3036. Yadon
Lexical Summary
Yadon: Yadon

Original Word: יָדוֹן
Part of Speech: Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration: Yadown
Pronunciation: yah-DON
Phonetic Spelling: (yaw-done')
KJV: Jadon
NASB: Jadon
Word Origin: [from H3034 (יָדָה - give thanks)]

1. thankful
2. Jadon, an Israelite

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Jadon

From yadah; thankful; Jadon, an Israelite -- Jadon.

see HEBREW yadah

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
of uncertain derivation
Definition
a builder of the Jer. wall
NASB Translation
Jadon (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
יָדוֺן proper name, masculine a Meronothite, one of the builders of the walls of Jerusalem Nehemiah 3:7.

Topical Lexicon
Name Significance

The single appearance of יָדוֹן identifies a man whose name conveys the idea of divine judgment or ongoing discernment. In the rebuilding narrative this nuance subtly underscores the Lord’s oversight of the project: every stone laid, every gate hung, and every laborer—prominent or obscure—stands under His righteous evaluation.

Biblical Occurrence

Nehemiah 3:7 records: “Adjacent to them, Melatiah the Gibeonite and Jadon the Meronothite, and the men of Gibeon and Mizpah, who were under the authority of the governor of the region west of the Euphrates, made repairs”. No other Old Testament passage names Jadon, making the verse both a textual landmark and a reminder of Scripture’s precision in remembering individual contributors.

Historical Setting

The verse belongs to Nehemiah’s meticulously ordered list of wall-builders around 445 B.C. After decades of exile, Judah’s remnant had returned to ruin and reproach (Nehemiah 1:3). Under Persian authorization, Nehemiah rallied priests, nobles, craftsmen, and commoners in a unified campaign to restore Jerusalem’s defenses. Jadon the Meronothite labored on a section near the Valley Gate, a critical point vulnerable to attack from the west. His hometown, Meronoth, probably lay in the Benjaminite territory, situating him among those who had to commute to Jerusalem—no small sacrifice in both time and personal security.

Role in the Community of Builders

1. Partnership: Jadon’s work is linked with Melatiah, the men of Gibeon, and the men of Mizpah, illustrating cooperation across civic lines.
2. Submission to Civil Authority: The builders were “under the authority of the governor of the region west of the Euphrates,” showing how kingdom work can proceed within secular structures without compromising faithfulness.
3. Integration of Exiles and Locals: Gibeonites (descendants of treaty-bound foreigners) and Benjaminites labor side by side, foreshadowing the Gospel’s later breaking of ethnic barriers (Galatians 3:28).

Spiritual Themes

• Stewardship of Opportunity: Though unnamed elsewhere, Jadon seized his moment to serve. Scripture’s inclusion of his name affirms that God memorializes even hidden obedience (Hebrews 6:10).
• Judgment and Accountability: His name’s meaning fits Nehemiah’s repeated refrain, “Remember me, O my God” (Nehemiah 13:14), highlighting divine appraisal of motives and deeds (2 Corinthians 5:10).
• Building for Future Generations: The repaired wall safeguarded temple worship and the eventual arrival of Messiah. Jadon’s stonework thus contributed to redemptive history, illustrating how present faithfulness advances God’s long-range purposes.

Ministry Applications

1. Ordinary Believers, Extraordinary Impact: Many modern servants mirror Jadon—unknown beyond a line in a report—yet their faithfulness sustains congregational life and mission.
2. Collaborative Leadership: Pastors and lay leaders can model Nehemiah’s approach, assigning manageable tasks, recognizing achievements, and fostering unity (Ephesians 4:16).
3. Civic Engagement: Believers may legitimately cooperate with secular authorities for the public good, provided allegiance to Christ remains first (Acts 5:29).

Connections to Broader Biblical Motifs

• Restoration: Like Ezra’s temple and Zerubbabel’s foundation, Jadon’s section of wall embodies the larger biblical pattern of ruin followed by rebuilding (Isaiah 61:4).
• Record of Names: Genealogies and lists (e.g., Romans 16) validate personal identity within God’s family, reminding today’s church to value individuals, not merely statistics.
• Eschatological Foreshadowing: Physical walls prefigure the spiritual house “being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit” (Ephesians 2:22).

Lessons for Contemporary Believers

Persist in humble service even when prominence is unlikely; God’s narrative includes every obedient worker. Embrace cooperative ministry that transcends social and ethnic lines. Finally, live and labor with the awareness that the Lord who “will judge” weighs motives and rewards faithfulness—an exhortation embodied in the brief yet enduring record of Jadon the Meronothite.

Forms and Transliterations
וְיָדוֹן֙ וידון veyadOn wə·yā·ḏō·wn wəyāḏōwn
Links
Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Nehemiah 3:7
HEB: מְלַטְיָ֣ה הַגִּבְעֹנִ֗י וְיָדוֹן֙ הַמֵּרֹ֣נֹתִ֔י אַנְשֵׁ֥י
NAS: the Gibeonite and Jadon the Meronothite,
KJV: the Gibeonite, and Jadon the Meronothite,
INT: Melatiah the Gibeonite and Jadon the Meronothite the men

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 3036
1 Occurrence


wə·yā·ḏō·wn — 1 Occ.

3035
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