Obadiah

Obadiah (meaning servant of the LORD) was a common Israelite name borne by at least thirteen individuals in the Old Testament. The most important was Obadiah the steward of Ahab's palace, who feared the LORD greatly and secretly sheltered one hundred prophets from Jezebel's persecution, hiding them in two caves and feeding them (1 Kings 18:3–4). His encounter with Elijah, when Elijah commanded him to announce his presence to Ahab, reveals a man caught between conflicting loyalties — loyal to God yet dependent on the wicked king for his position.

Other notable bearers of the name include Obadiah the prophet, who is treated in the entry on the Book of Obadiah; various Levites who assisted in the religious reforms of Hezekiah and Josiah; a Gadite warrior who joined David at Ziklag (1 Chronicles 12:9); and a post-exilic leader under Nehemiah. The frequency of the name reflects the deep Israelite tradition of servant-of-God naming.