(The Ancestor of Kings and Priests)
The name Adaiah (meaning “Jehovah hath adorned” or “Adorned by Jehovah”) is applied to at least eight different men in the King James Version of the Bible, spanning various tribes and time periods from the early Kingdom of Israel to the post-exilic period.
The most notable of these individuals are those connected to the royal line of Judah and the temple service.
1. The Grandfather of King Josiah
The most historically significant Adaiah is the one whose daughter became the mother of one of Judah’s most righteous kings.
“Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign; and he reigned thirty and one years in Jerusalem: and his mother’s name was Jedidah, the daughter of Adaiah of Boscath.” (2 Kings 22:1, KJV)
- Significance: Adaiah of Boscath, a town in the lowlands of Judah, was the maternal grandfather of King Josiah. Josiah is famous for initiating a powerful religious revival after the discovery of the Book of the Law in the Temple, purging the land of idolatry and restoring the true worship of God.
2. The Ancestor of Maaseiah, a Captain of Jehoiada
Another Adaiah is noted as the father of a loyal military commander who participated in a key event to preserve the Davidic lineage.
“And in the seventh year Jehoiada strengthened himself, and took the captains of hundreds, Azariah the son of Jeroham, and Ishmael the son of Jehohanan, and Azariah the son of Obed, and Maaseiah the son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat the son of Zichri, into covenant with him.” (2 Chronicles 23:1, KJV)
- Significance: This Adaiah’s son, Maaseiah, was one of the captains who helped the high priest Jehoiada overthrow the wicked usurper Queen Athaliah and rightfully enthrone the young king Joash, thereby protecting the royal covenant line.
Other Individuals Named Adaiah
The remaining men bearing this name are primarily listed in genealogical records of the Levites and the tribal members who returned from Babylonian exile:
- A Levite Musician: An ancestor of the famous temple singer Asaph, a descendant of the family of Gershom (1 Chronicles 6:41).
- A Benjamite: Listed among the sons of Shimhi in the genealogy of the tribe of Benjamin (1 Chronicles 8:21).
- A Priest: A son of Jeroham, counted among the priests who dwelt in Jerusalem after the exile to perform the service of the house of God (1 Chronicles 9:12; Nehemiah 11:12).
- A Judahite: An ancestor of Maaseiah, who was a chief man of the tribe of Judah that settled in Jerusalem following the Babylonian Captivity (Nehemiah 11:5).
- Two of the Sons of Bani: Two men named Adaiah are listed among those who took part in Ezra’s reforms, agreeing to put away their foreign wives (Ezra 10:29, 39).