Obed-Edom

—1. Biblical Data:

A Gittite to whose house the Ark was taken when removed from that of Abinadab in Gibeah. It remained with Obed-edom three months before it was carried to the City of David; and God "blessed Obededom and all his household" (II Sam. vi. 10-11).

—In Rabbinical Literature:

From I Chron. xxvi. 4-8, where Obed-edom is mentioned together with the Levites, it is concluded that he was himself a Levite. His name is interpreted thus: "Obed" = "the servant who honors God in the right way"; "Edom" (lit. "red")= "one who causes to blush." He made David blush for shame because the latter was at first afraid to receive the Ark, whereas Obededom took it into his house without hesitation (Num. R. iv. 21). During the time that the Ark was with him Obed-edom used to light a candle beforeit twice daily, early in the morning and again at evening (ib.).

The blessing with which God blessed Obed-edom consisted in children. His wife and eight daughters-in-law bore children twice every month during the three months that the Ark remained with him (ib.). According to another version, each of them bore six children at once (Ber. 63b).

J. Z. L.

2. Korahite; one of the guards appointed to march before the Ark of the Covenant when it was taken from the house of Obed-edom the Gittite to Jerusalem. He was commissioned also, with five of his companions, to play on the harp of eight strings (I Chron. xv. 18, 21, 24). During the regency of Solomon, in David's old age, Obed-edom belonged to the second division of the guard in the provisional Temple; and the sixty-two male members of his family, including his eight sons, were all detailed for duty at the Temple and kept guard on its southern side (I Chron. xxvi. 4, 8, 15).

3. Son of Jeduthun, and, like Hosah, a porter at the Temple in the reign of David (I Chron. xvi. 38).

4. Temple guard; flourished during the reign of Amaziah, King of Judah; under his care were all the gold, silver, and vessels which were carried off by Jehoash to Samaria.

E. C. S. O.