6303. Padon

Lexical Summary

Padon: Padon

Original Word: פָדוֹן
Part of Speech: Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration: Padown
Pronunciation: pah-DOHN
Phonetic Spelling: (paw-done')
KJV: Padon
NASB: Padon
Word Origin: [from H6299 (פָּדָה - redeem)]

1. ransom
2. Padon, one of the Nethinim

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

Padon

From padah; ransom; Padon, one of the Nethinim. -- Padon.

see HEBREW padah

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from padah
Definition
"ransom," head of a family of Nethinim
NASB Translation
Padon (2).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

מָּדוֺן proper name, masculine (ransom; compare Phoenician פדי) head of family of Nethinim Ezra 2:44; Nehemiah 7:47; Φαδων.

Topical Lexicon

Name and Meaning

Padon is a post-exilic personal and family name that carries the idea of “redemption” or “one who has been ransomed,” echoing the wider Old Testament theme of YHWH purchasing His people for Himself.

Occurrences in Scripture

Ezra 2:44 and Nehemiah 7:47 list “the descendants of Padon” among those who returned to Judah with Zerubbabel. The near-verbatim repetition in the two censuses underscores the reliability of the record and the providential preservation of even the smallest households.

Historical Background

The lists in Ezra and Nehemiah were compiled shortly after the decree of Cyrus (Ezra 1:1). They catalog those who answered God’s call to leave Babylon and re-establish covenant worship in Jerusalem. Padon’s descendants are counted among the Nethinim—temple servants originally set apart by David and the leaders (Ezra 8:20). The post-exilic community, though numerically modest, comprised families whose commitment to temple ministry was indispensable in reconstituting Israel’s liturgical life.

Role among the Nethinim

1. Support for the priests and Levites: The Nethinim handled practical tasks, enabling the priestly line to focus on sacrificial and instructional duties.
2. Custodians of continuity: By resuming their service after the exile, families like Padon’s embodied the conviction that worship prescribed in the Law was non-negotiable, even after national judgment.
3. An illustration of humble obedience: Unlike the more famous priestly names, the Nethinim are largely anonymous, teaching that significance in God’s economy is measured by faithfulness, not prominence.

The Redemption Motif

Padon’s name, bound to the verb “to redeem,” becomes a living reminder of the spiritual reality mirrored in the return from exile. The journey from Babylon to Zion prefigures the greater redemption achieved in the Messiah:

• “The ransomed of the LORD will return and enter Zion with singing” (Isaiah 35:10).
• The exiles “set apart” (Ezra 2:69) their resources for rebuilding, reflecting gratitude for divine deliverance.
• In the New Testament, the ultimate Padah (redemption) is fulfilled in Jesus Christ, “who gave Himself as a ransom for all” (1 Timothy 2:6).

Ministry Significance Today

1. Valuing unseen service: Modern ministry often depends on those whose names rarely appear in public reports, yet the Lord records their labor—as He did Padon’s household.
2. Encouragement for small congregations: Padon’s family was relatively minor, yet their obedience contributed to national revival; the size of a ministry does not limit its eternal impact.
3. Identity shaped by redemption: Bearing a name that means “redeemed” reminds believers that mission flows from identity; redeemed people live redemptively.

Key Reference

Ezra 2:44: “The descendants of Keros, Siaha, Padon.”

Forms and Transliterations

פָדֽוֹן׃ פדון׃ faDon p̄ā·ḏō·wn p̄āḏōwn

Englishman's Concordance

Ezra 2:44
HEB: סִֽיעֲהָ֖א בְּנֵ֥י פָדֽוֹן׃
NAS: of Siaha, the sons of Padon,
KJV: of Siaha, the children of Padon,
INT: of Siaha the sons of Padon

Nehemiah 7:47
HEB: סִיעָ֖א בְּנֵ֥י פָדֽוֹן׃
NAS: of Sia, the sons of Padon,
KJV: of Sia, the children of Padon,
INT: of Sia the sons of Padon

2 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 6303
2 Occurrences

p̄ā·ḏō·wn — 2 Occ.