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1 Kings 18:3 — Word Study

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WLCוַיִּקְרָ֣א אַחְאָ֔ב אֶל־ עֹבַדְיָ֖הוּ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עַל־ הַבָּ֑יִת וְעֹבַדְיָ֗הוּ הָיָ֥ה יָרֵ֛א אֶת־ יְהוָ֖ה מְאֹֽד׃

BSAand AhabʼAchʼâb [the king of Israel] summonedqârâʼ ObadiahʻÔbadyâh [the governor of his house, in charge of the palace] whoʼăsher was in charge ofʻal the palacebayith [the king's household] Now ObadiahʻÔbadyâh [a devout follower] greatlymᵉʼôd fearedyârêʼ [revered, stood in awe of] the LORDYᵉhôvâh [Yehovah, the supreme God, the one true God, Creator of all]

Word
Listen & take away1 Kings 18
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 3 is in this chapter.
Hebrew ↓ Download MP3 The Masoretic text of this chapter, read aloud. Read by Abraham Shmuelof, courtesy of Audio Scriptures International. Chapter divisions by the Academy of Ancient Languages..
Say the word Each Hebrew word carries its transliteration (me.'Od) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
1 Kings 18:3quick helps
In a sentenceAhab, the king of Israel, summoned Obadiah, who was in charge of the palace and greatly feared the LORD.
Who is speakingAhab, the king of Israel, addressing Obadiah.
Where we areThe context is a moment during a severe famine in Samaria.
The hard wordיָרֵא, ya.Re'
Take awayObadiah's fear of the LORD sets him apart as a devout follower.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause subjectאַחְאָב verbקָרָא The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
How rare are these words?in the Old Testament

Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.

Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.

Deep Study — 1 Kings 18:3

Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.

Context — The Encounter Between Ahab and Obadiahgenerated

2So Elijah went to present himself to Ahab. The famine was severe in Samaria,
3and Ahab summoned Obadiah, who was in charge of the palace. (Now Obadiah greatly feared the LORD,
4for when Jezebel had slaughtered the prophets of the LORD, Obadiah had taken a hundred prophets and hidden them, fifty men per cave, providing them with food and water.)
5Then Ahab said to Obadiah, “Go throughout the land to every spring and every valley. Perhaps we will find grass to keep the horses and mules alive so that we will not have to destroy any livestock.”

1 Kings 18:3 describes a critical moment in the narrative where Ahab, facing a severe famine, calls upon Obadiah, the governor of his household. This passage highlights the dynamics of power and faith during a time of crisis, as Obadiah is noted for his deep reverence for the LORD amidst the corrupt reign of Ahab and Jezebel.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Genesis 24:2–10So Abraham instructed the chief servant of his household, who managed all he owned, “Place your hand under my thigh,
2Genesis 39:4–5Joseph found favor in his sight and became his personal attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household and entrusted him with everything he owned.
3Genesis 41:40You shall be in charge of my house, and all my people are to obey your commands. Only with regard to the throne will I be greater than you.”
41 Kings 18:12I do not know where the Spirit of the LORD may carry you off when I leave you. Then when I go and tell Ahab and he does not find you, he will kill me. But I, your servant, have feared the LORD from my youth.
5Genesis 22:12“Do not lay a hand on the boy or do anything to him,” said the angel, “for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your only son from me. ”

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 13 references, hung on the phrase they belong to


The Key Word יָרֵא, ya.Re'generated

The Hebrew word יָרֵא (yare') is a participle that conveys the idea of fear, but also includes the connotation of reverence or awe. It is derived from a root that emphasizes both the emotional response of fear and the moral aspect of respect towards God.

In this verse, Obadiah's fear of the LORD signifies his loyalty and devotion, distinguishing him from the corrupt practices of Ahab. The use of this word illustrates a key theme in the text: the contrast between those who revere God and those who do not.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The main verb of the verse is יִּקְרָ֣א, he summoned, which governs the entire sentence. It is followed by a noun phrase identifying the subject, אַחְאָ֔ב, Ahab, and a prepositional phrase indicating who was called, עֹבַדְיָ֗הוּ, Obadiah.

The structure highlights Ahab's action of summoning, while the subsequent clause provides information about Obadiah's character, emphasizing his reverence for the LORD.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

In the Septuagint, the Hebrew יָרֵא is rendered as φοβούμενος, which conveys a similar sense of fear but may carry a slightly different nuance in Greek, often focusing more on the emotional response rather than the moral aspect of reverence.

This choice reflects the translators' understanding of the term and its significance in the context of Obadiah's character as a devout follower of the LORD.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

1 Kings 18:3 tells us that Ahab, the king of Israel, summoned Obadiah, who was in charge of the palace. Obadiah is noted for greatly fearing the LORD, which highlights his devotion in contrast to Ahab's actions.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

Who was Ahab?

Ahab was a king of Israel known for his marriage to Jezebel and for leading Israel into idolatry and sin.

What does it mean that Obadiah feared the LORD?

Obadiah's fear of the LORD indicates his deep reverence and commitment to God, setting him apart in a time of widespread corruption.

What role did Obadiah play in Ahab's court?

Obadiah served as the governor of Ahab's household, managing the palace and overseeing the king's affairs.

How does this verse reflect the relationship between Ahab and Obadiah?

The verse shows Ahab's authority as king and Obadiah's loyalty and fear of the LORD, highlighting a tension between Ahab's actions and Obadiah's faith.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. What does it mean to fear the LORD in today's context?
  2. How can I demonstrate reverence for God in my daily life?
  3. In what ways can I stand firm in my faith like Obadiah did?
  4. How do the actions of Ahab and Obadiah reflect the choices we face in our own lives?

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on 1 Kings 18:3 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And Ahab called Obadiah, which was the governor of his house,.... Perhaps his steward: the Jews (m) take him to be Obadiah the prophet, who wrote the small prophecy that goes by his name: (now

Read John Gill on 1 Kings 18 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

And Ahab called Obadiah, which was the governor of his house. (Now Obadiah feared the LORD greatly: Obadiah feared the Lord greatly.

Read Robert Jamieson on 1 Kings 18 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Which was the governor of his house; being valued by Ahab for his great prudence and fidelity, and therefore indulged as to the worship of the calves and Baal. Obadiah feared the Lord greatly. Quest. How could he and some other Israelites be said to fear the Lord, when they did not go up to Jerusalem to worship, as God had commanded? Answ. Although they seem not to be wholly excusable in this neglect, because they should have preferred God’ s service before their worldly commodity, according to the good example of the priests and Levites, and the generality of the godly people who did so, ,16; yet because they worshipped God in spirit and truth, and performed all moral duties to God and…

Read Matthew Poole on 1 Kings 18 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

1 Kings 18:3 And Ahab called Obadiah, which [was] the governor of [his] house. (Now Obadiah feared the LORD greatly:Ver. 3. And Ahab called Obadiah.] Who was neither the prophet Odadiah, as some have thought, nor that good captain over fifty, who begged his life of Elijah, but another, a good officer, under wicked Ahab; such as was also Jacob to Laban, Joseph to Pharaoh, Naaman to Benhadad, Mordecai to Ahashuerus, Nehemiah to Artaxerxes, some good people in Nero’ s house, Trajan to Valens, Cromwell to Henry VIII, &c. Now Obadiah feared God greatly.] And God bore with him, though he hazarded not his life and liberty for the legal ceremonies.

Read John Trapp on 1 Kings 18 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(3) Obadiah.—The name (“servant of Jehovah”) here corresponds to the character of the man. It is curiously significant of the hesitating and temporising attitude of Ahab, that, while Jezebel is suffered to persecute, a high officer in the court is able to profess openly the service of Jehovah, and secretly to thwart the cruelty of the queen. In his heart Ahab always seems to acknowledge the true God, but is overborne by the commanding and ruthless nature of Jezebel.

Read Charles John Ellicott on 1 Kings 18 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 3. Obadiah feared the Lord greatly] He was a sincere and zealous worshipper of the true God, and his conduct towards the persecuted prophets was the full proof both of his piety and humanity.

Read AdamClarke on 1 Kings 18 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

3. Obadiah] The Hebrew word Obadjahu, signifies ‘servant of Jehovah,’ and is a frequent name in the Old Testament, the most conspicuous person so called being the prophet who was contemporary with Jeremiah. See Obadiah 1:1. which was the governor of his house] R.V. more literally, which was over the household. See above 1 Kings 16:9.

Read Cambridge on 1 Kings 18 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Obadiah’s name, “servant of Yahweh,” indicates his religious character. It corresponds to the modern Arabic name Abdallah.

Read Albert Barnes on 1 Kings 18 →

The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company

Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.

Modern formal

BSBBerean Standard Bible2020

and Ahab summoned Obadiah, who was in charge of the palace. (Now Obadiah greatly feared the LORD,

WEBWorld English Bible2000

Ahab called Obadiah, who was over the household. (Now Obadiah feared Yahweh greatly;

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

and Ahab summoned Obadiah, who was in charge of the palace. (Now Obadiah greatly feared the LORD,

NETBNew English Translation2006

So Ahab summoned Obadiah, who supervised the palace. (Now Obadiah was a very loyal follower of the Lord.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

And Ahab called Obadiah, which was the governor of his house. (Now Obadiah feared the LORD greatly:

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

And Ahab called Obadiah, who was over the household. (Now Obadiah feared Jehovah greatly:

RVARevised Version, American1894

And Ahab called Obadiah, which was over the household. (Now Obadiah feared the LORD greatly:

NWBWebster's Bible1833

And Ahab called Obadiah who was the governor of his house. (Now Obadiah feared the LORD greatly:

GNVGeneva Bible1599

And Ahab called Obadiah the gouernour of his house: (and Obadiah feared God greatly:

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

And Ahab called Obadiah, who was the steward of his house (now Obadiah feared Jehovah greatly;

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

and Ahab calleth unto Obadiah, who [is] over the house — and Obadiah hath been fearing Jehovah greatly,

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

and Ahab calls to Obadiah, who [is] over the house—and Obadiah has been fearing YHWH greatly,

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

And Achab called 'Obadiah, who was the superintendent of the house;—(now 'Obadiah feared the Lord greatly;

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

Ahab called Obadiah, who was in charge of the palace. Now Obadiah honored Yahweh very much,

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

And Achab called Abdias the governor of his house: now Abdias feared the Lord very much.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

Ahab summoned Obadiah, the manager of his palace (Obadiah was a very sincere believer in the Lord.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

And Ahab sent for Obadiah, the controller of the king's house. (Now Obadiah had the fear of the Lord before him greatly;

Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.


The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank

This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.

וַandclauseverbיִּקְרָ֣אhe.summonedsubjectאַחְאָ֔בAhabprepositional phrase · prepositionalאֶל(to)noun phraseעֹבַדְיָ֖הוּObadiahrelpאֲשֶׁ֣רwhoclauseprepositional phrase · predicateעַל[was].overnoun phraseהַtheבָּ֑יִתhouseholdוְandclausesubjectעֹבַדְיָ֗הוּObadiahverbהָיָ֥הhe.wasadjective phrase · objectclauseverbיָרֵ֛אfearingnoun phrase · objectאֶת(et)יְהוָ֖הYahwehadverbialמְאֹֽדexceedingly

Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.


The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran

The Masoretic Text reads וַיִּקְרָ֣א אַחְאָ֔ב אֶל־ עֹבַדְיָ֖הוּ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עַל־ הַבָּ֑יִת וְעֹבַדְיָ֗הוּ הָיָ֥ה יָרֵ֛א אֶת־ יְהוָ֖ה מְאֹֽד׃, which aligns closely with the Septuagint's rendering, though the word order and specific articles differ.

Masoretic TextLeningrad Codex, c. AD 1008 — the text this page is built on

וַיִּקְרָ֣א אַחְאָ֔ב אֶל־ עֹבַדְיָ֖הוּ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עַל־ הַבָּ֑יִת וְעֹבַדְיָ֗הוּ הָיָ֥ה יָרֵ֛א אֶת־ יְהוָ֖ה מְאֹֽד׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
וַיִּקְרָ֣אἐκάλεσενאַחְאָ֔בαξααβאֶל־τὸνעֹבַדְיָ֖הוּαβδιουאֲשֶׁ֣רτὸνוְעֹבַדְיָ֗הוּαβδιουהָיָ֥הἦνיָרֵ֛אφοβούμενοςמְאֹֽד׃σφόδρα

9 of the 13 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.

Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.


The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with

This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.

1 Kings 18:3קָרָאand he summand he summonedקָרָאאַחְאָבAhabAhabאַחְאָבאֶלאֶלעֹבַדְיָ֫הוּObadiahObadiahעֹבַדְיָ֫הוּאֲשֶׁרwhowhoאֲשֶׁרעַל[was] over[was] overעַלבֵּיתthe househothe householdבֵּיתעֹבַדְיָ֫הוּand Obadiahand Obadiahעֹבַדְיָ֫הוּהָיָהhe washe wasהָיָהיָרֵאfearingfearingיָרֵאאֵתthe object the object markאֵתיהוהYahwehYahwehיהוהמְאֹדexceedinglyexceedinglyמְאֹדבָּנָהto buildto buildבָּנָהאָחbrother: mbrother: male-sאָחעָבַדto serveto serveעָבַדיָהּLORDLORDיָהּיָרֵאto fearto fearיָרֵאאוֹתsign: mirasign: miraculouאוֹתהָיָהto beto beהָיָהקָרָאto encountto encounter: mקָרָאעַלheightheightעַלהָוָאto fallto fallהָוָאאוּדfirebrandfirebrandאוּדבֶּן־חַ֫יִלבֶּן־חַ֫יִלבֹּֽכְרוּBocheruBocheruבֹּֽכְרוּצוֹםfastfastצוֹםשֵׁםnamenameשֵׁםיְהוֹרָםJoramJoramיְהוֹרָםיִזְרְעֶאל(Valley of(Valley of) Jezיִזְרְעֶאלפָּלַלto prayto prayפָּלַל
meets it a little oftener than chancemeets it far oftener than chancebuilt from the same roottwo words of the verse share ita word of this versea related word

Lexicons — every word in 1 Kings 18:3

One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.

Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.

and he summoned Ahab Obadiah who [was] over the household and Obadiah he was fearing the object marker Yahweh exceedingly
וַיִּקְרָ֣אvai.yik.Ra' and he summoned H7121 Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine singular
733× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means to call out to someone or something, often by name. It's used in many situations, like calling for help or reading aloud. In Genesis, God calls out to Adam in the Garden.
Tyndale gloss
to call: call to
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word קָרָא (qara') is a primitive root meaning to call, proclaim, or read. It encompasses a range of actions including calling out, crying for help, reading aloud, and summoning. The word can also imply being called or named in various contexts. There are no significant disagreements among the lexicons regarding its meanings.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

קָרָא 724 vb. call, proclaim, read

Qal

call, cry, utter a loud sound

call, cry

call unto some one

cry for help

proclaim

read aloud

read to oneself

summon

call = name

Niph.

reflex.

pass. be called

Pu. be called

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7121 קָרָא call, proclaim, read .. . call, cry, utter a loud sound

. call, cry

. . call unto some one

. cry for help

. proclaim

. . read aloud

. read to oneself

. summon

. call = name

. . reflex.

. pass. be called

. be called

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7121 qara' kaw-raw'

a primitive root (rather identical with 7122 through the idea

of accosting a person met); to call out to (i.e. properly,

address by name, but used in a wide variety of

applications):--bewray (self), that are bidden, call (for,

forth, self, upon), cry (unto), (be) famous, guest, invite,

mention, (give) name, preach, (make) proclaim(- ation),

pronounce, publish, read, renowned, say.

see HEBREW for 07122

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

קָרָא (qa.ra) — to call: call to.

: call_to/invite/entreat

1) to call, call out, recite, read, cry out, proclaim

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to call, cry, utter a loud sound

1a2) to call unto, cry (for help), call (with name of God)

1a3) to proclaim

1a4) to read aloud, read (to oneself), read

1a5) to summon, invite, call for, call and commission, appoint, call and endow

1a6) to call, name, give name to, call by

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to call oneself

1b2) to be called, be proclaimed, be read aloud, be summoned, be named

1c) (Pual) to be called, be named, be called out, be chosen

קָרָא (qa.ra) — to call: call by.

: call_by/name

1) to call, call out, recite, read, cry out, proclaim

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to call, cry, utter a loud sound

1a2) to call unto, cry (for help), call (with name of God)

1a3) to proclaim

1a4) to read aloud, read (to oneself), read

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3ms — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine singular
Hc/Vqw3ms
and he summoned Ahab Obadiah who [was] over the household and Obadiah he was fearing the object marker Yahweh exceedingly
אַחְאָ֔ב'ach.'Av Ahab H256 Noun proper masculine
93× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Ahab was a king of Israel who lived a long time ago. He was married to a queen named Jezebel and did many bad things. The prophet Jeremiah also wrote about a different man named Ahab.
Amplified meaning
the king of Israel
Tyndale gloss
Ahab
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word אַחְאָב (*Ach'ab*) refers to Ahab, a name associated with a king of Israel and a false prophet during the time of Jeremiah. It is derived from the words for 'brother' and 'father,' meaning 'father's brother.' The entries highlight Ahab's lineage, including his marriage to Jezebel and his role in the Divided Monarchy.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אַחְאָב 91 n.pr.m. Ahab (father’s brother)

son of Omri, king of Isr.

false prophet, time of Jerem.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H256 אַחְאָב

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

256 'Ach'ab akh-awb'

once (by contraction) oEchab (Jer. 29:22) {ekh- awb'}; from

251 and 1; brother (i.e. friend) of (his) father; Achab, the

name of a king of Israel and of a prophet at Babylon:--Ahab.

see HEBREW for 0251

see HEBREW for 01

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אַחְאָב (ach.av) — Ahab.

A king of the Kingdom of Israel, living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Ki.16.28;

son of: Omri (H6018); married to Jezebel (H0348);

father of: Joash (H3101H), Ahaziah (H0274), Joram (H3141H), Athaliah (H6271)

§ Ahab = "father's brother"

1) king of Israel, son of Omri, husband of Jezebel

2) false prophet executed by Nebuchadrezzar, time of Jeremiah

אַחְאָב (ach.av) — Ahab.

A man living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at Jer.29.21;

son of: Kolaiah (H6964H)

§ Ahab = "father's brother"

1) king of Israel, son of Omri, husband of Jezebel

2) false prophet executed by Nebuchadrezzar, time of Jeremiah

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-proper — Noun proper masculine
HNpm
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

a'-hab ('ach'abh, Assyrian a-cha-ab-bu; Septuagint Achaab, but Jer 29:21 f, Achiab, which, in analogy with '-h-y- m-l-k, (')-h-y-'-l, etc., indicates an original 'achi'abh, meaning "the father is my brother"): The compound probably signifies that "the father," referring to God, has been chosen as a brother.

1. Ahab's Reign:

Ahab, son of Omri, the seventh king of Israel, who reigned for twenty-two years, from 876 to 854 (1Ki 16:28 ff), was one of the strongest and at the same time one of the weakest kings of Israel. With his kingdom he inherited also the traditional enemies of the kingdom, who were no less ready to make trouble for him than for his predecessors. Occupying a critical position at the best, with foes ever ready to take advantage of any momentary weakness, the kingdom…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Ahab

Father’s brother. (1.) The son of Omri, whom he succeeded as the seventh king of Israel. His history is recorded in 1 Kings 16-22. His wife was Jezebel (q.v.), who exercised a very evil influence over him. To the calf-worship introduced by Jeroboam he added the worship of Baal. He was severely admonished by Elijah (q.v.) for his wickedness. His anger was on this account kindled against the prophet, and he sought to kill him. He undertook three campaigns against Ben-hadad II., king of Damascus. In the first two, which were defensive, he gained a complete victory over Ben-hadad, who fell into his hands, and was afterwards released on the condition of his restoring all the cities of Israel he then held, and granting certain other concessions to Ahab. After three years of peace, for some cause Ahab renewed war (1 Kings 22:3) with…

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(uncle). Son of Omri, seventh king of Israel, reigned B.C. 919-896. He married Jezebel, daughter of Ethbaal king of Tyre; and in obedience to her wishes, caused temple to be built to Baal in Samaria itself; and an oracular grove to be consecrated to Astarte. See (1 Kings 18:19) One of Ahab’s chief tastes was for splendid architecture which he showed by building an ivory house and several cities. Desiring to add to his pleasure-grounds at Jezreel the vineyard of his neighbor Naboth, he proposed to buy it or give land in exchange for it; and when this was refused by Naboth in accordance with the Levitical law, (Leviticus 25:23) a false accusation of blasphemy was brought against him, and he was murdered, and Ahab took possession of the coveted fields. (

and he summoned Ahab Obadiah who [was] over the household and Obadiah he was fearing the object marker Yahweh exceedingly
אֶל־'el- H413 Preposition
5,518× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means 'to' or 'toward', showing direction or movement. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Exodus, to indicate where someone is going. The KJV translates it in various ways, like 'about', 'according to', or 'against'.
Tyndale gloss
to(wards)
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word אֶל (el) is primarily a preposition indicating motion towards or direction to a person or place. It can also imply entering a limit, presence at a location, or a hostile direction (against). Additionally, it may express concepts such as concerning, in addition to, or according to. The entries highlight its versatility in both physical and metaphorical contexts.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֶל (nearly always followed by Makkeph),

prep. denoting motion to or direction towards (whether physical or mental).of motion to or unto a person or place

Where the limit is actually entered, into

Of direction towards anything

Where the motion or direction implied appears from the context to be of a hostile character, אֶל = against

Unto sometimes acquires from the context the sense of in addition to

Metaph. in regard to, concerning, on account of

Of rule or standard according to (rare)

Expressing presence at a spot, against, at, by, not merely after verbs implying motion

Prefixed to other preps. it combines with them the idea of motion or direction to

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H413 אֶל (nearly always followed by Makkeph), . of motion to or unto a person or place

. Where the limit is actually entered, into

. Of direction towards anything

. Where the motion or direction implied appears from the context to be of a hostile character, אֶל = against

. Unto sometimes acquires from the context the sense of in addition to

. Metaph. in regard to, concerning, on account of

. Of rule or standard according to (rare)

. Expressing presence at a spot, against, at, by, not merely after verbs implying motion

. Prefixed to other preps. it combines with them the idea of motion or direction to

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

413 'el ale

(but only used in the shortened constructive form sel {el});

a primitive particle; properly, denoting motion towards, but

occasionally used of a quiescent position, i.e. near, with or

among; often in general, to:--about, according to ,after,

against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and,

by, concerning, for, from, X hath, in(- to), near, (out) of,

over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether,

with(-in).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֶל (el) — to(wards).

1) to, toward, unto (of motion)

2) into (limit is actually entered)

2a) in among

3) toward (of direction, not necessarily physical motion)

4) against (motion or direction of a hostile character)

5) in addition to, to

6) concerning, in regard to, in reference to, on account of

7) according to (rule or standard)

8) at, by, against (of one's presence)

9) in between, in within, to within, unto (idea of motion to)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HR — Preposition
HR
and he summoned Ahab Obadiah who [was] over the household and Obadiah he was fearing the object marker Yahweh exceedingly
עֹבַדְיָ֖הוּ'oad.Ya.hu Obadiah H5662 Noun proper masculine
20× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Obadiah was a prophet who wrote one of the minor prophetic books, prophesying against Edom during the time of Exile and Return. His name means servant of Jehovah, and he is also the name of several other Israelites.
Amplified meaning
the governor of his house, in charge of the palace
Tyndale gloss
Obadiah
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

עֹבַדְיָ֫הוּ (Obadyah) means 'servant of Jehovah' and refers to various individuals in the Old Testament, including the fourth of the twelve minor prophets. The entries note that he was a chief in Ahab's household, a Levite overseer, and a descendant of David, among others. There is no significant disagreement among the lexicons regarding the identity and roles of Obadiah.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עֹבַדְיָ֫הוּ, עֹבַדְיָה n.pr.m. (servant of Yah)

:

chief of Ahab’s household

father of one of the chiefs of Zebulun

a Levite overseer in time of Josiah

:

the prophet

a descendant of David

chief of tribe of Issachar

a Benjamite

a Levite

a Gadite chief

a prince in time of Jehoshaphat

priestly companion of Ezra

a doorkeeper

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5662 עֹבַדְיָ֫הוּ, עֹבַדְיָה

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5662 `Obadyah o-bad-yaw'

or mObadyahuw {o-bad-yaw'-hoo}; active participle of 5647 and

3050; serving Jah; Obadjah, the name of thirteen

Israelites:--Obadiah.

see HEBREW for 05647

see HEBREW for 03050

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עֹבַדְיָ֫הוּ (o.vad.yah) — Obadiah.

A man living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Ki.18.3

§ Obadiah = "servant of Jehovah"

1) the 4th of the 12 minor prophets; nothing personal is known of him but it is probable that he was contemporary with Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel

1a) the prophetic book by him; prophesies against Edom

2) father of Ishmaiah, one of the chiefs of Zebulun in the time of David

3) a Merarite Levite overseer of the work of restoring the temple in the time of king Josiah of Judah

4) chief of the household of king Ahab of Israel; an devout worshipper of Jehovah who at risk to his own life hid over 100 prophets during the persecution of Jezebel

5) a descendant of David

6) a chief of the tribe of Issachar

7) a Benjamite, one of the 6 sons of Azel and a descendant of king Saul

8) a Levite, son of Shemaiah and a descendant of Jeduthun

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-proper — Noun proper masculine
HNpm
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

o-ba-di'-a (`obhadhyah, more fully `obhadhyahu, "servant of Yahweh"):

(1) The steward or prime minister of Ahab, who did his best to protect the prophets of Yahweh against Jezebel's persecution. He met Elijah on his return from Zarephath, and bore to Ahab the news of Elijah's reappearance (1Ki 18:3-16).

(2) The prophet (Ob 1:1).

See OBADIAH, BOOK OF.

(3) A descendant of David (1Ch 3:21).

(4) A chief of the tribe of Issachar (1Ch 7:3).

(5) A descendant of Saul (1Ch 8:38; 9:44).

(6) A Levite descended from Jeduthun (1Ch 9:16), identical with Abda (

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).

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(servant of the Lord), A man whose sons are enumerated in the genealogy of the tribe of Judah. (1 Chronicles 3:21) (B.C. 470.) A descendant of Issachar and a chief man of his tribe. (1 Chronicles 7:3) (B.C. 1014.) One of the six sons of Azel, a descendant of Saul. (1 Chronicles 8:33; 9:44) (B.C. 720.) A Levite, son of Shemaiah, and descended from Jeduthun. (1 Chronicles 9:16; Nehemiah 12:25) The second of the lion-faced Gadites who joined David at Ziklag. (1 Chronicles 12:9) (B.C. 1054.) One of the Princes of Judah in the reign of Jehoshaphat. (

1. The chief officer of king Ahab’s household, who preserved the lives of one hundred prophets from the persecuting Jezebel, by concealing them in two caves and furnishing them with food, 1Ki 18:4.

2. The fourth of the minor prophets, supposed to have prophesied about 587 B. C. It cannot indeed be decided with certainty when he lived, but it is probable that he was contemporary with Jeremiah and Ezekiel, who denounced the same dreadful judgments on the Edomites, as the punishment of their pride, violence, and cruel insulting over the Jews after the destruction of their city. The prophecy, according to usher, was fulfilled about five years after the destruction of Jerusalem.

3. Eight or ten others of this name are mentioned in 1Ch 3:21 7:3 8:38 9:16,44 12:9 27:19

and he summoned Ahab Obadiah who [was] over the household and Obadiah he was fearing the object marker Yahweh exceedingly
אֲשֶׁ֣ר'a.Sher who H834 Particle
5,500× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word is a conjunction that connects ideas and events in the Bible, like in the book of Genesis, where it's used to describe the relationship between God and His creation.
Tyndale gloss
which
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word אֲשֶׁר (*asher*) is a relative pronoun that can mean 'who,' 'which,' or 'that.' It serves various grammatical functions, including as an adverb or conjunction, indicating relationships between clauses, places, or conditions. Variants like בַאֲשֶׁר (*ba-asher*), מֵאֲשֶׁר (*me-asher*), and כַּאֲשֶׁר (*ka-asher*) expand its usage to specific contexts such as location, causation, and time.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֲשֶׁר part. of relation A sign of relation, bringing the clause introduced by it into relation with an antecedent clause.

base

בַאֲשֶׁר

in (that) which

adv. in (the place) where

conj. in that, inasmuch as

on account of whom?

base

מֵאֲשֶׁר

from (or than) that which

adv. from (the place) where

conj. from (the fact) that …, since

base

כַּאֲשֶׁר conj. according as, as, when

according to that which, according as, as

with a causal force, in so far as, since

with a temporal force, when

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H834a אֲשֶׁר part. of relation A sign of relation, bringing the clause introduced by it into relation with an antecedent clause. H834b בַאֲשֶׁר . in (that) which

. adv. in (the place) where

. conj. in that, inasmuch as

. on account of whom?

H834c מֵאֲשֶׁר . from (or than) that which

. adv. from (the place) where

. conj. from (the fact) that …, since

H834d כַּאֲשֶׁר conj. according as, as, when . according to that which, according as, as

. with a causal force, in so far as, since

. with a temporal force, when

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

834 'aher ash-er'

a primitive relative pronoun (of every gender and number);

who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction)

when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.:--X after, X

alike, as (soon as), because, X every, for, + forasmuch, +

from whence, + how(-soever), X if, (so) that ((thing) which,

wherein), X though, + until, + whatsoever, when, where

(+ -as, -in, -of, -on, -soever, -with), which, whilst, +

whither(- soever), who(-m, -soever, -se). As it is

indeclinable, it is often accompanied by the personal pronoun

expletively, used to show the connection.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֲשֶׁר (a.sher) — which.

A: 1) (relative part.)

1a) which, who

1b) that which

2) (conj)

2a) that (in obj clause)

2b) when

2c) since

2d) as

2e) conditional if

B: Beth+ 1) in (that) which

2) (adv)

2a) where

3) (conj)

3a) in that, inasmuch as

3b) on account of

C: Mem+ 1) from (or than) that which

2) from (the place) where

3) from (the fact) that, since

D: Kaph+

1) (conj.), according as, as, when

1a) according to that which, according as, as

1b) with a causal force: in so far as, since

1c) with a temporal force: when

בַאֲשֶׁר (ba.a.sher) — in which.

1) in (that) which

2) (adv)

2a) where

3) (conj)

3a) in that, inasmuch as

3b) on account of

מֵאֲשֶׁר (me.a.sher) — whence.

1) from (or than) that which

2) from (the place) where

3) from (the fact) that, since

כַּאֲשֶׁר (ka.a.sher) — as which.

conj

1) according as, as, when

1a) according to that which, according as, as

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Rel — Particle
HTr
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and he summoned Ahab Obadiah who [was] over the household and Obadiah he was fearing the object marker Yahweh exceedingly
עַל־'al- [was] over H5921 Preposition
5,774× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means on or above something, like a physical object or a situation. It can also imply a sense of responsibility or accountability, as in being on behalf of someone.
Tyndale gloss
upon
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word עַל (*al*) is a preposition meaning 'upon' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including 'on account of,' 'beside,' 'above,' and 'against.' It can indicate physical placement, emotional burdens, or duties imposed on a person. The entries also note its use in idiomatic expressions and with verbs of motion. There is a mention of its function as a conjunction in certain contexts.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

כִּי עַל כֵּן forasmuch as

base

עַל, עָ֑ל

subst. height

As prep. upon, and hence on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against

Upon, of the substratum upon which an object in any way rests, or on which an action is performed

of clothing, etc., which any one wears

With verbs of covering or protecting, even though the cover or veil be not over or above the thing covered, but around or before it

Of what rests heavily upon a person, or is a burden to him

Of a duty, payment, care, etc., imposed upon a person, or devolving on him

על is used idiom. to give pathos to the expression of an emotion, by emphasizing the person who is its subject, and who, as it were, feels it acting upon him

חָיָה עַל to live upon (as upon a foundation or support)

Read the full entry →
Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5921a עַל, עָ֑ל . As prep. upon, and hence on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against . Upon, of the substratum upon which an object in any way rests, or on which an action is performed . — . of clothing, etc., which any one wears

. With verbs of covering or protecting, even though the cover or veil be not over or above the thing covered, but around or before it

. Of what rests heavily upon a person, or is a burden to him

. Of a duty, payment, care, etc., imposed upon a person, or devolving on him

. על is used idiom. to give pathos to the expression of an emotion, by emphasizing the person who is its subject, and who, as it were, feels it acting upon him

. חָיָה עַל to live upon (as upon a foundation or support)

Read the full entry →
Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5921 `al al

properly, the same as 5920 used as a preposition (in the

singular or plural often with prefix, or as conjunction with a

particle following); above, over, upon, or against (yet always

in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great

variety of applications (as follow):--above, according

to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, X as, at, because

of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, X both

and, by (reason of), X had the charge of, concerning for, in

(that), (forth, out) of, (from) (off), (up-)on, over, than,

through(-out), to, touching, X with.

see HEBREW for 05920

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עַל (al) — upon.

prep

1) upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against

1a) upon, on the ground of, on the basis of, on account of, because of, therefore, on behalf of, for the sake of, for, with, in spite of, notwithstanding, concerning, in the matter of, as regards

1b) above, beyond, over (of excess)

1c) above, over (of elevation or pre-eminence)

1d) upon, to, over to, unto, in addition to, together with, with (of addition)

1e) over (of suspension or extension)

1f) by, adjoining, next, at, over, around (of contiguity or proximity)

1g) down upon, upon, on, from, up upon, up to, towards, over towards, to, against (with verbs of motion)

1h) to (as a dative)

[כִּי] עַל [כֵּן] ([ki] al [ken]) — as.

conj

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep — Preposition
HR
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and he summoned Ahab Obadiah who [was] over the household and Obadiah he was fearing the object marker Yahweh exceedingly
הַבָּ֑יִתha.Ba.yit the household H1004 Particle · noun common masculine singular absolute
2,049× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for house refers to a dwelling place, including a family home, temple, or even the human body. It appears in various contexts, such as the temple in Jerusalem or the household of a family. In the Bible, it is often used to describe a place of worship or a family's living space.
Amplified meaning
the king's household
Tyndale gloss
place
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word בַּיִת (*bayith*) means 'house' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including dwelling, family, and place. It can refer to physical structures, such as homes and temples, as well as metaphorical uses like the body or household affairs. The word is built from the root related to 'between' and appears in various contexts throughout the Old Testament.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בֵּית fem. of בַּיִן, בֵּין prep. between

base

בַּ֫יִת 2034 n.m. house

house

place

receptacle

of house as containing a family

household, family (592 t.)

house, including household affairs

lit. housewards, hence metaph. inwards

מִבַּיִת

adv. on the inside

prep. within

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1004a בֵּית fem. of בַּיִן, בֵּין prep. between H1004b בַּ֫יִת house

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1004 bayith bah'-yith

probably from 1129 abbreviated; a house (in the greatest

variation of applications, especially family, etc.):--court,

daughter, door, + dungeon, family, + forth of, X great as

would contain, hangings, home(born), (winter)house(-hold),

inside(-ward), palace, place, + prison, + steward, + tablet,

temple, web, + within(-out).

see HEBREW for 01129

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בֵּית (bet) — place.

nm

place, origin, between

בַּ֫יִת (ba.yit) — house: home.

: home/temple/building

nm

1) house

1a) house, dwelling habitation

1b) shelter or abode of animals

1c) human bodies (fig.)

1d) of Sheol

1e) of abode of light and darkness

1f) of land of Ephraim

2) place

3) receptacle

4) home, house as containing a family

5) household, family

5a) those belonging to the same household

5b) family of descendants, descendants as organized body

6) household affairs

7) inwards (metaph.)

8) (TWOT) temple

adv

9) on the inside

prep

10) within

בַּ֫יִת (ba.yit) — Beth-(ashbea).

nm

This name is used for a house, habitation

Combined with ash.be.a (אַשְׁבֵּעַ "Ashbea" H0791)

בַּ֫יִת (ba.yit) — Beth (Haggan).

nm

This name is used for a house, habitation

Combined with hag (גַּן "Haggan" H1588)

בַּ֫יִת (ba.yit) — Beth-(togarmah).

nm

This name is used for a house, habitation

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Art | N-ms — Particle · noun common masculine singular absolute
HTd/Ncmsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

hous'-hold: Three words are usually found in the Bible where the family is indicated. These three are the Hebrew word bayith and the Greek words oikia and oikos. The unit of the national life of Israel, from the very beginning, was found in the family. In the old patriarchal days each family was complete within itself, the oldest living sire being the unquestioned head of the whole, possessed of almost arbitrary powers. The house and the household are practically synonymous. God had called Abraham "that he might command his children and household after him" (Ge 18:19). The Passover-lamb was to be eaten by the "household" (Ex 12:3). The "households" of the rebels in the camp of Israel shared their doom (Nu 16:31-33;

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and he summoned Ahab Obadiah who [was] over the household and Obadiah he was fearing the object marker Yahweh exceedingly
וְעֹבַדְיָ֗הוּve.'oad.Ya.hu and Obadiah H5662 Conjunction · noun proper masculine
20× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Obadiah was a prophet who wrote one of the minor prophetic books, prophesying against Edom during the time of Exile and Return. His name means servant of Jehovah, and he is also the name of several other Israelites.
Amplified meaning
a devout follower
Tyndale gloss
Obadiah
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

עֹבַדְיָ֫הוּ (Obadyah) means 'servant of Jehovah' and refers to various individuals in the Old Testament, including the fourth of the twelve minor prophets. The entries note that he was a chief in Ahab's household, a Levite overseer, and a descendant of David, among others. There is no significant disagreement among the lexicons regarding the identity and roles of Obadiah.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עֹבַדְיָ֫הוּ, עֹבַדְיָה n.pr.m. (servant of Yah)

:

chief of Ahab’s household

father of one of the chiefs of Zebulun

a Levite overseer in time of Josiah

:

the prophet

a descendant of David

chief of tribe of Issachar

a Benjamite

a Levite

a Gadite chief

a prince in time of Jehoshaphat

priestly companion of Ezra

a doorkeeper

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5662 עֹבַדְיָ֫הוּ, עֹבַדְיָה

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5662 `Obadyah o-bad-yaw'

or mObadyahuw {o-bad-yaw'-hoo}; active participle of 5647 and

3050; serving Jah; Obadjah, the name of thirteen

Israelites:--Obadiah.

see HEBREW for 05647

see HEBREW for 03050

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עֹבַדְיָ֫הוּ (o.vad.yah) — Obadiah.

A man living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Ki.18.3

§ Obadiah = "servant of Jehovah"

1) the 4th of the 12 minor prophets; nothing personal is known of him but it is probable that he was contemporary with Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel

1a) the prophetic book by him; prophesies against Edom

2) father of Ishmaiah, one of the chiefs of Zebulun in the time of David

3) a Merarite Levite overseer of the work of restoring the temple in the time of king Josiah of Judah

4) chief of the household of king Ahab of Israel; an devout worshipper of Jehovah who at risk to his own life hid over 100 prophets during the persecution of Jezebel

5) a descendant of David

6) a chief of the tribe of Issachar

7) a Benjamite, one of the 6 sons of Azel and a descendant of king Saul

8) a Levite, son of Shemaiah and a descendant of Jeduthun

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Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | N-proper — Conjunction · noun proper masculine
HC/Npm
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

o-ba-di'-a (`obhadhyah, more fully `obhadhyahu, "servant of Yahweh"):

(1) The steward or prime minister of Ahab, who did his best to protect the prophets of Yahweh against Jezebel's persecution. He met Elijah on his return from Zarephath, and bore to Ahab the news of Elijah's reappearance (1Ki 18:3-16).

(2) The prophet (Ob 1:1).

See OBADIAH, BOOK OF.

(3) A descendant of David (1Ch 3:21).

(4) A chief of the tribe of Issachar (1Ch 7:3).

(5) A descendant of Saul (1Ch 8:38; 9:44).

(6) A Levite descended from Jeduthun (1Ch 9:16), identical with Abda (

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).

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(servant of the Lord), A man whose sons are enumerated in the genealogy of the tribe of Judah. (1 Chronicles 3:21) (B.C. 470.) A descendant of Issachar and a chief man of his tribe. (1 Chronicles 7:3) (B.C. 1014.) One of the six sons of Azel, a descendant of Saul. (1 Chronicles 8:33; 9:44) (B.C. 720.) A Levite, son of Shemaiah, and descended from Jeduthun. (1 Chronicles 9:16; Nehemiah 12:25) The second of the lion-faced Gadites who joined David at Ziklag. (1 Chronicles 12:9) (B.C. 1054.) One of the Princes of Judah in the reign of Jehoshaphat. (

1. The chief officer of king Ahab’s household, who preserved the lives of one hundred prophets from the persecuting Jezebel, by concealing them in two caves and furnishing them with food, 1Ki 18:4.

2. The fourth of the minor prophets, supposed to have prophesied about 587 B. C. It cannot indeed be decided with certainty when he lived, but it is probable that he was contemporary with Jeremiah and Ezekiel, who denounced the same dreadful judgments on the Edomites, as the punishment of their pride, violence, and cruel insulting over the Jews after the destruction of their city. The prophecy, according to usher, was fulfilled about five years after the destruction of Jerusalem.

3. Eight or ten others of this name are mentioned in 1Ch 3:21 7:3 8:38 9:16,44 12:9 27:19

and he summoned Ahab Obadiah who [was] over the household and Obadiah he was fearing the object marker Yahweh exceedingly
הָיָ֥הha.Yah he was H1961 Verb · Qal · perfect third person masculine singular
3,562× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for to be means to exist or come into being. It is used to describe something that happens or comes to pass, like in Genesis where God creates the world.
Tyndale gloss
to be
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word הָיָה (hayah) is a primitive root meaning to exist or become, and it encompasses a range of meanings including to happen, occur, and come to pass. It is often used in narrative contexts, particularly in phrases like "and it came to pass." The word can also denote a state of being or existence, and it appears frequently in various forms throughout the Old Testament.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

הָיָה 3570 vb. fall out, come to pass, become, be

Qal

Fall out, happen

occur, take place, come about, come to pass

esp. & very oft., come about, come to pass

וַיְהִי and it came to pass that, most often (c. 292 t.)

rarely also Pf. c. וְ conj. וְהָיָה

less oft. וְהָיָה Pf. consec. and it shall come to pass, or frequentat. came to pass (repeatedly, etc.)

Come into being, become

abs., in lively narrative, arise, appear, come

sq. prep.

become

sq. pred. noun (to be viewed as implicit accus.)

sq. pred. adj.

become like

sq. pred. לְ pers.

sq. לְ pred.

oft. c. לְ pred. לְ pers.

with עַל and לְ

sts. c. לְ pers. only = became the property of, come into the possession of

Be (often with subbordinate idea of becoming)

exist, be in existence

abide, remain, continue

with word of locality, be in or at a place, be situated, stand, lie

as copula, joining subj. & pred.

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Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1961 הָיָה fall out, come to pass, become, be .. . . Fall out, happen

. occur, take place, come about, come to pass

. esp. & very oft., come about, come to pass . . וַיְהִי and it came to pass that, most often (c. 292 t.)

. rarely also Pf. c. וְ conj. וְהָיָה

. less oft. וְהָיָה Pf. consec. and it shall come to pass, or frequentat. came to pass (repeatedly, etc.)

. Come into being, become . . abs., in lively narrative, arise, appear, come

. sq. prep.

. become . sq. pred. noun (to be viewed as implicit accus.)

. sq. pred. adj.

. become like

. sq. pred. + לְ pers.

. sq. לְ pred.

. oft. c. לְ pred. + לְ pers.

. with עַל and לְ

. sts. c. לְ pers. only = became the property of, come into the possession of

. Be (often with subbordinate idea of becoming) . exist, be in existence

. abide, remain, continue

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Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1961 hayah haw-yaw

a primitive root (compare 1933); to exist, i.e. be or become,

come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or

auxiliary):--beacon, X altogether, be(-come), accomplished,

committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint,

fall, + follow, happen, X have, last, pertain, quit

(one-)self, require, X use.

see HEBREW for 01933

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

הָיָה (ha.yah) — to be.

1) to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out

1a) (Qal)

1a1) ---

1a1a) to happen, fall out, occur, take place, come about, come to pass

1a1b) to come about, come to pass

1a2) to come into being, become

1a2a) to arise, appear, come

1a2b) to become

1a2b1) to become

1a2b2) to become like

1a2b3) to be instituted, be established

1a3) to be

1a3a) to exist, be in existence

1a3b) to abide, remain, continue (with word of place or time)

1a3c) to stand, lie, be in, be at, be situated (with word of locality)

1a3d) to accompany, be with

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to occur, come to pass, be done, be brought about

1b2) to be done, be finished, be gone

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HVqp3ms — Verb · Qal · perfect third person masculine singular
HVqp3ms
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ha: The fifth letter of the Hebrew alphabet; transliterated in this Encyclopedia as "h." It came also to be used for the number 5. For name, etc., see ALPHABET.

and he summoned Ahab Obadiah who [was] over the household and Obadiah he was fearing the object marker Yahweh exceedingly
יָרֵ֛אya.Re' fearing H3373 Verb · Qal · participle (active) masculine singular
64× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word describes someone who is afraid or fearful, and is also used to convey a sense of reverence or respect. It's often translated as 'afraid' in the KJV. In the Bible, it's used to describe people's reactions to God or scary situations.
Amplified meaning
revered, stood in awe of
Tyndale gloss
afraid
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יָרֵא (yare') is an adjective and verb derived from the root יָרֵא (H3372), meaning 'to fear.' It encompasses meanings such as 'afraid' and 'reverent.' The entries indicate a moral aspect to fear, suggesting a sense of reverence alongside being fearful.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יָרֵא adj. verb. v. supr. [j.df.aa] Pt.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3373 יָרֵא adj. verb. v. supr. [3372] Pt.

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3373 yare' yaw-ray'

from 3372; fearing; morally, reverent:--afraid, fear (-ful).

see HEBREW for 03372

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יָרֵא (ya.re) — afraid.

fearing, reverent, afraid

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Adj — Verb · Qal · participle (active) masculine singular
HVqrmsa
and he summoned Ahab Obadiah who [was] over the household and Obadiah he was fearing the object marker Yahweh exceedingly
אֶת־'et- the object marker H853 Particle
10,946× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the original Hebrew, this word points out the object of a verb or preposition, like 'namely' or 'even'. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Exodus. It's not directly translated in English, but helps clarify the meaning of sentences.
Tyndale gloss
[Obj.]
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אֵת (eth) is primarily a grammatical marker in Hebrew, indicating the definite direct object of a verb. It is not translated into English and typically precedes nouns that are definite. The word is derived from a demonstrative sense of entity, related to the Hebrew word for 'self.' Its Aramaic equivalent is יָת (yat).

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H853 אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

853 'eth ayth

apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of

entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more

definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or

namely):--(as such unrepresented in English).

see HEBREW for 0226

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֵת (et) — [Obj.].

sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative

Aramaic equivalent: yat (יָת "whom" H3487)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HTo — Particle
HTo
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and he summoned Ahab Obadiah who [was] over the household and Obadiah he was fearing the object marker Yahweh exceedingly
יְהוָ֖הYah.weh Yahweh H3068 Noun proper
6,528× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Yehovah is another name for God, often translated as 'the Lord'. It is a national name for God in the Jewish faith. This name is used throughout the Old Testament.
Amplified meaning
Yehovah, the supreme God, the one true God, Creator of all
Tyndale gloss
The Lord
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) is the proper name of the God of Israel, often rendered as Jehovah or the Lord. It signifies the self-existent or eternal nature of God. The name is closely associated with the revelation to Moses in Exodus 3:12-15 and is used in conjunction with other terms to denote sacred places. Some scholars suggest it derives from a root meaning 'to bring into being.'

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יהוה c. 6823 i.e. יַהְוֶה n.pr.dei Yahweh, the proper name of the God of Israel—(1. MT יְהֹוָה 6518 (Qr אֲדֹנָי), or יֱהֹוִה 305 (Qr אֱלֹהִים) 2. Many recent scholars explain יַהְוֶה as Hiph. of הוה (= היה) the one bringing into being, life-giver)

יהוה is not used by E in Gn, but is given Ex 3:12-15 as the name of the God who revealed Himself to Moses at Horeb

יהוה is used with אלהים and suffixes, especially in D

the phrase † אֲנִי יהוה is noteworthy

יהוה is also used with several predicates, to form sacred names of holy places of Yahweh

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3068 יהוה i.e. יַהְוֶה n. pr. dei Yahweh, the proper name of the God of Israel

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3068 Yhovah yeh-ho-vaw'

from 1961; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish

national name of God:--Jehovah, the Lord. Compare 3050, 3069.

see HEBREW for 01961

see HEBREW for 03050

see HEBREW for 03069

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — LORD.

Jehovah = "the existing One"

1) the proper name of the one true God

1a) unpronounced except with the vowel pointings of a.do.na (אֲדֹנָי "Lord" H0136)

יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — The Lord.

Another name of ye.ru.sha.laim (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם "Jerusalem" H3389)

יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — (Jerusalem of) the Lord.

Combined with ye.ru.sha.laim (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם "Jerusalem" H3389)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-proper — Noun proper
HNpt
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and he summoned Ahab Obadiah who [was] over the household and Obadiah he was fearing the object marker Yahweh exceedingly
מְאֹֽד׃me.'Od exceedingly H3966 Adv
300× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Meod means 'much' or 'very' and is used to emphasize something. It can mean 'exceedingly' or 'greatly' and is often used to show strong feelings or actions.
Tyndale gloss
much
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מְאֹד (m`od) refers to concepts of muchness, force, and abundance. It serves as an adverb meaning exceedingly or greatly, often used to intensify other words. The entries highlight its use in various idioms to express magnitude or degree, with a focus on might and intensity.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מְאֹד n.m. muchness, force, abundance, exceedingly

force, might

in diff. idioms (298 t.) to express the idea of exceedingly, greatly, very (whether of magnitude or degree)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3966 מְאֹד muchness, force, abundance, exceedingly . force, might

. in diff. idiomns (298 t.) to express the idea of exceedingly, greatly, very (whether of magnitude or degree)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3966 m`od meh-ode'

from the same as 181; properly, vehemence, i.e. (with or

without preposition) vehemently; by implication, wholly,

speedily, etc. (often with other words as an intensive or

superlative; especially when repeated):--diligently,

especially, exceeding(-ly), far, fast, good, great(-ly), X

louder and louder, might(-ily, -y), (so) much, quickly, (so)

sore, utterly, very (+ much, sore), well.

see HEBREW for 0181

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מְאֹד (me.od) — much.

adv

1) exceedingly, much

subst

2) might, force, abundance

n m

3) muchness, force, abundance, exceedingly

3a) force, might

3b) exceedingly, greatly, very (idioms showing magnitude or degree)

3b1) exceedingly

3b2) up to abundance, to a great degree, exceedingly

3b3) with muchness, muchness

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Adv — Adv
HAcmsa
Sources on this page. Lexicons and dictionaries imported from the CrossWire SWORD modules — Abbott-Smith, Strong's, Dodson, the Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones, Robinson and Packard, Webster and Cawdrey. Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (Harper, 1889 — Grimm’s Wilke’s Clavis Novi Testamenti, translated, revised and enlarged by Joseph Henry Thayer) is public domain and is set here from the Internet Archive page scan greekenglishlex00grim; it is uncorrected OCR, marked as such on the entry itself, and the Strong’s numbers — which Thayer’s own edition does not carry — were matched by lemma against the other modules on this page. Trench’s Synonyms of the New Testament (Macmillan, 1880) and Moulton and Milligan’s Vocabulary of the Greek Testament (Hodder & Stoughton, 1930, which entered the United States public domain on 1 January 2026) are set from Internet Archive page scans synonymsofnewtes00treniala and vocabularyofgree00mouluoft, and are likewise uncorrected OCR matched to Strong’s numbers by lemma. Trench treats a group of words at once, so the same essay stands on the page of each word it compares. The Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary is © 1993 and is used here by permission for non-commercial use, www.teknia.com/greek-dictionary. The full Liddell-Scott-Jones and the Hebrew word data (TAHOT) come from STEPBible.org, CC BY 4.0. Brown-Driver-Briggs is the OpenScriptures digitisation, public domain. Syntax analysis is the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (biblicalhumanities.org); the concordance and morphology are built from the tagged Nestle 1904 text. Septuagint occurrences use the Open Scriptures Septuagint lemma index, derived from CCAT (University of Pennsylvania) and the Rahlfs 1935 dataset by Eliran Wong, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 — used here on a non-commercial ministry site. Greek of Josephus and Barnabas from the Perseus Digital Library, CC BY-SA 4.0. Commentaries and the Ante-Nicene Fathers are public-domain texts hosted on this site. Everyday Greek from the Duke Databank of Documentary Papyri, CC BY 3.0, with dates and provenance from the Heidelberger Gesamtverzeichnis. Philo and the Apostolic Fathers from Open Greek and Latin (First1KGreek), CC BY-SA 4.0. The apparatus and the fifth Greek column are the SBL Greek New Testament, © 2010 SBL and Logos Bible Software, CC BY 4.0. The Latin is the Clementine Vulgate (public domain); the Syriac New Testament is the ETCBC edition (MIT licence). The Hebrew behind the Greek is computed here from the Septuagint index and TAHOT, not taken from any aligned edition. The translation spread and the per-word edition marks come from the Translators Amalgamated Greek NT (STEPBible, CC BY 4.0); clause roles from the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (CC BY-SA 4.0); place identifications and their confidence from OpenBible.info Bible Geocoding (CC BY 4.0), with map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors. Gospel parallels are computed here from shared uncommon vocabulary, not taken from any printed harmony. Cross references are the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and the subject headings are Nave’s Topical Bible, both public domain. Works under Creative Commons licences are used unchanged apart from markup removal.

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