עֲדְעָדָה (a.de.a.dah)
a.de.a.dah
Adadah
N:N--LQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- N:N--L
Word Overview
The noun adadah appears only once in the Hebrew Bible, in Joshua 15:32 as part of the list of towns allotted to the tribe of Judah. The name itself is rare, with lexicons offering two primary interpretations: either "festival" or "boundary." This ambiguity reflects the limited data available for such obscure place names.
As a proper noun identifying a specific location in the extreme south of Judah, its significance lies in its inclusion within the detailed territorial records. These lists served to establish clear boundaries and inheritance rights for the tribes. The word’s meaning, whether evoking a communal gathering or a border marker, remains tied to this geographical context rather than broader theological themes.
Translators typically retain the transliterated form "Adadah" without attempting to force a specific semantic choice. This approach acknowledges that while the etymology is debated, the word’s function in Scripture is purely locational, marking a point on the map of ancient Israel’s inheritance.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The name Adadah appears in a list of towns given to Judah, marking a specific place in ancient Israel’s inheritance. Though its exact meaning is debated—perhaps suggesting a festival or a boundary—the text uses it simply to identify a location where people lived and received their land.
This reminds us that God cares about the details of our lives, including the places we call home. Every town, no matter how obscure, was part of His careful plan for His people. We can trust that He knows every corner of our world and has a purpose for each area we inhabit.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- and/ Adadah1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- וְ/עַדְעָדָֽה\׃1×
Key Verses
-
Joshua 15:22
Kinah, Dimonah, Adadah,
This verse lists Adadah among the towns allotted to Judah, showing its role as a specific point in God’s distribution of land.