Adonikam
Adonikam was one of the Jewish exiles whose descendants returned to Jerusalem from Babylon, as recorded in the lists in Ezra and Nehemiah.
Biography
Adonikam was an Israelite ancestor whose descendants are recorded among those who returned to Judah from Babylonian captivity under Zerubbabel and later under Ezra. His name, meaning "my lord has arisen," appears in two return lists: Ezra 2:13 numbers 666 of his descendants in Zerubbabel's initial return, while Nehemiah 7:18 lists 667. Ezra 8:13 then records the names of three of his sons, Eliphelet, Jeiel, and Shemaiah, who arrived with sixty men in Ezra's later return. The slight discrepancy in totals between lists likely reflects administrative variants. The specific naming of his sons in Ezra 8 suggests Adonikam's family line was notable enough to be individually documented in the official record of returnees.
Significance
Adonikam's descendants spanning both major waves of return, the Zerubbabel return and Ezra's later expedition, give his family line a unique place in the restoration narrative. Their presence in both lists speaks to a family with sustained commitment to the reconstitution of Jewish life in the homeland. The name "my lord has arisen" carries implicit theological weight within the restoration context: the return from exile was understood as evidence that the LORD had again acted on Israel's behalf. Adonikam's lineage thus embodies the continuity of the covenant community through exile and return, and the faithful transmission of identity across generations, precisely the kind of persistence the prophets had promised would characterize the restored remnant.
Verse Appearances (3)
Nehemiah
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]
- Church of England (1769) The Holy Bible, Authorized (King James) Version. [Public Domain]