One of the 12 so-called minor prophets of the Old Testament. Nothing is known of him except for his name, which means servant of God. His prohecies are contained in the shortest book of the Old Testament. The work may have originated soon after the fall of Jerusalem in 587/6 BC, but it is not always seen as a unified composition deriving from one time. It prophesies the fall of Edom in retribution for taking sides against Jerusalem, predicting judgment on the nations and the restoration of Israel at the final day of the Lord.
Obadiah (עֹבַדְיָה "Servant of the LORD", Standard Hebrew ʿOvadia, Tiberian Hebrew ʿŌḇaḏyāh, Vulgate Abdias) is the name of many people mentioned in the Hebrew Bible, the Old Testament.
Prophet Obadiah in rabbinic tradition
According to the Talmud, Obadiah is said to have been a descendant of Eliphaz, the friend of Job. Moreover, having lived with two such godless persons as Ahab and Jezebel without learning to act as they did, he seemed the most suitable person to prophesy against Esau (Edom), who, having been brought up by two pious persons, Isaac and Rebekah, had not learned to imitate their good deeds.
Obadiah is supposed to have received the gift of prophecy for having hidden the hundred prophets from the persecution of Jezebel.
Obadiah was very rich, but all his wealth was expended in feeding the poor prophets, until, in order to be able to continue to support them, finally he had to borrow money at interest from Ahab's son Jehoram (Midrash Exodus Rabbah xxxi.
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