Lexical Summary Adah: Adah Original Word: עָדָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Adah From adah; ornament; Adah, the name of two women -- Adah. see HEBREW adah NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom adah Definition two non-Isr. women NASB Translation Adah (8). Brown-Driver-Briggs עָדָה proper name, feminine (ornament; or (Arabic  ,  ) morning) ᵐ5 Αδ(δ)α; — wife, 1 of Lamech Genesis 4:19,20,23 (J). 2 of Esau Genesis 36:2,4,10,12,16 (PR). Topical Lexicon Overview עָדָה (Adah) occurs eight times in Scripture, designating two distinct women whose lives frame critical moments in primeval and patriarchal history. Though separated by centuries, both bear witness to the unfolding purposes of God through family lines outside the chosen seed, providing essential context for cultural development and covenant contrast. Adah in the Antediluvian World (Genesis 4:19–23) Lamech, a descendant of Cain, “married two women, one named Adah and the other Zillah” (Genesis 4:19). Adah thus appears in the earliest record of polygamy—a practice that will proliferate yet never receives divine endorsement. Her presence in Cainite genealogy signals both the propagation of humanity and the moral tensions that accompany human innovation. “Adah gave birth to Jabal; he was the father of those who dwell in tents and raise livestock” (Genesis 4:20). Through Jabal, the line of Cain contributes the pastoral arts, anticipating the patriarchal lifestyle of Abraham’s descendants. Adah’s second son, Jubal, is not explicitly attributed to her in the text but, by proximity in the narrative (Genesis 4:21), remains within her maternal sphere, linking her to the founding of musical expression. Together, these sons illustrate that culture and creativity, though emerging in a fallen context, are gifts God permits for human flourishing. Lamech’s poetic boast, “Adah and Zillah, hear my voice” (Genesis 4:23), reveals a society advancing in craftsmanship and song while sinking deeper into violence. Adah stands silently in the background, her name framing the contrast between human ornament and inner corruption. Adah within the Edomite Line (Genesis 36:2–16) Centuries later Esau “took his wives from the daughters of Canaan: Adah daughter of Elon the Hittite” (Genesis 36:2). This union, already hinted at in Genesis 26:34 as a source of grief to Isaac and Rebekah, highlights the spiritual peril of intermarriage with peoples hostile to the promise. Adah bore Esau’s firstborn: “Adah bore to Esau Eliphaz” (Genesis 36:4). Eliphaz fathers chiefs who populate Edom (Genesis 36:10-12, 16), including Amalek, a future antagonist of Israel. Thus, Adah’s maternal role connects her to the rise of a nation persistently opposed to God’s covenant people (Exodus 17:8-16; 1 Samuel 15:2-3). Her account reminds readers that family choices have multigenerational consequences, either nurturing or resisting God’s redemptive plan. Genealogical and Theological Significance 1. Preservation of historical memory: The inspired record honors women by naming them, underscoring their indispensable place in divine chronology. Practical and Ministry Reflections • Marriage and mission: Adah’s marriages prompt meditation on the spiritual weight of marital alliances. Believers are called to discern partnerships that advance, rather than hinder, God’s purposes (2 Corinthians 6:14-18). Conclusion Adah’s brief yet strategic appearances demonstrate how individual lives, seemingly peripheral, serve as hinges on which redemptive history turns. From the tents of early shepherds to the tribal chiefs of Edom, her legacy invites readers to trace the steadfast hand of God through every branch of the human family tree, inspiring faithfulness in personal decisions that reverberate through generations. Forms and Transliterations עָדָ֔ה עָדָ֖ה עָדָ֗ה עָדָ֛ה עָדָ֤ה עָדָֽה׃ עָדָה֙ עדה עדה׃ ‘ā·ḏāh ‘āḏāh aDahLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Genesis 4:19 HEB: שֵׁ֤ם הָֽאַחַת֙ עָדָ֔ה וְשֵׁ֥ם הַשֵּׁנִ֖ית NAS: of the one was Adah, and the name KJV: of the one [was] Adah, and the name INT: the name of the one was Adah and the name of the other Genesis 4:20 Genesis 4:23 Genesis 36:2 Genesis 36:4 Genesis 36:10 Genesis 36:12 Genesis 36:16 8 Occurrences |
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