Original Word: אָדַב
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: adab
Pronunciation: ah-dab'
Phonetic Spelling: (aw-dab')
KJV: grieve
NASB: grieve
Word Origin: [a primitive root]

1. to languish

grieve

A primitive root; to languish -- grieve.

Word Origin
a prim. root
Definition
to grieve
NASB Translation
grieve (1).

[אָדַב] verb grieve;

Hiph`il Infinitive לַאֲדִיב (= לְהַאֲדִיב Ges^{§ 53}. 3. R, 7) to cause to grieve 1 Samuel 2:33. (But Dr proposes לְהָדִיב from דוב q. v.)

Overview

The Hebrew verb אָדַב depicts a deep inner wounding that issues in pining, grieving, or languishing. Its lone appearance in Scripture accentuates a heart-level sorrow produced by divine judgment, illustrating how sin’s consequences reach beyond the physical to afflict the spirit.

Biblical Occurrence

1 Samuel 2:33 lies within the prophetic word against the priestly house of Eli: “Yet I will not cut off every one of yours from My altar, so that your eyes will fail and your heart will grieve, and all your descendants will die in the prime of life”. Here אָדַב expresses the poignant anguish Eli’s surviving descendants would endure as they watched the steady decline of their line.

Context within 1 Samuel

Hophni and Phinehas had treated the sacred offerings with contempt and led Israel into further transgression (1 Samuel 2:12–17, 22). The LORD therefore announced fourfold judgment: the family’s priestly tenure would cease, their strength would be diminished, their posterity would suffer premature death, and the survivors would experience unrelenting heartbreak. The term אָדַב crystallizes that final element—an inward, ongoing sorrow that no human remedy could soothe.

Theological Significance

1. Holiness of God’s Worship: Eli’s sons profaned the sacrifice; the resulting grief underscores that contempt for holy things provokes not merely external punishment but profound internal misery.
2. Covenant Accountability: Israel’s priesthood was bound by covenant (Numbers 25:10–13). Violating covenant responsibilities invites both tangible loss and inner affliction.
3. Divine Mercy within Judgment: Although judgment is certain, the line was not entirely cut off (“I will not cut off every one of yours from My altar”), leaving room for eventual restoration. The grief foretold by אָדַב thus carries a restorative impulse, driving the family to repentance.

Covenantal Warnings and Consequences

Old Covenant blessings and curses (Deuteronomy 28) include emotional conditions—“failing eyes, languishing soul” (Deuteronomy 28:65). 1 Samuel 2:33 applies that covenant language specifically to the priestly household, demonstrating that leaders are not exempt from the stipulations they teach.

Ministry and Pastoral Reflections

• Leadership Integrity: Spiritual leaders who dishonor God’s worship risk bringing generational grief upon their households.
• Intercession: While the prophecy is fixed, believers may intercede for mercy; indeed, later descendants such as Zadok serve faithfully (1 Kings 2:35), suggesting intercessory hope.
• Counseling the Grieved: Those experiencing deep heart-sorrow may find their affliction linked to spiritual realities. Addressing sin and seeking God’s restorative grace become essential pastoral steps.

Intertextual Links and Prophetic Echoes

Jeremiah speaks of “my heart within me is broken” (Jeremiah 23:9), echoing the inner collapse conveyed by אָדַב. Ezekiel similarly portrays priests who “bear their iniquity” (Ezekiel 44:10–12). These passages build on the precedent set in Eli’s house: when priestly mediators fail, grief pervades both leader and people.

Christological and New Covenant Perspective

Hebrews 2:17 presents Jesus Christ as the merciful and faithful High Priest who perfectly safeguards God’s honor, ensuring that no future believer must languish under irrevocable covenantal grief. Where Eli’s line suffered enduring sorrow, Christ’s obedience secures eternal consolation (2 Corinthians 1:5). Thus אָדַב, though occurring only once, anticipates the need for a flawless Priest whose intercession ends the heart-sorrow born of sin.

וְלַאֲדִ֣יב ולאדיב velaaDiv wə·la·’ă·ḏîḇ wəla’ăḏîḇInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts