Original Word: יַדוּעַ
Part of Speech: Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration: Yadduwa`
Pronunciation: yad-DOO-ah
Phonetic Spelling: (yad-doo'-ah)
KJV: Jaddua
NASB: Jaddua
Word Origin: [from H3045 (יָדַע - know)]

1. knowing
2. Jaddua, the name of two Israelites

Jaddua

From yada'; knowing; Jaddua, the name of two Israelites -- Jaddua.

see HEBREW yada'

Word Origin
from yada
Definition
two Isr.
NASB Translation
Jaddua (3).

יַדוּעַ proper name, masculine 1. a chief of the people, one of those sealed Nehemiah 10:22 ᵐ5^L Ιεδδαυα.

2 a priest, probably the high priest in time of Alexander the Great Nehemiah 12:11,22 ᵐ5 Ιαδου, ᵐ5^L Ιεδδου (whence Lag^{BN 113} reads יִדּוּעַ).

Name and Lineage

Jaddua (Hebrew יַדוּעַ, Yadua, “known” or “acknowledged”) is recorded as a post-exilic priest descended from the early Second-Temple high priest Jeshua (Joshua) through the line of Eliashib and Joiada. His genealogy is set out concisely in Nehemiah 12:10–11, linking him to the Zadokite succession that stretches back to Aaron, underscoring the Divine preservation of an authorized priesthood after the exile.

Occurrences in Scripture

1. Nehemiah 10:21 lists “Jaddua” among priestly leaders who sealed the renewed covenant under Nehemiah: “Maaziah, Bilgai, and Shemaiah; these were the priests”, with Jaddua included in the larger priestly roster that affixed their seals (verses 5–9, 12–13, 18–21).
2. Nehemiah 12:11 establishes his genealogy: “Joiada was the father of Jonathan, and Jonathan was the father of Jaddua”.
3. Nehemiah 12:22 notes that the genealogical records of priests and Levites were kept “up to the reign of Darius the Persian,” and within that record the name Jaddua figures as high priest, marking an historical anchor point late in the Persian era.

Historical Setting

Jaddua flourished near the close of the Persian period (mid- to late-fourth century BC), spanning the transition toward early Hellenistic rule. The mention of “Darius the Persian” (likely Darius II or III) in Nehemiah 12:22 situates him a generation or two after Nehemiah’s governorship. Outside the canonical text, Josephus (Antiquities 11.302–347) narrates that a high priest named Jaddua met Alexander the Great and secured favor for Jerusalem; though not inspired history, the account reflects Jewish memory that Jaddua’s tenure extended into the first Greek overlordship of Judah.

Priestly and Ministry Significance

1. Covenant Renewal: By sealing the covenant (Nehemiah 10), Jaddua stands in continuity with Jeshua and Zerubbabel’s earlier reforms (Ezra 3:2; Haggai 1:14), illustrating ongoing priestly commitment to the Law. His signature testifies that genuine spiritual revival requires both lay leadership (Nehemiah) and priestly affirmation.
2. Continuity of Worship: The catalog in Nehemiah 12 lists singers, gatekeepers, and temple officials alongside Jaddua, showing a fully operational cultus a century after the exile. God’s promises concerning the Levitical covenant (Jeremiah 33:17–22) remain intact.
3. Preparation for the Intertestamental Era: Jaddua’s generation bridges canonical revelation and the four-hundred-year silence that follows Malachi. The institutional stability he represents enables later pious groups (Hasideans, Maccabees) to arise within a recognizable priestly framework.

Theological Reflections

• Divine Faithfulness: Despite foreign dominion, the priestly line is never extinguished, foreshadowing the ultimate and unbreakable priesthood of Jesus Christ (Hebrews 7:23–28).
• Public Affirmation of the Covenant: Jaddua’s inclusion among the signatories reminds believers that spiritual leaders must publicly own the covenant they teach (compare Ezra 10:5).
• Historical Verification: The precise recording of names and dates (Nehemiah 12:22) reflects Scripture’s rootedness in real history, reinforcing trustworthiness and encouraging careful genealogical study (Luke 3:23–38).

Later Jewish Tradition

Rabbinic and Hellenistic sources remember Jaddua chiefly through the Josephus narrative, attributing to him prophetic insight and piety that protected Jerusalem. While extra-biblical, these traditions underscore his stature and the respect accorded to the high priestly office in the late Persian and early Greek periods.

Lessons for Today

• Leadership Continuity: Churches and ministries benefit from orderly succession grounded in fidelity to Scripture, just as Israel benefited from Jaddua’s faithful continuation of the priesthood.
• Covenant Accountability: The example of sealing a covenant calls congregations to explicit commitments to holiness, stewardship, and proclamation.
• Hope amid Transition: Jaddua’s ministry during shifting empires reminds believers that God’s purposes advance despite political upheaval, encouraging steadfastness in unstable times.

וְיַדּ֔וּעַ וידוע יַדּֽוּעַ׃ ידוע׃ veyadDua wə·yad·dū·a‘ wəyaddūa‘ yad·dū·a‘ yadDua yaddūa‘Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts