Male gender
Hebrew spelling עֹבַדְיָה (ancient Hebrew)
It means “to serve YHWH” in Hebrew, derived from עָבַד (‘avad) meaning “to serve” and יָה (Yah) referring to the GOD of Isael. In the Old Testament it is the name of one of the twelve minor prophets, author of the Book of Obadiah, who foretells the fall of the nation of Edom. This Text (Hebrew: עובדיה, obadiàh; Ancient Greek: Αβδιού, abdiú; Latin: Abdias) is a text contained in the Hebrew and Christian canon. It is written in Hebrew and, according to the most widely accepted hypothesis among scholars, the writing of the book took place in Judea shortly after 587 B.C. It consists of only 21 verses, making it the shortest Old Testament Text. It contains oracles of the prophet Obadiah against Edom and about the final revenge of the Israelites.
The name Obadiah is among the most popular in the Bible. In addition to the prophet who probably lived in the 9th century B.C. and wrote the Book of Obadiah, up to twelve Obadiahs are mentioned:
The head of King Ahab’s household (1 Kings 18:3);
A descendant of Solomon (1 Chronicles 3:21) ;
A descendant of Issachar (1 Chronicles 7:3) ;
A descendant of Saul (1 Chronicles 8:38) ;
One of David’s “mighty ones” (1 Chronicles 12:9);
Father of the leader of Zabulon in the time of King David (1 Chronicles 27:19) ;
Teacher in the time of King Jehoshaphat (2 Chronicles 17:7);
A temple repairman in the time of King Josiah (2 Chronicles 34:12);
A leader in the second wave of return to Jerusalem (Ezra 8:9), which may or may not be the same Obadiah who signed Ezra’s covenant (Nehemiah 10:5) or even the Obadiah mentioned among the returning Levites (1 Chronicles 9:16), or the Levite Obadiah who was a watchman (Nehemiah 12:25).