Adonikam

Adonikam was one of the Jewish exiles whose descendants returned to Jerusalem from Babylon, as recorded in the lists in Ezra and Nehemiah.

Adonikam is mentioned in the lists of Jewish exiles who returned to Jerusalem from Babylon, as recorded in Ezr 2:13, Ezr 8:13, and Neh 7:18. These lists provide a record of the individuals and families who were part of the return, highlighting the restoration of the Jewish community in their homeland.

In Ezr 2:13 and Neh 7:18, the descendants of Adonikam are numbered at 666 and 667, respectively, among those who returned with Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah, during the first wave of the return from exile.

In Ezr 8:13, the descendants of Adonikam are mentioned again among those who returned with Ezra, the priest and scribe, during the second wave of the return. In this passage, the last sons of Adonikam are specifically named as Eliphelet, Jeiel, and Shemaiah, along with 60 males.

The variations in the numbers of Adonikam's descendants between the lists in Ezra and Nehemiah may be due to different counting methods or the inclusion of additional family members in one of the lists.

The repeated mention of Adonikam's descendants in these lists emphasizes the continuity of the Jewish community and the importance of recording the genealogies of those who returned from exile. It also highlights the multi-generational impact of the exile and the restoration of the Jewish people to their homeland.

Whom the Lord sets up, one of those “which came with Zerubbabel” (Ezra 2:13). His “children,” or retainers, to the number of 666, came up to Jerusalem (8:13).