78. Addi
Lexical Summary
Addi: Addi

Original Word: Ἀδδί
Part of Speech: Proper Noun, Indeclinable
Transliteration: Addi
Pronunciation: ad-DEE
Phonetic Spelling: (ad-dee')
KJV: Addi
NASB: Addi
Word Origin: [probably of Hebrew origin]

1. Addi, an Israelite

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Addi.

Probably of Hebrew origin (compare adiy); Addi, an Israelite -- Addi.

see HEBREW adiy

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
probably of Hebrew origin, cf. adi
Definition
Addi, an Isr.
NASB Translation
Addi (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 78: Ἀδδί

Ἀδδί or Ἀδδεί T Tr WH (see WH's Appendix, p. 155, and under the word εἰ ), , the indeclinable proper name of one of the ancestors of Christ: Luke 3:28.

Topical Lexicon
Name and Meaning

Addi is the Greek form (Ἀδδί) of a Hebrew name often explained as “adorned” or “ornament.” Though Scripture gives no further data, the placement of the name invites reflection on the unseen but essential work of God in generations otherwise forgotten.

Biblical Occurrence

Luke 3:28 lists Addi in the genealogy of Jesus Christ: “the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Er.” This solitary mention assigns him a pivotal, if quiet, role in redemptive history.

Position in Luke’s Genealogy

• Line of Nathan. Luke traces Jesus through David’s son Nathan (Luke 3:31), not Solomon. Addi stands six generations after Zerubbabel and Shealtiel (Luke 3:27), linking the post-exilic community to the era leading toward the Incarnation.
• Bridge across the Silent Centuries. From the close of Old Testament history to the New, political powers shifted from Persia to Greece to Rome. The Spirit preserved select names—Addi among them—to prove an unbroken messianic line when many records were lost.
• Distinct from Matthew. Matthew 1 follows Solomon’s royal branch; Luke 3 follows a collateral line that evades the curse on Jeconiah (Jeremiah 22:30) while still affirming Davidic descent. Addi’s presence in Luke alone highlights complementary, not contradictory, genealogical aims.

Historical Setting

Addi likely lived between the late Persian and early Hellenistic periods (fourth–third centuries BC). Judah was modest in size yet rich in hope: temple worship had resumed (Ezra 6), prophetic voices had fallen silent (after Malachi), and anticipation of the Messiah intensified. Households such as Addi’s maintained covenant identity amid foreign rule, faithfully transmitting both Scripture and family lineage.

Theological Significance

1. Faithfulness in obscurity. Scripture records no deeds of Addi, yet his link in the chain testifies that God honors hidden obedience (Psalm 145:4).
2. Continuity of the Seed. Every generation between Adam and Christ validates God’s promise that the Redeemer would come through a preserved line (Genesis 3:15; Genesis 17:7).
3. Reliability of Scripture. Luke’s meticulous genealogy, including otherwise unknown figures, underscores the inspired historian’s commitment to verifiable truth (Luke 1:3).

Lessons for Ministry Today

• Encourage the unheralded: countless believers serve without renown; heaven records their legacy (Hebrews 6:10).
• Preserve testimony: families and churches should record God’s works for posterity (Psalm 78:4-7).
• Trust the details: passages that appear purely genealogical reinforce confidence in the accuracy and sovereignty woven through every line of Scripture.

Selected Cross-References

Genesis 12:3; 2 Samuel 7:12-16; Jeremiah 22:30; Luke 3:23-38; Galatians 4:4.

Addi’s single appearance is a quiet but indispensable witness that God’s redemptive plan advances through both celebrated and unseen saints, each name affirming the faithfulness of the One who keeps covenant “to a thousand generations” (Deuteronomy 7:9).

Forms and Transliterations
Αδδει Ἀδδεί Ἀδδὶ άδειπνος Addi Addì
Links
Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Luke 3:28 N
GRK: Μελχὶ τοῦ Ἀδδὶ τοῦ Κωσάμ
NAS: the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam,
KJV: Which was [the son] of Melchi, which was [the son] of Addi, which was [the son] of Cosam,
INT: of Melchi of Addi of Cosam

Strong's Greek 78
1 Occurrence


Ἀδδὶ — 1 Occ.

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