Hadad הֲדַד
An Edomite prince who opposed Solomon.
Who is Hadad in the Bible?
Hadad was an Edomite prince who became a political adversary to King Solomon of Israel (1 Kings 11:14-25). As a young boy, Hadad fled to Egypt when King David conquered Edom, where he found favor with Pharaoh and was given a house, land, provisions, and a wife who was the sister of Queen Tahpenes. After the deaths of David and Joab, Hadad returned to Edom and opposed Solomon's reign, becoming one of several adversaries who troubled the king during his later years. Though the Bible does not elaborate on the specifics of Hadad's actions or their ultimate outcome, his opposition illustrates the resistance Solomon faced from neighboring nations and the fragility of Israel's regional dominance.
Biography
Hadad was an Edomite prince who became an adversary to King Solomon of Israel (1Ki.11.14-22). When King David conquered Edom, Hadad was a young boy. He fled to Egypt with some Edomite servants of his father and found favor with Pharaoh, who gave him a house, land, and provisions. Pharaoh also gave Hadad his sister-in-law, the sister of Queen Tahpenes, as a wife. Hadad and his wife had a son named Genubath, who was raised in Pharaoh's palace. After the deaths of David and Joab, Hadad returned to Edom and became an adversary to Solomon, causing trouble for Israel. The Bible does not provide further details about Hadad's actions against Solomon or the outcome of their conflict.
Family
In Scripture
1 biblical book1 Kings 5 verses
- 1 Kings 11:14
"Then the LORD raised up against Solomon an adversary, Hadad the Edomite, from the royal line of Edom."
- 1 Kings 11:17
"But Hadad, still just a young boy, had fled to Egypt, along with some Edomites who were servants of his father."
- 1 Kings 11:19
"There Hadad found such great favor in the sight of Pharaoh that he gave to him in marriage the sister of Queen Tahpenes, his own wife."
- 1 Kings 11:21
"When Hadad heard in Egypt that David had rested with his fathers and that Joab, the commander of the army, was dead, he said to Pharaoh, “Let me go, that I may return to my own country.”"
- 1 Kings 11:25
"Rezon was Israel’s enemy throughout the days of Solomon, adding to the trouble caused by Hadad. So Rezon ruled over Aram with hostility toward Israel."
Names & Aliases
| Form | Language | Script |
|---|---|---|
| Named | Hebrew | הֲדַד |
| Spelled | Hebrew | אֲדַד |
Hadad
found in parallel passage 1Ch 1:30; the Revised Version (British and American) reads "Hadad" in both places).
(2) (hadhadh): A king of Edom, son of Bedad (Ge 36:35,36 parallel 1Ch 1:46,47), "who smote Midian in the field of Moab," and whose "city was Avith."
(3) Another king of Edom, written "Hadar" in Ge 36:39 by a copyist's mistake, but "Hadad" in the parallel passage 1Ch 1:50,51. His city was Pau or Palestine.
(4) A member of the royal family of Edom in David's time, who as a child escaped Joab's slaughter of the Edomites, and fled to Egypt. On David's death he returned to Edom, where he made trouble for Solomon by stirring up the Edomites against the rule of Israel (1Ki 11:14-22,25).
(5) The supreme god of Syria, whose name is found in Scripture in the names of Syrian kings, Benhadad, Hadadezer. The god Hadad (= perhaps, "maker of loud noise") is mentioned in Assyrian inscriptions, and called on the monolith of Shalmaneser "the god of Aleppo." In the Assyrian inscriptions he is identified with the air-god Rammon or Rimmon. The union of the two names in Zec 12:11 suggests this identity, though the reference is uncertain, some regarding Hadadrimmon as the name of a place, others as the name of the god--"Hadad (is) Rimmon." The name "Hadad" is found in various other forms: Adad, Dadu, and Dadda. See A. H. Sayce in HDB under the word "Hadad."
George Rice Hovey
had-ad-e'-zer (hadhadh`ezer; so 2Sa 8; 1Ki 11:23, but hadhar`ezer, 2Sa 10; <ref osi