Hebrew word · H5654

עֹבֵד אֱדוֹם

'edom

Obed-edom

A personal name, 'servant of Edom'. In 2 Sam 6:10–12 (= 1 Chr 13:13–14) an Obed-edom 'the Gittite' houses the ark of God for three months and God blesses his household. In Chronicles an Obed-edom appears as a Levite musician and gatekeeper (1 Chr 15:18, 21, 24; 16:5, 38; 26:4–8, 15).

Appears 40 times in 15 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at 2Sa.6.10;

son of: Jeduthun (H3038);

brother of: Mattithiah (H4993H), Gedaliah (H1436I), Zeri (H6874), Jeshaiah (H3470H) and Hashabiah (H2811I);

father of: Shemaiah (H8098I), Jehozabad (H3075H), Joah (H3098I), Sachar (H7940), Nethanel (H5417K), Ammiel (H5988I), Issachar (H3485H) and Peullethai (H6469)

Also named: shim.i (שִׁמְעִי "Shimei" H8096X)

§ Obed-edom = "servant of Edom"

1) a Levite and a Gittite who kept the ark after Uzzah was slain by God for touching the ark while it was being taken to Jerusalem

2) a Merarite Levite and a singer and gatekeeper

2a) the family descended from him

Abridged from Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of 1 Chronicles 26:8

Range of meaning

A personal name, 'servant of Edom'. In 2 Sam 6:10–12 (= 1 Chr 13:13–14) an Obed-edom 'the Gittite' houses the ark of God for three months and God blesses his household. In Chronicles an Obed-edom appears as a Levite musician and gatekeeper (1 Chr 15:18, 21, 24; 16:5, 38; 26:4–8, 15).

Against the English

All versions transliterate the name. None conveys its meaning or the wordplay with ʿăvōdāh.

Used elsewhere in the period

The name is unusual in the Hebrew Bible. Some propose that 'Edom' here was originally a divine name (an Edomite or West Semitic god), as in names formed like 'servant of [deity]'. Others read it simply as the place or people name. The evidence is thin either way.

From the study of 1 Chronicles 13:13

Range of meaning

Personal name, 'servant of Edom', followed by a word saying where he came from: 'the Gittite' (H1663), a man of Gath.

Against the English

NLT spells the meaning out as a man from Gath. Other versions keep 'Gittite', which most modern readers will not connect with the Philistines.

Used elsewhere in the period

'Gittite' describes Goliath (2 Sam 21:19) and Ittai with his 600 Gittite fighters loyal to David (2 Sam 15:18–22). Chronicles also names an Obed-edom among the Levite musicians and gatekeepers of the ark (1 Chr 15:18, 21, 24; 16:5, 38; 26:4–8, where 'God had blessed him' recalls 13:14).

From the study of 1 Chronicles 13:14

Range of meaning

Literally 'servant/worshipper of Edom'. ʿōvēd is the active participle of ʿāvad, 'to serve, work, worship'. The second element is disputed.

Against the English

English versions simply transliterate the name, which is correct. Readers do not see that the name itself means 'servant of …'.

Used elsewhere in the period

In Chronicles a man of this name appears as a Levitical gatekeeper and musician (1 Chronicles 15:18, 21, 24; 16:5, 38; 26:4–8; 2 Chronicles 25:24). 'Ittai the Gittite' (2 Samuel 15:18–22) is a foreign loyal follower of David from Gath, which shows the label could mean someone from Philistine Gath.

Where it appears

2 Samuel · 10

  1. 2 Samuel 6:10 עֹבֵֽד־ אֱד֖וֹם Obed-, Edom

    So he was unwilling to move the ark of the LORD to the City of David; instead, he took it aside to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite.

  2. 2 Samuel 6:11 עֹבֵ֥ד אֱדֹ֛ם עֹבֵ֥ד אֱדֹ֖ם Obed-, Edom

    Thus the ark of the LORD remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite for three months, and the LORD blessed him and all his household.

  3. 2 Samuel 6:12 עֹבֵ֤ד אֱדֹם֙ עֹבֵ֥ד אֱדֹ֛ם Obed-, Edom

    Now it was reported to King David, “The LORD has blessed the house of Obed-edom and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of God.” So David went and had the ark of God brought up from the house of Obed-edom into the City of David with rejoicing.

1 Chronicles · 28

  1. 1 Chronicles 13:13 עֹבֵֽד־ אֱדֹ֖ם Obed-, Edom

    So he did not move the ark with him to the City of David; instead, he took it aside to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite.

    Here: First half of the name: 'one who serves'.

  2. 1 Chronicles 13:14 עֹבֵ֥ד אֱדֹ֛ם עֹבֵֽד־ אֱדֹ֖ם Obed-, Edom

    Thus the ark of God remained with the family of Obed-edom in his house for three months, and the LORD blessed his household and everything he owned.

    Here: First element of the name, 'servant / worshipper of'. 13:13 calls him 'the Gittite', a man from a place called Gath.

  3. 1 Chronicles 15:18 וְעֹבֵ֥ד אֱדֹ֛ם and Obed-, Edom

    and with them their brothers next in rank: Zechariah, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, and the gatekeepers Obed-edom and Jeiel.

  4. 1 Chronicles 15:21 וְעֹבֵ֣ד אֱדֹ֔ם and Obed-, Edom

    And Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah were to lead the music with lyres according to Sheminith.

  5. 1 Chronicles 15:24 וְעֹבֵ֤ד אֱדֹם֙ and Obed-, Edom

    Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer—the priests—were to blow the trumpets before the ark of God. Obed-edom and Jehiah were also to be guardians of the ark.

  6. 1 Chronicles 15:25 עֹבֵֽד־ אֱדֹ֖ם Obed-, Edom

    So David, the elders of Israel, and the commanders of thousands went with rejoicing to bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD from the house of Obed-edom.

  7. 1 Chronicles 16:5 וְעֹבֵ֨ד אֱדֹ֜ם and Obed-, Edom

    Asaph was the chief, Zechariah was second, then Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-edom, and Jeiel. They were to play the harps and lyres, while Asaph sounded the cymbals

  8. 1 Chronicles 16:38 וְעֹבֵ֥ד אֱדֹ֛ם וְעֹבֵ֨ד אֱדֹ֧ם and Obed-, Edom

    along with Obed-edom and his sixty-eight relatives. Obed-edom son of Jeduthun, and also Hosah, were to be gatekeepers.

  9. 1 Chronicles 26:4 וּלְעֹבֵ֥ד אֱדֹ֖ם and [belonged] to Obed-, Edom

    And Obed-edom also had sons: Shemaiah the firstborn, Jehozabad the second, Joah the third, Sachar the fourth, Nethanel the fifth,

  10. 1 Chronicles 26:8 עֹבֵ֣ד אֱדֹ֗ם לְעֹבֵ֥ד אֱדֹֽם׃ Obed-, Edom, [belonged] to Obed-

    All these were descendants of Obed-edom; they and their sons and brothers were capable men with strength to do the work—62 in all from Obed-edom.

    Here: First half of the personal name Obed-edom. On its own it means "one who serves", which echoes the "service" (ʿăvōdāh) later in the verse, since both come from the same root.

  11. 1 Chronicles 26:15 לְעֹבֵ֥ד אֱדֹ֖ם to Obed-, Edom

    The lot for the South Gate fell to Obed-edom, and the lot for the storehouses to his sons.

2 Chronicles · 2

  1. 2 Chronicles 25:24 עֹבֵ֣ד אֱד֗וֹם Obed-, Edom

    He took all the gold and silver and all the articles found in the house of God with Obed-edom and in the treasuries of the royal palace, as well as some hostages. Then he returned to Samaria.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.