עֲדֻלָּם (a.dul.lam)
a.dul.lam
Adullam
N:N--LQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 8 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- N:N--L
Word Overview
The noun Adullam refers to a Canaanite city later allotted to the tribe of Judah, located in the lowlands. Its name is traditionally interpreted as "justice of the people," though this etymology remains a scholarly reconstruction rather than a settled fact. The site appears eight times in Scripture, most notably in Joshua and Nehemiah, marking its significance in both the conquest narrative and the post-exilic restoration.
Adullam carries heavy emotional weight because it was the cave where David hid from King Saul (1 Samuel 22:1). This location became a refuge for "everyone who was in distress, in debt, or discontented," transforming the town into a symbol of sanctuary for the marginalized. Later, Micah uses the city’s fall as a vivid image of shame and mourning, where inhabitants shave their heads in grief (Micah 1:15-16).
The word also appears in its adjectival form, Adullamite, describing the people or origin associated with the town. By linking a place name to themes of refuge and lament, the biblical text uses Adullam to illustrate how God’s presence can be found in places of desperation, while also warning of the consequences of national failure.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
Adullam appears in Scripture as both a physical location and a powerful image of refuge. In 1 Samuel, it becomes the hiding place for David when he was fleeing from King Saul. The text notes that those who joined him were people in distress, in debt, or discontented. This shows that God’s presence is not limited to palaces or temples; He meets us in places of desperation and marginalization.
Later prophets use the city’s name to speak of judgment, reminding us that even sacred spaces can fall into shame if faithfulness is lost. Yet the core memory remains one of sanctuary. When life feels overwhelming, this word points to a God who gathers the broken together. It invites us to trust that our difficult seasons are not outside His care.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 8 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- Adullam7×
- and/ Adullam1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- עֲדֻלָּ֑ם3×
- עֲדֻּלָּ֥ם1×
- עֲדֻלָּם֙1×
- עֲדֻלָּֽם\׃1×
- עֲדֻלָּ֖ם1×
- וַ/עֲדֻלָּ֔ם1×
Key Verses
-
I Samuel 22:1
David therefore departed from there and escaped to Adullam’s cave. When his brothers and all his father’s house heard it, they went down there to him.
This verse defines Adullam’s emotional weight by showing it as a gathering place for the marginalized, transforming a cave into a symbol of divine sanctuary.
-
Micah 1:15
I will yet bring a conqueror to you, inhabitants of Mareshah. The glory of Israel will come to Adullam.
Here the name shifts from refuge to judgment, illustrating how the city’s glory becomes a site of conquest and shame.
-
Joshua 12:15
the king of Libnah, one; the king of Adullam, one;
This early occurrence establishes Adullam as a Canaanite stronghold conquered during the initial settlement of the land.