Adonikam אֲדֹנִיקָם
Jewish exile whose descendants returned to Jerusalem
Who is Adonikam in the Bible?
Adonikam was a Jewish exile whose descendants returned to Jerusalem from Babylon during the restoration of the Jewish community. He appears in the genealogical records of Ezra and Nehemiah, which document the families who came back to their homeland after the captivity. In the first return under Zerubbabel, approximately 666 to 667 of Adonikam's descendants are listed (Ezra 2:13 and Nehemiah 7:18), while during the second return under Ezra the priest, additional members of his family returned, including his sons Eliphelet, Jeiel, and Shemaiah along with sixty other males (Ezra 8:13). Though Adonikam himself is not described with personal details, his prominence in these return lists underscores the significance of his family line in the restoration of the Jewish people to their homeland.
Biography
Adonikam is mentioned in the lists of Jewish exiles who returned to Jerusalem from Babylon, as recorded in Ezr.2.13, Ezr.8.13, and Neh.7.18. These lists provide a record of the individuals and families who were part of the return, highlighting the restoration of the Jewish community in their homeland.
In Ezr.2.13 and Neh.7.18, the descendants of Adonikam are numbered at 666 and 667, respectively, among those who returned with Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah, during the first wave of the return from exile.
In Ezr.8.13, the descendants of Adonikam are mentioned again among those who returned with Ezra, the priest and scribe, during the second wave of the return. In this passage, the last sons of Adonikam are specifically named as Eliphelet, Jeiel, and Shemaiah, along with 60 males.
The variations in the numbers of Adonikam's descendants between the lists in Ezra and Nehemiah may be due to different counting methods or the inclusion of additional family members in one of the lists.
The repeated mention of Adonikam's descendants in these lists emphasizes the continuity of the Jewish community and the importance of recording the genealogies of those who returned from exile. It also highlights the multi-generational impact of the exile and the restoration of the Jewish people to their homeland.
In Scripture
2 biblical books ; 2 with study contentEzra 2 verses
- Ezra 2:13
"the descendants of Adonikam, 666;"
Study Ezra → - Ezra 8:13
"from the later descendants of Adonikam, these were their names: Eliphelet, Jeiel, and Shemaiah, and with them 60 men;"
Study Ezra →
Nehemiah 1 verse
- Nehemiah 7:18
"the descendants of Adonikam, 667;"
Study Nehemiah →
Names & Aliases
| Form | Language | Script |
|---|---|---|
| Named | Hebrew | אֲדֹנִיקָם |
Adonikam
n and women and children, numbered 666 according to the list as given in Ezr, but 667 according to the copy in Neh. Either included among these or in addition to them was the contingent that came with Ezr, "Ehphalet, Jeuel, and Shemaiah, and with them 60 males" (Ezr 8:13).
ad-o-ni'-ram ('adhoniram, "my lord is exalted"): An official of Solomon (1Ki 4:6; 5:14). Near the close of the reign of David, and at the openi