5735. Adadah

Lexical Summary

Adadah: Adadah

Original Word: עֲדְעָדָה
Part of Speech: Proper Name Location
Transliteration: `Ad`adah
Pronunciation: ah-dah-DAH
Phonetic Spelling: (ad-aw-daw')
KJV: Adadah
NASB: Adadah
Word Origin: [from H5712 (עֵדָה - congregation)]

1. festival
2. Adadah, a place in Israel

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

Adadah

From edah; festival; Adadah, a place in Palestine -- Adadah.

see HEBREW edah

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from yaad
Definition
a city in Judah
NASB Translation
Adadah (1).

Topical Lexicon

Biblical Occurrence

Adadah is named once in Scripture, appearing among the southern towns apportioned to the tribe of Judah (Joshua 15:22). The verse locates the settlement within the Negev district, demonstrating the breadth of Judah’s inheritance as promised to Abraham and confirmed to Israel under Joshua’s leadership: “Kinah, Dimonah, and Adadah” (Joshua 15:22).

Geographical Setting

Adadah belonged to the cluster of towns situated in the arid Negev, south of Hebron and west of the Dead Sea. While its precise location remains unidentified, the surrounding list in Joshua 15 positions it between Dimonah and Kedesh, suggesting a site along trade routes that connected inland Judah with the Arabah and, ultimately, the Red Sea. Such placement indicates the town’s potential role in commerce, caravan rest, and regional defense.

Historical Context

1. Fulfillment of Covenant Land Promises
• The inclusion of even minor towns like Adadah testifies to the thoroughness of God’s distribution of the land (Genesis 15:18–21; Joshua 21:43). The comprehensive list affirms that no portion of the promise was overlooked.
2. Tribal Administration
• Adadah’s mention signals administrative organization within Judah. Town lists in Joshua functioned as legal records for inheritance, taxation, and military conscription (compare 1 Chronicles 4:28–33).
3. Post-Exilic Significance
• Although Adadah is not named in later return-lists (Ezra 2; Nehemiah 7), the preservation of its name in Joshua suggests that covenant identity persisted even when exact sites faded from memory, underscoring the continuity of Judah’s heritage.

Theological Themes and Ministry Implications

1. Faithfulness in Small Things

God records seemingly obscure places, underscoring that every community and individual matters in His redemptive plan (Luke 12:6–7). Ministry application: local churches in remote or modest settings carry equal value in the kingdom economy.
2. Stewardship of Inheritance

Judah’s southern border settlements, including Adadah, required ongoing cultivation and defense. Likewise, believers are called to “guard the good deposit” (2 Timothy 1:14) and occupy the spiritual territory entrusted to them (Ephesians 6:13).
3. Covenant Memory

The single reference preserves Adadah in sacred history. Remembering God’s past acts fuels present obedience (Deuteronomy 8:2). Congregations may emulate this pattern by recording testimonies of God’s faithfulness for future generations.

Lessons for Today

• God’s promises extend to the margins; no place or person is beyond His notice.
• Accurate records of God’s work build faith and accountability.
• Territorial stewardship—spiritual, relational, or geographical—demands vigilance, prayer, and labor, whether the assignment appears prominent or hidden.

Related Scriptures and Cross-References

• Genesis 15:18–21 – Original land promise.
• Joshua 21:43 – Summary of fulfilled promises.
• 1 Chronicles 4:28–33 – Administrative town lists.
• Luke 16:10 – Faithfulness in little things.
• 2 Timothy 1:14 – Guarding what is entrusted.

Forms and Transliterations

וְעַדְעָדָֽה׃ ועדעדה׃ veadaDah wə‘aḏ‘āḏāh wə·‘aḏ·‘ā·ḏāh

Englishman's Concordance

Joshua 15:22
HEB: וְקִינָ֥ה וְדִֽימוֹנָ֖ה וְעַדְעָדָֽה׃
NAS: and Kinah and Dimonah and Adadah,
KJV: And Kinah, and Dimonah, and Adadah,
INT: and Kinah and Dimonah and Adadah

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 5735
1 Occurrence

wə·‘aḏ·‘ā·ḏāh — 1 Occ.