Original Word: עֲדִינָא
Part of Speech: Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration: `Adiyna'
Pronunciation: ah-dee-NAH
Phonetic Spelling: (ad-ee-naw')
KJV: Adina
NASB: Adina
Word Origin: [from H5719 (עָדִין - sensual one)]

1. effeminacy
2. Adina, an Israelite

Adina

From adiyn; effeminacy; Adina, an Israelite -- Adina.

see HEBREW adiyn

Word Origin
from the same as eden
Definition
a Reubenite
NASB Translation
Adina (1).

עֲדִינָא proper name, masculine Reubenite captian, David's time, according to 1 Chronicles 11:42, ᵐ5 Αδ(ε)ινα.

Overview

Adina, the son of Shiza, appears once in the canonical record, within the roster of David’s warriors (1 Chronicles 11:42). Though his name carries a sense of delicacy, he stands among the valiant who secured David’s kingdom, illustrating how God delights to display strength through seeming weakness.

Historical Setting

The list in 1 Chronicles 11 mirrors the catalog in 2 Samuel 23, preserving the memory of men who rallied to David during his turbulent rise from fugitive to king. Chronicles, composed after the exile, highlights these alliances to remind the post-exilic community of covenant faithfulness and tribal unity under the Davidic line.

Tribal Leadership and Military Role

• Tribal Identity: Adina is explicitly called “the Reubenite,” representing the firstborn tribe that had settled east of the Jordan.
• Command: Scripture names him “a leader of the Reubenites, and thirty with him” (1 Chronicles 11:42). The phrase indicates a recognized captaincy over thirty seasoned warriors, confirming Reuben’s contribution to the royal cause despite geographic distance from Jerusalem.
• Strategic Importance: Reuben and the other Transjordan tribes guarded Israel’s eastern frontier. Their allegiance to David signaled nationwide consolidation, discouraging regional separatism that could have fractured the fledgling kingdom.

Spiritual Themes and Applications

1. Strength from unlikely quarters: A man whose name hints at gentleness becomes a paradigm of fortitude, reminding believers that “God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong” (compare 1 Corinthians 1:27).
2. Covenant loyalty: Reuben’s support underscores the call for every tribe—every believer—to submit to God’s anointed King. Fidelity to David foreshadows our fidelity to the greater Son of David.
3. Corporate courage: The mention of “thirty with him” emphasizes community in warfare; victory in spiritual battle is not a solo endeavor but a coordinated stand with fellow servants.

Messianic and Ecclesiological Insights

David’s reign anticipates the Messiah’s universal rule. Adina’s allegiance contributes to the picture of all Israel rallying to the true king, prefiguring the church gathered from every tribe. His leadership over thirty mirrors Christ’s delegation of authority to His disciples, equipping them for collective mission and defense of the faith.

Legacy

Adina’s single biblical appearance leaves a concise yet potent testimony: leadership grounded in loyalty to God’s chosen ruler, exercised in communal strength, and remembered in perpetuity by the Spirit’s inscription. His example urges believers to stand firm, whatever their background, in wholehearted service to the King of kings.

עֲדִינָ֨א עדינא ‘ă·ḏî·nā ‘ăḏînā adiNaInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts