Gadi
Gadi was the father of Menahem, who became king of Israel after assassinating Shallum.
Biography
Gadi is known solely through his son Menahem, who ruled as king of Israel during the turbulent Divided Monarchy period. When King Shallum assassinated Zechariah and seized the throne of Israel (2 Kings 15:10), Menahem son of Gadi rose from Tirzah, Israel's former capital, and killed Shallum after just one month of his reign, taking the throne for himself (2 Kings 15:14). Menahem's ten-year reign was marked by extreme brutality, he destroyed the city of Tiphsah and its inhabitants, and by submission to Assyrian power, paying tribute to Tiglath-pileser III with silver extracted from Israel's wealthy citizens. Nothing further is recorded of Gadi himself beyond his paternity.
Significance
Gadi's significance lies entirely in his son Menahem, whose violent seizure of Israel's throne illustrates the catastrophic cycle of assassination and instability that characterized Israel's final decades. The Deuteronomistic historian's verdict that Menahem "did evil in the eyes of the LORD" (2 Kings 15:18) implies a dynasty rooted in violence rather than divine sanction. Gadi's lineage thus becomes associated with the theological theme of covenant unfaithfulness leading to national decline. The tribute paid to Assyria during Menahem's reign foreshadowed the Assyrian conquest of the northern kingdom (722 BC), making the house of Gadi a symbol of Israel's capitulation to foreign powers rather than reliance on God.
Verse Appearances (2)
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]