Lexical Summary Adithayim: Adithaim Original Word: עֲדִיתַיִם Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Adithaim Dual of a feminine of ad; double prey; Adithajim, a place in Palestine -- Adithaim. see HEBREW ad NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom adah Definition a city in Judah NASB Translation Adithaim (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs עֲדִיתַ֫יִם proper name, of a location town of Judah in the שְׁפֵלָה Joshua 15:36. ᵐ5A Αδιαθαειμ, ᵐ5L Αγεθθαιμ. עֵדָה see יִער II. III . עֵדָה see עוד [עִדָּה], עִדּוֺ(אׅ see עדד. עֵדֻת עֵדוּת see עוד עֲדִי, עֲדִיאֵל, עֲדָיָה(וׅ see II.עדה, above עדיא see עדּוֺא. עִדִּים see עִדָּה עֲדִיתַיִם see עדה I. עדל (√ of following; possibly = Arabic Topical Lexicon Geographical Setting Adithaim is listed among the towns in the Shephelah—the low hill country between the Judean highlands and the Philistine plain. This transitional zone was marked by fertile valleys, strategic trade routes, and frequent conflict with surrounding peoples. Its placement near Shaaraim and Gederah (Joshua 15:36) suggests a location south-west of Bethlehem, overseeing passes that linked the coastal plain to interior Judah. Though its precise ruins have not been positively identified, the topographical context points to a modest agrarian settlement that nonetheless held military and economic significance by guarding approaches to the Judaean heartland. Role in Judah’s Allotment Joshua 15 enumerates forty-three towns that formed Judah’s inheritance in the Shephelah. “Shaaraim, Adithaim, Gederah and Gederothaim—fourteen cities, together with their villages” (Joshua 15:36). The careful cataloging underscores Yahweh’s faithfulness in granting Israel the land He had promised to Abraham (Genesis 15:18-21). Adithaim therefore becomes a tangible witness to covenant fulfillment. The tribe of Judah—forebear of David and ultimately of the Messiah—received this region to steward, cultivate, and defend. Even a seemingly obscure town takes its place in the unfolding redemptive narrative by marking the borders of the royal tribe. Historical Context During the Conquest era, the Shephelah was contested terrain. Later accounts show Philistine pressure in the same corridor (1 Samuel 17:1; 2 Samuel 21:15-22). Towns such as Adithaim likely faced cycles of occupation, ruin, and rebuilding. By the time of the divided monarchy the region became a buffer against both Philistine raids and Egyptian campaigns (2 Kings 18:13-14). Though Adithaim is not mentioned outside Joshua, its inclusion among fortified or agriculturally important sites hints at the rhythms of rural life: viticulture, grain harvests, and the cultivation of olives, all essential to Judah’s economy and sacrificial system (Deuteronomy 8:8; 2 Chronicles 32:28). Theological Implications 1. Covenant Inheritance: The listing of Adithaim proclaims that God’s promises reach down to individual villages. No allotment is accidental; each parcel affirms divine sovereignty over geography (Acts 17:26). Practical Ministry Applications • Small Places Matter: Modern ministries in seemingly insignificant locales draw encouragement from Adithaim’s biblical inclusion. Faithfulness in hidden corners advances God’s larger purpose (Luke 16:10). Archaeological Considerations Scholars have proposed Khirbet ‘Aitun or sites near modern Beit Netif, yet no consensus has emerged. Pottery from the Late Bronze and Iron I periods found in adjacent mounds corroborates ongoing habitation, aligning with biblical chronology. Absence of definitive identification does not diminish reliability; rather, it reflects normal attrition of small rural settlements. Future surveys of the Judean foothills may yet yield epigraphic or architectural evidence that secures the location and enriches understanding of daily life during Israel’s formative centuries. Related Biblical Themes Inheritance: Numbers 26:52-56; Ephesians 1:11 Faithfulness in the Little: Matthew 25:21 Boundary Stones: Deuteronomy 19:14; Proverbs 22:28 Rural Ministry: Amos 5:14-15; Luke 8:1 Adithaim thus stands as a quiet testimony that the God who numbers the stars also numbers villages, anchoring His redemptive work in real soil and inviting His people—then and now—to inhabit their callings with watchful stewardship and covenant joy. Forms and Transliterations וַעֲדִיתַ֔יִם ועדיתים vaadiTayim wa‘ăḏîṯayim wa·‘ă·ḏî·ṯa·yimLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Joshua 15:36 HEB: וְשַׁעֲרַ֙יִם֙ וַעֲדִיתַ֔יִם וְהַגְּדֵרָ֖ה וּגְדֵרֹתָ֑יִם NAS: and Shaaraim and Adithaim and Gederah KJV: And Sharaim, and Adithaim, and Gederah, INT: and Shaaraim and Adithaim and Gederah and Gederothaim 1 Occurrence |
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act equitably (so Thes), Assyrian edlu, hero).