Charles Ellicott Commentary 1 Kings 18:3

"And Ahab called Obadiah, who was over the household. (Now Obadiah feared Jehovah greatly:" — 1 Kings 18:3 (ASV)

Obadiah. —The name (“servant of Jehovah”) here corresponds to the character of the man. It is curiously significant of the hesitating and vacillating attitude of Ahab, that while Jezebel is allowed to persecute, a high officer in the court is able to profess openly the service of Jehovah, and secretly to thwart the cruelty of the queen. In his heart Ahab always seems to acknowledge the true God, but is overpowered by the commanding and ruthless nature of Jezebel.