(Oʹded) [[God] Has Relieved].

1. Father of the prophet Azariah. (2Ch 15:1) Second Chronicles 15:8 describes Oded himself as being a prophet: “As soon as Asa heard these words and the prophecy of Oded the prophet.” Some scholars would drop the words “of Oded the prophet” as a copyist’s error, but this would not explain why the writer says Asa heard “these words and the prophecy.” Others would make an addition so as to read, “Asa heard these words and the prophecy of Azariah the son of Oded,” to agree with the Greek Septuagint (Alexandrine Codex), Syriac Peshitta, and Latin Vulgate (Clementine recension), but this still leaves the above difficulty unexplained. The third solution is to accept the Masoretic text as it is, with the understanding that Oded himself gave a prophecy that has not been preserved in the record. Asa heeded the words of Azariah (2Ch 15:2-7) and those of his father Oded.

2. A prophet of Samaria during the overlapping reigns of Pekah of Israel and Ahaz of Judah (762-c. 759 B.C.E.). After Israel and Syria delivered a smashing defeat to Judah, 200,000 captives from the southern kingdom were brought toward Samaria. Oded, however, intercepted the victorious army and warned them of God’s wrath if they enslaved their brothers. ‘After all,’ he explained, ‘it was only because of Judah’s wickedness that Jehovah permitted you to defeat them. Now do not make servants out of them and bring Jehovah’s rage upon yourselves; return the captives!’ Four Ephraimite leaders supported Oded, and the captives were cared for and repatriated.​—2Ch 28:5-15.