Lexical Definition
עֲדָיָה ʻĂdâyâh (ad-aw-yaw') Adaiah N:N-M-P
or עֲדָיָהוּ ʻĂdâyâhûw (ad-aw-yaw'-hoo); from עָדָה and יָהּ; Jah has adorned
Adaiah.
- § Adaiah = "Jehovah has adorned Himself"
- Adajah, the name of eight Israelites
1) maternal grandfather of king Josiah of Judah and native of Boscath in the lowlands of Judah
2) a Gershonite Levite and ancestor of Asaph
3) a Benjamite, son of Shimhi
4) a priest, son of Jehoram
5) ancestor of Maaseiah, one of the captains who supported Jehoiada
6) a descendant of Bani who had a foreign wife in the time of Ezra
7) a descendant of another Bani who had a foreign wife in the time of Ezra
8) a descendant of Pharez of the tribe of Judah
| Form | Translated As | In Verse(s) |
|---|---|---|
| וַעֲדָיָֽה | and Adaiah | Ezra.10.39 |
Extended Information
- A man living at the time of Exile and Return, only mentioned at Ezr.10.39
Brown-Driver-Briggs
עֲדָיָ֫ה(וּׅ proper name, masculine (׳י has decked himself); —
1. עֲדָיָ֫הוּ father of a Judaean captain 2Chr 23:1, ᵐ5 Αζεια, A Αδαια, ᵐ5L Αδαιου (genitive). Elsewhere עֲדָיָה:
2. grandfather of Josiah 2Kgs 22:1, ᵐ5 Εδεινα, A Ιεδιδα, ᵐ5L Οζιου (genitive)
3. a Levite 1Chr 6:26*, ᵐ5 Αζεια, A ᵐ5L Αδ(α)ια.
4. Benjamite 1Chr 8:21, ᵐ5 Αβια, A Αλαια, ᵐ5L Αδαια.
5. a priest 1Chr 9:12; Neh 11:12, ᵐ5 Αδαια(ς).
6. two with foreign wives: a Ezra 10:29, ᵐ5 Αδα, ᵐ5L Αδαιας.
b. vEzra 10:39, ᵐ5 Αδαια, ᵐ5L Αδδαιας.
7. a Judahite Neh 11:5, ᵐ5. Οζ(ε)ια, ᵐ5L Αδαια.
Brown-Driver-Briggs References
| Book | Refs |
|---|---|
| 2 Kings | 22:1 |
| 1 Chronicles | 6:26* · 8:21 · 9:12 |
| 2 Chronicles | 23:1 |
| Ezra | 10:29 · 10:39 |
| Nehemiah | 11:5 · 11:12 |
Profile
Male • Returned priest • A priest who married a foreign wife
Man living at the time of Exile and Return
Adaiah, one of the descendants of Harim, was a priest who had married a foreign woman during the time of Ezra (Ezr.10.39).
- A priest living at the time of Exile and Return, only mentioned at Ezr.10.39;
- only referred to as Adaiah עֲדָיָה.
Adaiah, a priest mentioned in the book of Ezra, was among those who had married foreign women during the post-exilic period (Ezra 10:39). He was a descendant of Harim, one of the priestly families that returned to Jerusalem after the Babylonian exile.
During the religious reform led by Ezra, it was discovered that many Israelites, including priests and Levites, had married women from the surrounding nations. This was considered a violation of God's law, which prohibited intermarriage with the pagan peoples of the land (Ezra 10:10-11).
Adaiah was one of the priests who had taken a foreign wife. In response to Ezra's call for repentance, he and the other offenders pledged to put away their foreign wives and children, demonstrating their commitment to obey God's law and maintain the purity of the Israelite community.
No further details are provided about Adaiah's personal life or the specific consequences he faced in separating from his foreign wife. His inclusion in the list of priests who had married foreign women highlights the extent of the problem and the importance of addressing it to ensure the spiritual integrity of the community.
All entries for Adaiah: עֲדָיָה