Hebrew word · H5744

עוֹבֵד

oved

Obed

This is the active participle of ʿābad, 'to work, serve, worship', so it means 'one who serves / works / worships'. As a name it is very likely shortened from a name built on God's name, such as ʿŌvadyāhû (Obadiah), 'servant of YHWH'.

Appears 10 times in 9 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

A man of the tribe of Judah living before Israel's Monarchy, first mentioned at Rut.4.17;

son of: Boaz (H1162) and Ruth (H7327);

father of: Jesse (H3448)

Also named: Ōbēd (Ὠβήδ "Obed" G5601)

§ Obed = "serving"

1) son of Boaz by Ruth and the grandfather of David

2) a Judaite, a descendant of Jarha, the Egyptian slave of Sheshan, in the line of Jerahmeel

3) a Judaite, father of Azariah, one of the captains of hundreds who joined with Jehoiada in the revolution by which Athaliah fell

4) one of David's mighty warriors

5) son of Shemaiah and a gatekeeper of the temple

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 2:12

Range of meaning

This is the active participle of ʿābad, 'to work, serve, worship', so it means 'one who serves / works / worships'. As a name it is very likely shortened from a name built on God's name, such as ʿŌvadyāhû (Obadiah), 'servant of YHWH'.

Against the English

Transliterated in all versions. The meaning 'servant/worshipper' is fairly secure because the form is an ordinary Hebrew word. Whether God's name was originally part of it is probable but not certain.

Used elsewhere in the period

Ruth 4:17 says the neighbour women named him. Other men named Obed appear in 1 Chr 2:37–38, 11:47, 26:7 and 2 Chr 23:1, which shows it was a common name.

Where it appears

Ruth · 3

  1. Ruth 4:17 עוֹבֵ֔ד Obed

    The neighbor women said, “A son has been born to Naomi,” and they named him Obed. He became the father of Jesse, the father of David.

  2. Ruth 4:21 עוֹבֵֽד׃ Obed

    Salmon was the father of Boaz, Boaz was the father of Obed,

  3. Ruth 4:22 וְעֹבֵד֙ and Obed

    Obed was the father of Jesse, and Jesse was the father of David.

1 Chronicles · 6

  1. 1 Chronicles 2:12 עוֹבֵ֔ד וְעוֹבֵ֖ד Obed, and Obed

    Boaz was the father of Obed, and Obed was the father of Jesse.

    Here: Son of Boaz and Ruth (Ruth 4:13–17). The name is the Hebrew word for 'one who serves' and is probably a short form of a name like Obadiah, 'servant of the LORD'.

  2. 1 Chronicles 2:37 עוֹבֵֽד׃ Obed

    Zabad was the father of Ephlal, Ephlal was the father of Obed,

  3. 1 Chronicles 2:38 וְעוֹבֵד֙ and Obed

    Obed was the father of Jehu, Jehu was the father of Azariah,

  4. 1 Chronicles 11:47 וְעוֹבֵ֔ד and Obed

    Eliel, Obed, and Jaasiel the Mezobaite.

  5. 1 Chronicles 26:7 וְעוֹבֵ֧ד and Obed

    Shemaiah’s sons were Othni, Rephael, Obed, and Elzabad; his brothers were Elihu and Semachiah, also capable men.

    Here: 'Serving' or 'servant', a shortened form of a name like Obadiah ('servant of the LORD'). It echoes his grandfather's name, Obed-edom.

2 Chronicles · 1

  1. 2 Chronicles 23:1 עוֹבֵ֜ד Obed

    Then in the seventh year, Jehoiada strengthened himself and made a covenant with the commanders of hundreds—with Azariah son of Jeroham, Ishmael son of Jehohanan, Azariah son of Obed, Maaseiah son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat son of Zichri.

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