Adonikam
Ancestor of a clan that returned from exile
Adonikam was the patriarch of a prominent Jewish family whose descendants returned to Judah from the Babylonian exile. Members of this family are recorded in the lists of returnees both under Zerubbabel's leadership (c. 538 BC) and under Ezra's leadership (c. 458 BC). The name Adonikam means 'my Lord has risen' – a theophoric name testifying to faith in God's restoration. In Ezra 8:13, 'the last' of his descendants who returned home are mentioned, suggesting that the entire family eventually left Babylon to reunite in the promised land. The size of this family group – over 660 people – attests to a significant clan with an important place in the restored Jewish community.
Avaintapahtumat
Adonikam's descendants return with Zerubbabel
666 of Adonikam's descendants were among those who returned from Babylon to Jerusalem under Zerubbabel's leadership, following Cyrus's decree that allowed the Jews to go home.
Adonikam's family in Nehemiah's list
In Nehemiah's register of those who returned from exile, 667 of Adonikam's descendants are listed. The small difference from Ezra's figure of 666 may be due to different times of counting or other factors.
The last of Adonikam's clan return with Ezra
The last of Adonikam's descendants—Eliphelet, Jeiel, and Shemaiah—returned with Ezra along with sixty men. The phrase 'the last' suggests that the entire clan had now left Babylon and gathered in Judah.