OBED-EDOM (ΟἿ 733.
The second part of the
OBEDIENCE, OBEY
581
OBEDIENCE, OBEY
name is probably but not certainly that of a god. Cf. the similar names ‘Abd-Ashtart, ‘Abd-Mel- kart, etc., and see Driver, Heb. Text of Sam. p. 206f.; LXX B ᾿Αβεδδαρά, ᾿Αβεδδαράμ, ᾿Αβαεδόμ, ᾿Αβδεδόμ,᾿Αβδοδόμ,᾽ Ἰαβδεδόμ ; A shows the additional forms ᾿Αβεδδαδόμ, ᾿Αβεδδαράν, "Ia8dod6u).—1. A Philistine, a native of Gath, who lived in or near Jerusalem. It was in his house that David de- posited the ark after the death of Uzzah, and here it remained three months, bringing a blessing by its press (2S 6%). In the parallel narrative, 1 Ch 13%, the Chronicler characteristically writes, ‘the ark of God remained with the family of Obed- edom in his house.’ The last three words here refer not to O. but to the ark. This would have been rendered evident if RV had changed ‘his’ into ‘its.’ The Chronicler was unable to conceive of the ark remaining in the house of an uncireum- cised Philistine, so he constructs a house for it within the house, or on the property, of Obed- edom. (See Kittel’s note, ad loc., in Tan t’s OT, and Bertholet, Stellung d. Isr. z. d. Fremden, p. 182f.). It is in all probability the same O. that appears as 2. The eponym of a family of door- keepers in the temple, 1 Ch 15'-* 16% 26% 8: 15, 2 Ch 25%. It is easy to understand how the story of O.’s connexion with the ark might transform a Gittite into a Levite (cf. the analogous cases of Samuel, who in 1S 11 isan Ephraimite, but in 1 Ch 6* a Levite ; and the temple-guard, which in 2 Καὶ 11 consists of the king’s foreign mercenaries, but is converted in 2 Ch 23 into Levitical watchmen). 3. The eponym of a post-exilic family of singers, 1 Ch 157" 16°, J. A. SECBIE,
OBEDIENCE, OBEY.—These terms are, with two exceptions (RV Gn 49", Pr 3017, where they render the rare word 77), the translation in OT of the Hebrew word yxy shdma', to ‘hear’ (so RV Jer 11°, where AV has ‘obey’), to ‘hearken,’ by which term it is rendered AV Gn 37, Ly 26%, Dt 18 οἷο, and often in RV, where AV translates ‘obey’ (¢.g. Ex 5%, Dt 4”, Jos δ᾽ ete.). In NT it has several Greek equiva- lents. The most frequent is ὑπακούω, lit. to ‘hearken,’ the LXX tr. of the Heb. yoy. Other NT words for ‘obey’ are πείθομαι, lit. to ‘be pameaced (so Ac 5%3?, Ro 25, Gal 5’ ete.
he use of the negative forms ἀπειθέω, ἀπειθής, ἀπείθεια is frequent, to denote disobedience), and πειθαρχέω, a word expressing obedience to rulers (so Ac 5: 83 ‘We ought to obey God rather than men,’ Tit 31). ὑποτάσσομαι, which AV twice renders ‘obey,’ means properly to ‘ be subject,’ a tr® which RV rightly substitutes in 1 Co 14%, Tit 2° *
While occasionally used to express a relation between man and man (e.g. the relation between parents and children, Dt 21; the case of the children of Jonathan the son of Rechab, Jer 354-18; cf. Pr 30!7), or between subjects and rulers (2S 22%, 1 Ch 29%, Is 11%, cf. Gn 49"), the characteristic use of obedience in the Bible is to denote the right relation between man and God. It may be called the fundamental OT virtue. As such it is distinctly contrasted b Samuel with sacrifice in the classical passage, 15 15", ‘Hath J” as great delight in burnt-otlerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of J”? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.’ It is the one thing which God requires (Jer 117), and which from the first determines His attitude to His creatures. It was the cause of the blessing of Abraham (Gn 22" 26°), It is the condition of Israel’s receiving the covenant blessing (Ex 195 ‘Now, therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me among all peoples.’ Cf. Ex 24’,
Dt 1157. % 301-10. Jer 117-8), As such it is made prominent in all later renewals of the covenant (Jos 24%, 1S 12%; cf. Neh 916: 17. 36), and is in- sisted upon by the prophets as the condition of those future blessings to which they look forward (Is 1**, Zec 6"). Disobedience, on the other hand, is threatened with the severest penalties (Dt 11% 28%, Lv 26", Jer 9 1810 Is 65%), even to utter destruction (Dt 8” ‘As the nations which J” maketh to perish before you, so shall ye perish ; because ye would not obey the voice of J” your God’; cf. Jer 1917). It is the explanation of all Israel’s misfortunes, whether in the past or the re (Jos 5°, the wanderings in the wilderness ;
g 2-5, the failure to conquer the inhabitants of Canaan ; 2 K 1814, the Captivity ; cf. Neh 917, Zeph 35, Is 424, Dn 910. 4, and esp. Jer, who continually emphasizes the disobedience of Israel, 733: 11% 17* 2271 32% 403 44%). No matter how plausible the prophet, if he urge to disobedience, his message is to be disregarded (Dt 13'5). No matter how earnest the Ἐτοσεῖν if contradicted by a disobedient life, it can hope for no acceptance (Dt 26% %, Jer 3-14), Yet, on the other hand, no sin is so great but it shall receive forgiveness, if penitence mani- fest itself in the fruit of obedience (Dt 439 30% δ, Jer 2018).