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.”
- 1Kgs.18: And Ahab called Obadiah, which was the governor of his house. (Now Obadiah feared the LORD greatly:
- 1Kgs.18: For it was so, when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the LORD, that Obadiah took an hundred prophets, and hid them by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water.)
- 1Kgs.18: And Ahab said unto Obadiah, Go into the land, unto all fountains of water, and unto all brooks: peradventure we may find grass to save the horses and mules alive, that we lose not all the beasts.
- 1Kgs.18: So they divided the land between them to pass throughout it: Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went another way by himself.
- 1Kgs.18: And as Obadiah was in the way, behold, Elijah met him: and he knew him, and fell on his face, and said, Art thou that my lord Elijah?
- 1Kgs.18: So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him: and Ahab went to meet Elijah.