Adah
Adah, also known as Basemath, was one of Esau's Hittite wives and the mother of Eliphaz, who became a chief in the land of Edom.
Biography
Adah, also called Basemath in Genesis 26:34, was a Hittite woman whom Esau took as a wife, bringing grief to his parents Isaac and Rebekah (Genesis 26:35). She is identified as the daughter of Elon the Hittite. In the more detailed genealogical passages of Genesis 36, Adah is listed as the mother of Eliphaz, Esau's firstborn son, who became the ancestor of several Edomite clans and chiefs, including Teman, Omar, Zepho, Kenaz, Gatam, and Amalek (Genesis 36:10-16). The name Adah, meaning "ornament" or "dawn," was shared with Lamech's wife in Genesis 4, reflecting the name's esteem in the ancient world. Through her son Eliphaz, Adah became the grandmother of prominent Edomite tribal leaders.
Significance
Adah's position as the mother of Eliphaz, Esau's firstborn, places her at the head of the Edomite genealogy, a lineage that would maintain a complex and often adversarial relationship with Israel throughout the Old Testament. Notably, one of her grandsons, Amalek, became the ancestor of the Amalekites, Israel's persistent enemies. Yet Esau's line is treated in Scripture with a measure of dignity: God reminded Israel in Deuteronomy 2:5 that Edom's land was a divine gift to Esau's descendants. Adah's story thus touches on the broad scope of God's providential ordering of nations, even those outside the primary covenant line of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Verse Appearances (3)
References
- Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Individualised Proper Names with all References (TIPNR). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Wikidata contributors (n.d.) Wikidata. Available at: https://www.wikidata.org. [CC0]
- Church of England (1769) The Holy Bible, Authorized (King James) Version. [Public Domain]