אֲדוֹרַיִם
𐤀𐤃𐤅𐤓𐤉𐤌
Adorayim
H115 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Proper noun: Adoraim — a town located in the southern hill country of ancient Judah, likely named for its prominent topographical features (presumably two hills or mounds). The term itself refers to the place name and does not denote eminence or honor in ordinary usage.
Semantic Range
(proper noun) name of a Judahite town; potential literal meaning: two hills, double mound; geographic designation specific to southern Judah; does not occur outside of toponymic/contextual usage
Root / Etymology
Derived from the root אדר (ʾ-d-r), meaning 'majestic, mighty, eminent.' The form is a dual (ending -ַיִם), likely referring to 'two heights' or 'double hill/mound.' Thus, Adoraim means 'the two eminences/mounds.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
Adoraim appears in the Hebrew Bible only in 2 Chronicles 11:9 as one of the fortresses strengthened by Rehoboam in the hill country of Judah after the division of the monarchy. It is not frequently mentioned and does not occur as a personal name. The dual form suggests a topographical feature—possibly two hills or heights—characteristic of the location. In later historical periods, the site was identified with Adora (Greek: Ἀδώρα) by Hellenistic and Roman sources, and it became a known settlement in the region. English translations frequently transliterate the name as 'Adoraim' or 'Adorajim' and rarely render the meaning, so the semantic nuance of the dual and root is lost in translation. The interpretation as 'double mound' derives from the root and the dual ending, but no independent evidence connects the place name to the root's sense of honor or prominence apart from its typographical association.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
dual from אָדַר (in the sense of eminence); double mound; Adorajim, a place in Palestine; Adoraim.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.
Root Family
אדר (Adorayim) — to be mighty, to be majestic, to be splendid
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H117 | אַדִּיר | mighty |
| H142 | אָדַר | being made majestic |
| H145 | אֶדֶר | mustered herd |
| H146 | אַדָּר | Adar |
| H147 | אִדַּר | ample threshing-floors of |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H115-01 |
אֲדוֹרַ֥יִם | adorayim | HNp |
Adoraim | Two Eminences | Adorayim | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H115-01 |
2 Chronicles 11:9 | אֲדוֹרַ֥יִם | adorayim | HNp |
Adoraim | Two Eminences | Adorayim |