Baal had spread. Elijah later laments, "I, even I only, am left" (1 Kings 19:10), but the hundred prophets Obadiah hid show that even then there were others besides Elijah who served the LORD. The New Testament mentions the drought in Elijah's time (Luke 4:25; James 5:17), but it does not mention Obadiah by name.

Interpretation and Points of Discussion

• Assessment of his conduct: Many interpreters commend him as a man who retained his post within a wicked regime and used it to save lives. He is sometimes read alongside Joseph and Daniel, who served in foreign royal courts. Some sermons, however, contrast him with Elijah, who openly confronted the king, and point out the limitations of Obadiah's approach of keeping his faith without public display.
• Traditions outside the text: Some Jewish traditions identify him with the author of the prophetic book of Obadiah or describe him as a convert of Edomite origin. Josephus is reported to have identified the widow of one of the sons of the prophets who sought help from Elisha (2 Kings 4:1) as Obadiah's wife. These accounts are not stated in the biblical text itself.