Compare Adonikam's descendants in Ezra 2:13 with other genealogies in Scripture. Setting the Scene • After seventy years in Babylon, the returning exiles needed proof of ancestry to reclaim land and responsibilities (Ezra 2:59–63). • Ezra opens his register with lay families, then priestly and Levitical lines. Among those lay families appears Adonikam. Adonikam in Ezra 2:13 “the descendants of Adonikam, 666.” Parallel Mentions of the Same Family • Nehemiah 7:18 — “the descendants of Adonikam, 667.” • Ezra 8:13 — “And of the sons of Adonikam, the last ones, these were their names: Eliphelet, Jeuel, and Shemaiah; and with them sixty males.” Snapshot: 1. First wave under Zerubbabel (Ezra 2): 666 men. 2. Second listing years later (Nehemiah 7): 667 men. 3. Third wave under Ezra himself (Ezra 8): 60 additional male relatives. Why the Numbers Shift by One • The Ezra 2 and Nehemiah 7 lists were compiled almost a century apart. One additional birth (or official registration) easily explains 666 versus 667. • Scripture records each list exactly as taken; the slight growth shows a living family line rather than a scribal error. • The 60 men of Ezra 8 reflect a voluntary later migration, demonstrating that Adonikam’s clan continued expanding even while still in Babylon. Comparing Adonikam’s Entry with Other Genealogical Records 1. Numbers 1 & 26 – National Censuses • Tribe totals change after forty years in the wilderness (e.g., Simeon drops from 59,300 to 22,200). • Like Adonikam’s line, these shifts simply trace real births and deaths over time. 2. 1 Chronicles 1–9 – Post-Exilic Genealogies • Chronicles records family survivals to encourage returnees. • Although Adonikam is absent there, his appearance in Ezra-Nehemiah plays the same role: God preserved even smaller families. 3. Matthew 1 vs. Luke 3 – Two Lines to Jesus • Matthew traces royal succession through Solomon; Luke traces biological ancestry through Nathan. • Both lines highlight covenant promises despite differing structures—just as the two numeric snapshots of Adonikam highlight the same family from two moments in history. 4. Genesis 46:8-27 – Jacob’s Household • Seventy persons enter Egypt; centuries later, “the sons of Israel were fruitful and multiplied greatly” (Exodus 1:7). • The movement from seventy to several million mirrors Adonikam’s micro-growth from 666 to 727 (667 + 60) across two generations. Theological Takeaways • God preserves individual families as carefully as entire tribes; every name—Adonikam included—matters to Him (Isaiah 43:1). • Numeric precision in Scripture is deliberate. Whether 666 or 667, both figures are accurate for the moment recorded (Proverbs 30:5). • Genealogies confirm covenant continuity: the same Lord who brought Abraham’s line to Christ (Galatians 3:16) brought Adonikam’s descendants safely home. • Even small clans can play strategic roles; sixty males in Ezra 8 helped repopulate Jerusalem, echoing Zechariah 8:5’s vision of a bustling city. |
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