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עֹבֵד אֱדוֹם

𐤏𐤁𐤃 𐤀𐤃𐤅𐤌

Oved Edom

H5654 noun

SILEX Entry

Root עבד + אדום to serve, work, labor; Edom (personal or territorial name)

Definition

Personal name meaning 'servant of Edom.' Refers specifically to individuals designated as 'Obed-Edom' within biblical narratives. The compound form indicates a relationship of service or devotion to 'Edom'—either the territory/person of Edom, or possibly to a patron or overlord associated with Edom. As a proper noun in the Hebrew Bible, this name primarily identifies one or more individuals with distinct genealogical or biographical details, notably a gatekeeper and keeper of the Ark associated with King David's court, as well as other bearers, possibly from different tribal or geographic backgrounds, depending on context.

Semantic Range

personal name meaning 'servant of Edom,' title possibly indicating service to or association with Edom, designation for specific individuals in genealogies or narrative accounts

Root / Etymology

From עָבַד (ʻavad, 'to serve, work') and אֱדוֹם (ʼĔdôm, 'Edom'), combined in a construct form to mean 'servant of Edom.' The root ע-ב-ד conveys the semantic field of labor or service. The name is a theophoric or ethnophoric compound, typical in ancient Hebrew onomastics.

Historical & Contextual Notes

The name עֹבֵד אֱדוֹם appears in historical narratives primarily in the books of Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles. Most notably, Obed-Edom is presented as a Levitical gatekeeper in Jerusalem who temporarily housed the Ark of the Covenant (2 Samuel 6, 1 Chronicles 13–16). The designation 'of Edom' has prompted various interpretations. While it may denote Edomite ancestry, the texts often present Obed-Edom as a Levite, perhaps reflecting either mixed heritage or a guild/family name deriving from an ancestor connected with Edom. The English 'Obed-edom' is a transliteration of the Hebrew; later English Bibles treat this as a personal name. The term is distinct from other compound names (e.g. Obed, 'servant'), which lack the Edomite qualifier. The name does not imply the individual's ethnic Edomite identity unless contextually specified; in some passages, Obed-Edom functions as a respected member of the Israelite or Levitical community. The name also appears in genealogical lists, sometimes causing ambiguity regarding identity and lineage assignments across biblical texts.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from the active participle of עָבַד and אֱדֹם; worker of Edom; Obed-Edom, the name of five Israelites; Obed-edom.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

עבד + אדום (ʿ-b-d + ʾ-d-w-m) — to serve, work, labor; Edom (personal or territorial name)

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H5744 עוֹבֵד servant of Edom

Word Forms

5 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H5654-01 אֱד֖וֹם edom HNp Edom Red-One 20
H5654-03 עֹבֵֽד oved HNp Obed servant of Edom 11
H5654-05 וְ/עֹבֵ֥ד veoved HC/Np and Obed and Servant-of-Edom 6
H5654-02 לְ/עֹבֵ֥ד leoved HR/Np to Obed to Servant-of-Edom 2
H5654-04 וּ/לְ/עֹבֵ֥ד uleoved HC/R/Np And to Obed and to Servant-of-Edom 1

Occurrences in Scripture

40 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H5654-03 2 Samuel 6:10 עֹבֵֽד oved HNp Obed servant of Edom
H5654-01 2 Samuel 6:10 אֱד֖וֹם edom HNp -edom Red-One
H5654-03 2 Samuel 6:11 עֹבֵ֥ד oved HNp Obed servant of Edom
H5654-01 2 Samuel 6:11 אֱדֹ֛ם edom HNp Edom Red-One
H5654-03 2 Samuel 6:11 עֹבֵ֥ד oved-2 HNp Obed servant of Edom
H5654-01 2 Samuel 6:11 אֱדֹ֖ם edom-2 HNp Edom Red-One
H5654-03 2 Samuel 6:12 עֹבֵ֤ד oved HNp of Obed servant of Edom
H5654-01 2 Samuel 6:12 אֱדֹם֙ edom HNp Edom Red-One
H5654-03 2 Samuel 6:12 עֹבֵ֥ד oved-2 HNp of Obed servant of Edom
H5654-01 2 Samuel 6:12 אֱדֹ֛ם edom-2 HNp Edom Red-One
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