Original Word: אֲדֹנִירָם
Part of Speech: Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration: Adoniyram
Pronunciation: ah-do-nee-RAHM
Phonetic Spelling: (ad-o-nee-rawm')
KJV: Adoniram
NASB: Adoniram
Word Origin: [from H113 (אָדוֹן אָדוֹן - lord) and H7311 (רוּם - exalted)]

1. lord of height
2. Adoniram, an Israelite

Adoniram

From 'adown and ruwm; lord of height; Adoniram, an Israelite -- Adoniram.

see HEBREW 'adown

see HEBREW ruwm

Word Origin
from adon and rum
Definition
"my Lord is exalted," one of Solomon's leaders
NASB Translation
Adoniram (2).

אֲדֹנִירָם proper name, masculine (my Lord is exalted) official of Solomon 1 Kings 4:6; 1 Kings 5:28; so also 2 Samuel 20:24; 1 Kings 12:18 ᵐ5 We Dr^Sm.

Biblical References

1 Kings 4:6 records, “Adoniram son of Abda was over the forced labor.”

1 Kings 5:14 notes, “They spent one month in Lebanon and two months at home; and Adoniram was in charge of the forced labor.”

Historical Setting and Career

Adoniram emerges in the reign of King Solomon (tenth century BC) at the height of Israel’s united monarchy. Solomon’s expansive building program—the Temple, the palace complex, defensive walls, and royal stables—required massive manpower. To organize that workforce the king appointed officials whose task was to conscript and supervise laborers drawn from Israel and from subject peoples (1 Kings 9:20-23). Adoniram headed that department.

The office was not unique to Solomon. Under David a comparable overseer is called Adoram (2 Samuel 20:24), and after Solomon, Rehoboam sends “Adoniram, who was in charge of the forced labor,” only to have him stoned by the northern tribes in their revolt (1 Kings 12:18; 2 Chronicles 10:18). The continuity of title and similarity of name point to either the same man serving a remarkably long tenure or, more likely, a hereditary or dynastic position within the royal bureaucracy.

Administrative Duties

1. Enrollment and rotation of work crews drawn from all Israel (1 Kings 5:13-14).
2. Coordination with provincial governors (1 Kings 4:7-19) to ensure quotas were met.
3. Liaison with foreign allies such as Hiram of Tyre, arranging timber cutters and porters (1 Kings 5:6-9).
4. Oversight of corvée labor levies imposed on resident Canaanite peoples (1 Kings 9:21-22).
5. Management of supply lines so that laborers received rations while on site and provisions for their families while they were away (cf. 1 Kings 4:22-28).

Connection to the Temple and Royal Projects

Every stone quarried, cedar log floated from Lebanon, and bronze vessel cast in the Jordan Valley bore the imprint of Adoniram’s organization. Thus, his role directly advanced the fulfillment of David’s covenant desire (2 Samuel 7:2), realized through Solomon in the construction of the house for the Name of the LORD (1 Kings 8:20). Though his work was administrative, its fruit served Israel’s worship life for generations.

Personage Across Generations

The stoning of the overseer under Rehoboam (1 Kings 12:18) marks a turning point in Israel’s history: the ten northern tribes reject not merely a king but the system of forced labor that Adoniram embodied. His death—or the death of a successor bearing the same office title—fulfilled Samuel’s warning that monarchy would exact compulsory service (1 Samuel 8:11-18). Thus, Adoniram stands as a symbol of royal power that, when exercised without sensitivity to covenant obligations, sows seeds of division.

Theological Reflections

• Divine sovereignty: Even the organization of labor crews serves God’s purpose of establishing a dwelling place among His people (1 Kings 8:27-30).
• Human responsibility: The same administrative apparatus, when wielded harshly, becomes a catalyst for judgment and schism (1 Kings 12:16-19).
• Continuity of Scripture: The appearance of an overseer of forced labor from David through Rehoboam demonstrates a coherent narrative thread, reinforcing the historical reliability of the biblical record.

Lessons and Applications

1. Leadership must balance efficiency with compassion; policies that ignore the burdens of the people invite unrest.
2. Ministry is not confined to overtly religious acts. Logistical and administrative gifts, exemplified by Adoniram, are integral to advancing God’s work.
3. Institutions begun for righteous ends can drift toward oppression if not continually submitted to covenant principles.
4. The Church today must heed Solomon’s experience: building grand structures is laudable only when the laborers are treated justly and the glory is directed to God.

וַאֲדֹנִירָ֖ם וַאֲדֹנִירָ֥ם ואדנירם vaadoniRam wa’ăḏōnîrām wa·’ă·ḏō·nî·rāmInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts