Bible Encyclopedias

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature

Obil

(Heb. Obil', אוֹבַיל, from the Arabic abal, an overseer of camels; Sept. Οὐβϊ v ας v. r. Ἀβίας and ᾿Ωβίλ , Vulg. Ubil), an Ishriaelite, or Arab, doubtless of the nomade tribes, who had charge of the royal camels in the time of David — an exceedingly fit employment for an Arab (1 Chronicles 27:30). As the name means in Arabic ‘"a keeper of camels," Jerome (2:2) infers that the person had his name from his office, which has always been a very common circumstance in the East (see Bochart, Hieroz. I, 2:2).