Hadlai
Hadlai was the father of Amasa, who opposed taking captives from Judah during the reign of King Ahaz.
Biography
Hadlai is a minor but notable figure from the era of the Divided Monarchy, identified in 2 Chronicles 28:12 solely as the father of Amasa, an Ephraimite leader. Amasa is remembered for his courageous stand against the mistreatment of Judahite prisoners during the reign of the wicked king Ahaz. After a devastating Israelite military campaign against Judah, in which 120,000 men were slain and 200,000 people taken captive, Amasa joined three other Ephraimite chiefs to oppose bringing the captives into Samaria, heeding the prophet Oded's warning that such an act would compound Israel's guilt before God. While Hadlai himself speaks no words in the text, his son's moral courage suggests a household shaped by principled conviction.
Significance
Though Hadlai is known only through his son, his legacy is inseparable from one of the Old Testament's most surprising acts of humanitarian mercy. Amasa's opposition to enslaving fellow Israelites, rooted in the prophetic word of Oded (2 Chronicles 28:9–15), stands as a rare moral bright spot during an era of widespread apostasy. The episode foreshadows the Good Samaritan ideal and demonstrates that conscience and compassion can flourish even in corrupt times. Hadlai represents the countless unnamed parents whose faithful upbringing produces children who stand for righteousness when it matters most.
Verse Appearances (1)
2Chr
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]