Obadiah

About Obadiah

Obadiah's prophecy condemns Edom for joining in Jerusalem's calamity and obstructing fugitives. The accusation makes another people's suffering a question of responsibility.

Francis Gigot's Catholic Encyclopedia article says that the prophet's family, social position, birthplace and death are unknown. Abdias is another form of his name, not a different author. Later Jewish and Christian traditions offer identifications that the article distinguishes from secure biographical knowledge.

The Jewish Encyclopedia discusses the book's relationship to Jeremiah and possible shared material. Its critical account connects part of the prophecy with Jerusalem's destruction and considers more than one stage of composition. These are arguments about a text's history, not evidence for an exact lifespan.

The Orthodox Church in America's devotional life identifies Obadiah with the steward who protected prophets under Ahab and later followed Elijah. This identification remains unverified. The Church commemorates the prophet on November 19; its worship continues his Christian reception without settling the questions surrounding the book's author.

Prayers for Obadiah