Obed-edom

O'bed-e'dom (Heb. Obed'-edom', עֹבֶד אדֵוֹם, servant of Edom; Sept. in 2 Samuel Ο᾿βὴθ Ε᾿δώμ, in Chronicles Α᾿βεδδαρά, Α᾿βδεδόμ, Α᾿βδοδόμ, with many other v. rr.), the name apparently of three Levites.

1. A person in whose premises, and under whose care, the ark was deposited when the death of Uzzah caused David to apprehend danger in taking it farther. B.C. 1043. It remained there three months, during which the family of Obed-edom so signally prospered that the king was encouraged to resume his first intention, which he then happily carried into effect (2Sa 6:10-12; 1Ch 13:13-14; 1Ch 15:25). We learn from 1Ch 16:38, where the name is used generically, that Obededom's connection with the ark did not then terminate, he and his family having charge of the doors of the sanctuary (1Ch 15:18,24). This individual is distinguished from the following, whose time, functions, and circumstances closely resemble his, by the clear indications in the text:

(a.) He is described as a Gittite (2Sa 6:10,23), that is, probably, a native of the Levitical city of Gath-Rimmon in Dan, which was assigned to the Kohathites (Jos 21:25), and is thus distinguished from "Obed- edom the son of Jeduthun," who was a Merarite. See JEDUTHUN. That the former was a Kohathite or Korhite is plain from 1Ch 26:1,8.