Original Word: אֲדָר
Part of Speech: Noun
Transliteration: Adar
Pronunciation: ah-DAHR
Phonetic Spelling: (ad-awr')
KJV: Adar
NASB: Adar
Word Origin: [probably of foreign derivation]

1. perhaps meaning fire
2. Adar, the 12th Hebrew month

Adar

Probably of foreign derivation; perhaps meaning fire; Adar, the 12th Hebrew month -- Adar.

Word Origin
of foreign origin
Definition
the twelfth month in the Jewish calendar
NASB Translation
Adar (8).

אֲדָר proper noun [masculine] 12th (Babylonian) month = Feb.-Mar. (late Hebrew loan-word, = Babylonian A(d)-daru see Dl^{Wp. 188}, compare Al 3 93, meaning dubious perhaps adâru, be darkened, eclipsed, but see Dl^{W p. 190}) Esther 3:7,12; Esther 8:12; Esther 9:1,15,17,19,21; compare Palmyrene, Nabataean אדר Vog⁸ Eut^{Nab 24}.

אֲדָר (K^{§ 57 a}) proper name 12th month (Biblical Hebrew id.); — Ezra 6:15.

Meaning and Chronology

Adar designates the twelfth month in the biblical calendar, falling in late February to mid-March on the modern Western calendar. It closes the agricultural and civil year that begins with Tishri and immediately precedes Nisan, the first month of the redemptive year that celebrates Passover. The late-winter placement of Adar is suggestive: the season is still bleak, yet the first signs of spring appear, preparing the way for Israel’s deliverance narrative that follows in Nisan.

Occurrences in the Book of Esther

Every Old Testament reference to Adar is found in Esther (3:7; 3:13; 8:12; 9:1; 9:15; 9:17; 9:19; 9:21). The month frames the conflict between Haman’s genocidal decree and the counter-decree issued through Mordecai. A sample passage captures both the threat and the triumph:

• “On the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar, when the king’s command and edict were to be executed … the Jews gained mastery over those who hated them.” (Esther 9:1)

The repetition of the name emphasizes the precise timing of providence. The same date Haman chose by casting the lot (pur) became the moment God turned mourning to joy (Esther 3:7; 9:1).

Redemptive-Historical Significance

1. Providence without prominence: Although the divine Name is absent in Esther, the fixed mention of Adar anchors God’s hidden governance in real history. He rules over lots, decrees, and calendars alike (Proverbs 16:33).
2. Anticipation of Passover: Deliverance in Adar foreshadows the greater exodus celebrated one month later. The rescue in Persia prepares hearts for the annual remembrance that “the Lord brought you out of Egypt” (Exodus 13:3).
3. Eschatological echo: Adar prefigures a day when every decree of death against God’s people will be reversed, pointing toward the triumph secured in Jesus Christ (Hebrews 2:14-15).

Liturgical and Cultural Legacy

The events of Adar gave birth to Purim, instituted as “days of feasting and rejoicing” (Esther 9:22). Jewish communities still read the Megillah, exchange gifts, and aid the poor each thirteenth through fifteenth of Adar. In leap years a second Adar (Adar II) ensures Purim remains adjacent to Passover, preserving the typological link between the two deliverances.

Typological Reflections

• Haman’s decree mirrors Satan’s accusation (Revelation 12:10); Mordecai’s counter-decree anticipates the gospel proclamation.
• The gallows built in Adar recall the cross erected in Nisan, where the curse intended for the innocent falls on the guilty (Galatians 3:13).
• The joy of Purim anticipates the marriage supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:7-9).

Practical Ministry Applications

1. Encouragement in waiting: Adar teaches that apparent delays are divine appointments. Congregations preparing for Easter may draw on Esther to show how God works in the “twelfth month” season of waiting.
2. Care for the vulnerable: Purim’s charitable emphasis encourages believers to pair thanksgiving with generosity (2 Corinthians 9:11).
3. Spiritual warfare: The book’s Adar narrative models vigilant self-defense under just authority, paralleling spiritual resistance “clothed with the full armor of God” (Ephesians 6:11).

Key References

Esther 3:7; 3:13; 8:12; 9:1; 9:15; 9:17; 9:19; 9:21

אֲדָ֑ר אֲדָ֔ר אֲדָ֗ר אֲדָֽר׃ אדר אדר׃ ’ă·ḏār ’ăḏār aDarInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts