לַעְדָּה
Ladah, an Israelite
Definition
Ladah is a proper name belonging to an Israelite man listed in the genealogy of Judah. He is identified as a son of Shelah and the father of Mareshah, placing him within the tribe of Judah (1 Chronicles 4:21). The name appears only in this genealogical record, and no other narrative or descriptive details about his life or actions are provided in the biblical text. As such, the term functions solely as a personal identifier within a historical lineage.
Biblical Usage
The word is used exactly once in the Old Testament, in 1 Chronicles 4:21. Its usage is purely genealogical, serving to connect the lineage of Shelah to that of Mareshah within the chronicler's record of the tribe of Judah. There are no patterns of usage beyond this single, list-based context.
Etymology
The name לַעְדָּה (Laʻdâh) is derived from an unused Hebrew root of uncertain meaning. Scholars suggest it may be related to a root implying 'to adorn' or 'to arrange,' but this is speculative. The etymology remains obscure, as is common with many biblical proper names that have lost their original semantic clarity.
Semantic Range
As a personal name within a genealogy, its primary cultural context is Israelite tribal and family identity. Recording such names affirmed an individual's place within the covenant community and the lineage leading to King David and, ultimately, the Messiah. The name itself, while its meaning is lost, would have carried significance for the original family.
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
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