140. Adoniqam

Lexical Summary

Adoniqam: Adoniqam

Original Word: אֲדֹנִיקָם
Part of Speech: Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration: Adoniyqam
Pronunciation: ah-do-nee-KAHM
Phonetic Spelling: (ad-o-nee-kawm')
KJV: Adonikam
NASB: Adonikam
Word Origin: [from H113 (אָדוֹן אָדוֹן - lord) and H6965 (קוּם - arose)]

1. lord of rising (i.e. high)
2. Adonikam, the name of one or two Israelites

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

Adonikam

From 'adown and quwm; lord of rising (i.e. High); Adonikam, the name of one or two Israelites -- Adonikam.

see HEBREW 'adown

see HEBREW quwm

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from adon and qum
Definition
"my Lord has arisen," head of an Isr. family
NASB Translation
Adonikam (3).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

אֲדֹנִיקָם proper name, masculine (my Lord has arisen) head of a family Ezra 2:13; Ezra 8:13; Nehemiah 7:18 (אֲדֹנִיָּהוּ Nehemiah 10:17).

Topical Lexicon

Overview

Adonikam appears only in the post-exilic narratives of Ezra and Nehemiah, where his descendants are counted among the returning exiles. Though the man himself is never described, his family line is singled out three times, marking it as a recognizable clan within Judah and Benjamin that survived the Babylonian captivity and took part in the restoration of worship at Jerusalem.

Occurrences in Scripture

• Ezra 2:13 – “the descendants of Adonikam, 666.”
• Ezra 8:13 – “From the descendants of Adonikam, who were the last, these were their names: Eliphelet, Jeuel, and Shemaiah, and with them 60 men.”
• Nehemiah 7:18 – “the descendants of Adonikam, 667.”

Historical Setting

1. First Return under Zerubbabel (Ezra 1–6). Ezra 2 lists families that left Babylon around 538 BC. Adonikam’s descendants number 666—one of the larger contingents—showing the clan’s willingness to abandon settled life in exile for the hardships of rebuilding Jerusalem.
2. Wall-Building Generation (Nehemiah 7). The parallel census conducted after the wall is finished records 667. The single-person difference reflects either natural growth or textual rounding, but in either case confirms the clan’s persistence through decades of labor.
3. Second Return under Ezra (Ezra 7–10). Nearly eighty years after Zerubbabel, Ezra gathers further volunteers. Three leaders from Adonikam—Eliphelet, Jeuel, Shemaiah—head 60 more men, described as “the last,” implying that Adonikam’s clan had already contributed heavily yet still sent an additional contingent.

Role in the Post-Exilic Community

• Builders and Settlers: As part of the first wave, Adonikam’s family would have shared in laying the temple foundations (Ezra 3) and later rejoiced at its dedication (Ezra 6).
• Wall Restorers: Their inclusion in Nehemiah’s list suggests participation in the wall’s reconstruction and the covenant renewal that followed (Nehemiah 9–10).
• Supporters of Reform: By answering Ezra’s call decades later, the clan displayed ongoing commitment to purity in worship and adherence to the Law.

Numerical Notes

The figure 666 in Ezra 2 has invited curiosity because of its later apocalyptic association (Revelation 13:18). In context, however, it is a straightforward census number emphasizing how many were willing to return. The slight increase to 667 in Nehemiah 7 illustrates that the family line endured and perhaps grew despite adversity.

Theological and Ministry Significance

1. Covenant Faithfulness: God preserved entire households, not merely individuals. Adonikam’s descendants testify that divine promises to restore a remnant (Jeremiah 29:10–14) were fulfilled precisely.
2. Generational Commitment: Three successive generations of the same clan engaged in kingdom work—temple rebuilding, wall construction, and spiritual reform—modeling continuity in service.
3. Voluntary Sacrifice: Leaving Babylon meant forfeiting economic stability for the sake of worship. Adonikam’s people embodied the call to “seek first the kingdom of God” (Matthew 6:33).
4. Corporate Identity: The chronicling of family groups underscores that Israel’s restoration was communal; each clan, including Adonikam’s, supplied manpower, leadership, and resources.

Lessons for Today

• God keeps track of names. Families and individuals who seem minor in biblical history are nonetheless recorded in Scripture, encouraging believers that faithful service is seen and remembered.
• Spiritual legacy matters. Adonikam never appears personally, yet his descendants shaped post-exilic Israel. Parents and elders today likewise influence coming generations through quiet fidelity.
• Responding repeatedly to God’s call is vital. The clan answered three separate summonses; modern churches and families are likewise called to maintain long-term perseverance in ministry.
• Numbers serve mission. Census details may appear mundane, but they reveal concrete evidence of God’s work and challenge believers to measure commitment not only in words but in willing participation.

Forms and Transliterations

אֲדֹ֣נִיקָ֔ם אֲדֹנִיקָם֮ אדניקם ’ă·ḏō·nî·qām ’ăḏōnîqām aDoniKam

Englishman's Concordance

Ezra 2:13
HEB: בְּנֵי֙ אֲדֹ֣נִיקָ֔ם שֵׁ֥שׁ מֵא֖וֹת
NAS: the sons of Adonikam, 666;
KJV: The children of Adonikam, six hundred
INT: the children of Adonikam six hundred

Ezra 8:13
HEB: וּמִבְּנֵ֣י אֲדֹנִיקָם֮ אַחֲרֹנִים֒ וְאֵ֣לֶּה
NAS: and of the sons of Adonikam, the last ones,
KJV: sons of Adonikam, whose names
INT: sons of Adonikam the last those

Nehemiah 7:18
HEB: בְּנֵי֙ אֲדֹ֣נִיקָ֔ם שֵׁ֥שׁ מֵא֖וֹת
NAS: the sons of Adonikam, 667;
KJV: The children of Adonikam, six hundred
INT: the children of Adonikam six hundred

3 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 140
3 Occurrences

’ă·ḏō·nî·qām — 3 Occ.