Adin עָדִין
Jewish exile who returned to Jerusalem with Zerubbabel
Who is Adin in the Bible?
Adin was a Jewish exile who returned to Jerusalem from Babylon after the captivity, appearing in the biblical records of returnees under Zerubbabel's leadership. He is mentioned in Ezra 2:15 and Nehemiah 7:20, where 454 descendants of Adin are listed as having returned to Jerusalem, though Nehemiah's account gives the number as 655, likely reflecting different counting methods or additional family members included in one census. Adin is also referenced in Ezra 8:6 among those who journeyed with Ezra in a subsequent group of returnees from Babylon. His name appears among the leaders and families who played a crucial role in rebuilding the Jewish community and temple in Jerusalem following the Babylonian exile, representing the fulfillment of God's promise to restore His people to their homeland.
Biography
Adin is mentioned in the lists of Jewish exiles who returned to Jerusalem from Babylon after the captivity. He is recorded in Ezr.2.15 and Neh.7.20 among the descendants of those who came back with Zerubbabel, the leader of the first group of returnees.
In Ezr.2.15, it is stated that 454 descendants of Adin returned to Jerusalem. The parallel passage in Neh.7.20 gives the number as 655. This discrepancy may be due to different counting methods or the inclusion of additional family members in one of the lists.
Adin is also mentioned in Ezr.8.6 as one of the men who went up with Ezra from Babylon to Jerusalem. In this passage, a different group of returnees is listed, and Adin is described as a descendant of Jonathan. It is unclear whether this Adin is the same person as the one mentioned in the earlier lists or a different individual with the same name.
The return of Adin and his fellow exiles to Jerusalem was part of the fulfillment of the prophecies concerning the restoration of Israel after the Babylonian captivity (Jer.29.10; Isa.44.28). The lists of returnees in Ezra and Nehemiah emphasize God's faithfulness in bringing His people back to their homeland and the importance of reestablishing the Jewish community in Jerusalem.
In Scripture
2 biblical books ; 2 with study contentEzra 2 verses
- Ezra 2:15
"the descendants of Adin, 454;"
Study Ezra → - Ezra 8:6
"from the descendants of Adin, Ebed son of Jonathan, and with him 50 men;"
Study Ezra →
Nehemiah 1 verse
- Nehemiah 7:20
"the descendants of Adin, 655;"
Study Nehemiah →
Names & Aliases
| Form | Language | Script |
|---|---|---|
| Named | Hebrew | עָדִין |
Adin
le:Neh.10.16">10:16; 1 Esdras 5:14; 8:32), mentioned among the returning exiles. The list in Ezr 2 is placed in the midst of the narrative concerning Zerubbabel, but its title and Its contents show that it also includes the later Jewish immigrants into Palestine. The list in Ne 7 is a duplicate of that in Ezr, but with variations; most of the variations are naturally accounted for by supposing that one copy was made later than the other and was brought up to date. In Ezr and 1 Esdras the number of the sons of Adin is said to be 454; in Ne it is 655. The 50 males, led by Ebed the son of Jonathan, who came with Ezr, may or may not have been included in the numbers just mentioned. Among the names of those who sealed the covenant along with Ne are 44 that are placed under the caption "the chiefs of the people" (Ne 10:14-26), and nearly half of these are the family names of the list in Ezr 2 and Ne 7. It is natural to infer that in these cases a family sealed the covenant collectively through some representative. In that case the Adin here mentioned is the same that is mentioned in the other places. See also ADINU.
Willis J. Beecher
ad'-i-na, a-di'-na (`adhina', "adorned"). "Adina the son of Shiza the Reubenite, a chief of the Reubenites, and thirty with him" (1Ch 11:42). This is in that part of the list of Dav