Topical Encyclopedia
Introduction:Obed is a significant figure in the Bible, primarily known for his role in the lineage of King David and, ultimately, Jesus Christ. His account is intertwined with themes of redemption, loyalty, and divine providence.
Biblical References:Obed is mentioned in several key passages in the Old Testament, most notably in the Book of Ruth and the genealogies of 1 Chronicles and the Gospels of Matthew and Luke.
1.
Ruth 4:13-17 : Obed is the son of Boaz and Ruth. After Ruth, a Moabite widow, demonstrates her loyalty to her mother-in-law Naomi and her faith in the God of Israel, she marries Boaz, a kinsman-redeemer. Their union is blessed with the birth of Obed. The women of the town celebrate his birth, saying to Naomi, "He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law, who loves you and is better to you than seven sons, has given him birth" (
Ruth 4:15). Obed is seen as a restorer of life and a nourisher in Naomi's old age.
2.
1 Chronicles 2:12 : Obed is listed in the genealogies of the tribe of Judah, emphasizing his place in the lineage leading to David: "Boaz was the father of Obed, and Obed was the father of Jesse."
3.
Matthew 1:5-6 : In the genealogy of Jesus Christ, Obed is mentioned as an ancestor, highlighting the fulfillment of God's promises through the generations: "Salmon was the father of Boaz by Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David the king."
4.
Luke 3:32 : Obed is also included in the genealogy of Jesus presented by Luke, further affirming his role in the messianic line: "the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Salmon, the son of Nahshon."
Theological Significance:Obed's life and lineage are a testament to God's redemptive plan. His birth is a direct result of the faithfulness and righteousness of his parents, Boaz and Ruth. The account of Ruth and Boaz is a powerful narrative of God's providence and the inclusion of Gentiles into His covenant community, as Ruth, a Moabite, becomes an integral part of the lineage of David and Jesus.
Obed's role as the grandfather of King David places him in a pivotal position in biblical history. David's reign is often seen as a foreshadowing of the eternal kingship of Christ. Thus, Obed's place in the genealogy underscores the continuity of God's salvific work through history.
Cultural and Historical Context:In the ancient Near Eastern context, genealogies were crucial for establishing identity, inheritance rights, and social status. Obed's inclusion in these genealogies highlights the importance of family lineage in the biblical narrative and God's sovereign choice in using ordinary people to fulfill His extraordinary purposes.
Conclusion:Obed's account, though brief in the biblical text, carries profound implications for understanding God's faithfulness and the unfolding of His redemptive plan through history. His life serves as a reminder of the blessings that come from faithfulness and the unexpected ways in which God works through individuals to accomplish His divine purposes.
Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary
Obeda servant; workman
Smith's Bible Dictionary
Obed(serving).
- Son of Boaz and Ruth the Moabitess and father of Jesse. (Ruth 4:17) (B.C. 1360.) The circumstances of his birth which make up all that we know about him are given with much beauty in the book of Ruth. The name of Obed occurs only (Ruth 4:17) and in the four genealogies, (Ruth 4:21,22;1 Chronicles 2:12;Matthew 1:5;Luke 3:32)
- A descendant of Jarha, the Egyptian slave of Sheshan, in the line of Jerahmeel. (1 Chronicles 2:37,38) (B.C. after 1014.)
- One of David's mighty men. (1 Chronicles 11:47) (B.C. 1046.)
- One of the gate-keepers of the temple; son of Shemaiah the first-born of Obed-edom. (1 Chronicles 26:7) (B.C. 1017.)
- Father of Azariah, one of the captains of hundreds who joined with Jehoiada in the revolution by which Athaliah fell. (2 Chronicles 23:1) (B.C. before 876.)
ATS Bible Dictionary
ObedSon of Boaz and Ruth, and grandfather of David,Ruth 4:17. See also the genealogies of Christ,Matthew 1:5Luke 3:32.
Easton's Bible Dictionary
Serving; worshipping.
(1.) A son of Boaz and Ruth (Ruth 4:21, 22), and the grandfather of David (Matthew 1:5).
(2.)1 Chronicles 2:34-38.
(3.)1 Chronicles 26:7.
(4.)2 Chronicles 23:1.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
OBED(1) Son of Boaz and Ruth and grandfather of David (Ruth 4:17, 21, 221 Chronicles 2:12Matthew 1:5Luke 3:32).
(2) Son of Ephlal and descendant of Sheshan, the Jerahmeelite, through his daughter who was married to Jarha, an Egyptian servant of her father's (1 Chronicles 2:37, 38).
(3) One of David's mighty men (1 Chronicles 11:47).
(4) A Korahite doorkeeper, son of Shemaiah, and grandson of Obed-edom (1 Chronicles 26:7).
(5) Father of Azariah, one of the centurions who took part with Jehoiada in deposing Queen Athaliah and crowning Joash (2 Chronicles 23:1; compare2 Kings 11:1-16).
David Francis Roberts
Greek
5601.Obed --Obed....Obed. 5602 .
Obed. Part of Speech: Proper Noun, Indeclinable Transliteration:
Obed Phonetic Spelling: (o-bade') Short Definition:
Obed Definition:
Obed.
...2492b. Iobed --Obed, the grandfather of King David
... 2492a, 2492b. Iobed. 2493 .Obed, the grandfather of King David.
Transliteration: Iobed Short Definition:Obed. Word Origin of Hebrew...
2421. Iessai -- Jesse, the father of King David
... Noun, Indeclinable Transliteration: Iessai Phonetic Spelling: (es-es-sah'-ee) Short
Definition: Jesse Definition: (Hebrew), Jesse, son ofObed, and father of...
4503. Rhouth -- Ruth, a Moabitess and an ancestor of Christ
... Speech: Proper Noun, Indeclinable Transliteration: Rhouth Phonetic Spelling: (hrooth)
Short Definition: Ruth Definition: Ruth, wife of Boaz and mother ofObed....
1003. Boos -- Boaz, an Israelite
... Indeclinable Transliteration: Boos Phonetic Spelling: (bo-oz') Short Definition:
Boaz Definition: Boaz, son of Salmon and Rahab, husband of Ruth, father ofObed...
Strong's Hebrew
5744.Obed -- "worshiper," the name of several Israelites...Obed. 5745 . "worshiper," the name of several Israelites. Transliteration:
Obed Phonetic Spelling: (o-bade') Short Definition:
Obed.
... NASB Word Usage
Obed (10).
...5654.Obed Edom -- "servant of Edom," an Israelite name
Obed Edom. 5653, 5654.Obed Edom. 5655 . "servant of Edom," an Israelite
name. Transliteration:Obed Edom Phonetic Spelling: (o...
8.obed -- destruction
... 7, 8.obed. 9 . destruction. Transliteration:obed Phonetic Spelling: (o-bade')
Short Definition: destruction.... see HEBREW 'abad. 7, 8.obed. 9 ....
3485. Yissaskar -- perhaps "there is recompense," a son of Jacob...
... perhaps "there is recompense," a son of Jacob and Leah, also a son ofObed-edom.
Transliteration: Yissaskar Phonetic Spelling: (yis-saw-kawr') Short Definition...
Library
The Ark of the House ofObed-Edom
... THE SECOND BOOK OF SAMUEL THE ARK OF THE HOUSE OFOBED-EDOM. 'The ark of
the Lord continued in the house ofObed-edom the Gittite...
How under Eli's Government of the Israelites Booz Married Ruth...
... Eli. CHAPTER 9. How Under Eli's Government Of The Israelites Booz Married
Ruth, From Whom CameObed The Grandfather Of David. 1. Now...
Jerusalem Made the Capital City
... the ark of Jehovah come to me?" So David was not willing to remove the ark of Jehovah
to the City of David, but carried it aside to the house ofObed-edom, the...
Death and Life from the Ark
... 10. So David would not remove the ark of the Lord unto him into the city of David:
but David carried it aside into the house ofObed-edom the Gittite.11....
Matthew's Genealogy of Jesus Christ
... begat Aram; 4. And Aram begat Aminadab; and Aminadab begat Naasson; and Naasson
begat Salmon; 5. And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begatObed of Ruth...
Genealogy of Jesus According to Matthew.
... begat Nahshon; and Nahshon begat Salmon; 5 and Salmon begat Boaz of Rahab [she had
been a heathen and a harlot of Jericho]; and Boaz begatObed of Ruth [she...
Ruth.
... So Ruth became the honored and beloved wife of Boaz, and they had a son
namedObed.Obed grew up and had a son named Jesse; and...
The Story of Ruth, the Gleaner
... And Boaz and Ruth had a son, whom they namedObed; and laterObed had a son named
Jesse; and Jesse was the father of David, the shepherd boy who became king....
Ruth and Naomi.
... When a little son came to bless the union, Naomi rejoiced, for she felt almost as
though it was her own little son, and she named himObed and delighted in...
The Incarnation and Birth of Christ
... was celebrated; and in the streets of Bethlehem did Boaz and Ruth receive a blessing
which made them fruitful so that Boaz became the father ofObed, andObed...
Thesaurus
Obed (13 Occurrences)...OBED. (1) Son of Boaz and Ruth and grandfather of David (Ruth 4:17, 21, 22 1
Chronicles 2:12 Matthew 1:5 Luke 3:32).
...Obed (13 Occurrences).
...Obed-edom (16 Occurrences)
Obed-edom. Obededom,Obed-edom. O'bed-e'dom . Easton's Bible Dictionary
Servant of Edom.... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia.OBED-EDOM....
O'bed-e'dom (14 Occurrences)
O'bed-e'dom.Obed-edom, O'bed-e'dom. O'bed-e'dom's . Multi-Version
Concordance O'bed-e'dom (14 Occurrences). 2 Samuel 6:10 So David...
Obededom (15 Occurrences)
... 8, 15). (3.) One who had charge of the temple treasures (2 Chronicles
25:24). Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia.OBED-EDOM. o'-bed-e...
Bo'az (24 Occurrences)
... Matthew 1:5 Salmon became the father of Boaz by Rahab. Boaz became the father
ofObed by Ruth.Obed became the father of Jesse. (See RSV)....
Gittite (10 Occurrences)
... A native of the Philistine city of Gath (Joshua 13:3).Obed-edom, in whose
house the ark was placed, is so designated (2 Samuel 6:10)....
Begat (112 Occurrences)
... YLT). Matthew 1:5 And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begatObed of
Ruth; andObed begat Jesse; (KJV ASV DBY WBS YLT). Matthew...
Jeiel (13 Occurrences)
... the King James Version is "Jehiel"; Kethibh is "Jeuel." (4) A Levite, keeper of
the ark withObed-edom (1 Chronicles 15:18, 21; 1 Chronicles 16:5 2 Chronicles...
Gatekeepers (38 Occurrences)
... Ben, and Jaaziel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Unni, Eliab, and Benaiah, and
Maaseiah, and Mattithiah, and Elipheleh, and Mikneiah; andObed-Edom and Jeiel...
Doorkeepers (37 Occurrences)
... Ben, and Jaaziel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Unni, Eliab, and Benaiah, and
Maaseiah, and Mattithiah, and Eliphelehu, and Mikneiah, andObed-Edom, and...
Resources
Who was Obed in the Bible? | GotQuestions.orgWho was Obed-Edom in the Bible? | GotQuestions.orgWhat is the story of Ruth and Boaz? | GotQuestions.orgBible Concordance •
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