Lexical Summary
Obed Edom: Obed Edom
Original Word:עֹבֵד אֱדוֹם
Part of Speech:Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration:`Obed 'Edowm
Pronunciation:oh-BED eh-DOHM
Phonetic Spelling:(o-bade' ed-ome')
KJV: Obed-edom
NASB:Obed-edom
Word Origin:[from the active participle ofH5647 (עָבַד - serve) andH123 (אֱדוֹם אֱדוֹם - stuff)]
1. worker of Edom
2. Obed-Edom, the name of five Israelites
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Obed-Edom, the name of five Israelites
From the active participle ofabad and'Edom; worker of Edom; Obed-Edom, the name of five Israelites:
see HEBREWabad
see HEBREW'Edom
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom
abad and
EdomDefinition"servant of Edom," an Isr. name
NASB TranslationObed-edom (20).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
, and (2 Chronicles 25:24)
(servant of (god)Edom, compare CISNo. 295; DrSm 206, 298 and references, RSSem i. 43; 2nd ed. 42 and references, HPS2Samuel 6:10; but BaeRel 10servant of man, = , which is thought possible by NöZMG xlii (1888), 470 BuhlEdomiter 49); —
2 Samuel 6:10,11 (twice in verse);2 Samuel 6:12 (twice in verse) =1 Chronicles 13:13,14 (twice in verse),1 Chronicles 15:25; ,L . (=
?) one of the chief Levitical singers and doorkeepers1 Chronicles 15:18,21,24;1 Chronicles 16:5,38 (twice in verse);1 Chronicles 26:4,8 (twice in verse);1 Chronicles 26:15; , , etc.,L .
2Chronicles 25:24 (not in ""2 Kings 14:14).
Topical Lexicon
Historical OverviewObed-Edom appears twenty times in the Old Testament narrative and worship records. Scripture presents (1) the Gittite whose house sheltered the ark, (2) a Levitical gatekeeper and musician during David’s reign, and (3) a later temple treasurer in the days of Amaziah. Whether the first two references concern the same man or two men of the same name is debated, but the Bible unites them in a single theme: wholehearted hospitality to the presence of God and faithful stewardship of holy things.
Custodian of the Ark (2 Samuel 6;1 Chronicles 13)
After Uzzah’s death, “David 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 Samuel 6:10). For three months the sacred chest rested there: “The ark of the LORD remained in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite three months, and the LORD blessed Obed-Edom and all his household” (2 Samuel 6:11). News of this blessing reached the king (6:12), prompting David to retrieve the ark with proper reverence. The episode illustrates how God’s presence brings overflowing favor to those who receive Him in obedience.
Levitical Musician and Gatekeeper (1 Chronicles 15–16)
As David organized worship around the ark, Obed-Edom’s name resurfaces among the Levites:
• “Obed-Edom and Jeiel, the gatekeepers” (1 Chronicles 15:18).
• “Obed-Edom…were to lead the music with lyres” (15:21).
• “Obed-Edom and Jehiah were also to be gatekeepers for the ark” (15:24).
• Listed again with the musicians before the ark (16:5).
His dual role—standing guard over the entrance and leading praise—reflects two complementary ministries: protecting the sanctity of worship and actively exalting God. By giving a former ark-host the privilege of guarding and celebrating it publicly, the Lord turns private faithfulness into public service.
Household Legacy and Gate Allotment (1 Chronicles 26)
Obed-Edom’s sons and grandsons were appointed gatekeepers: “All these were descendants of Obed-Edom…capable men with the strength to do the work—sixty-two from Obed-Edom” (1 Chronicles 26:8). Lots assigned him the South Gate and the storehouse (26:15), placing the family in daily contact with temple treasures. Generational blessing, first hinted at in2 Samuel 6, becomes measurable in manpower and responsibility.
Temple Treasurer under Amaziah (2 Chronicles 25:24)
A man bearing the same name is later entrusted with safeguarding the valuables of the temple. When King Jehoash of Israel plundered Jerusalem he “took all the gold and silver and all the articles found in the house of God with Obed-Edom” (2 Chronicles 25:24). This notice confirms that the title remained synonymous with trustworthy stewardship long after David’s time, whether through the same bloodline or simply the enduring reputation attached to the name.
Possible Harmonization of the Gittite and the Levite
The term “Gittite” need not imply Philistine origin; Levitical towns in Benjamin (such as Gath-rimmon) bore the same root. The Chronicler explicitly calls him a Korahite Levite (1 Chronicles 26:1, 4), solving the apparent tension: Obed-Edom could be a Levite who had lived in a Gittite-named town before hosting the ark. Scripture therefore presents no contradiction but rather a fuller portrait of a Levite unexpectedly honored in his rural home and then drafted into full-time service in Jerusalem.
Theological Themes
1. God’s presence blesses receptive households.
2. Reverence for holiness demands both proper procedure and glad worship.
3. Faithful service invites generational impact; the sixty-two descendants stand as concrete evidence.
4. Spiritual promotion often follows tested stewardship: from country host to city gatekeeper to treasurer.
5. God bridges ethnic and geographic boundaries to dwell with any who honor Him; whether Gittite or Levite, the decisive factor is obedience.
Practical Lessons
• Welcome God’s presence even when others shrink back.
• Guard the holiness of worship while participating wholeheartedly in praise.
• Cultivate reliability; doors of greater responsibility open to those proven faithful.
• Pray for household blessing that multiplies through generations.
Forms and Transliterations
אֱד֖וֹם אֱד֗וֹם אֱדֹ֔ם אֱדֹ֖ם אֱדֹ֗ם אֱדֹ֛ם אֱדֹ֜ם אֱדֹ֧ם אֱדֹֽם׃ אֱדֹם֙ אדום אדם אדם׃ ’ĕ·ḏō·wm ’ĕ·ḏōm ’ĕḏōm ’ĕḏōwm eDom
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