Who was Addi in the bible?

Addi is a personal name that appears in the New Testament genealogy in Luke, presented as an ancestor within a line of descent. Lexicon information describes the Greek name as probably of Hebrew origin.

Addi in Scripture

Addi is mentioned once, within Luke’s genealogy, where he is positioned between Melchi and Cosam. Luke presents the line in a repeated pattern of descent (“the son of …”), placing Addi in the middle of a longer sequence.

“the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmodam, the son of Er,” (Luke 3:28, WEB)

The surrounding verses show the immediate genealogical context into which Addi is placed. Immediately before Luke 3:28, the genealogy lists:

“the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Joseph, the son of Judah,” (Luke 3:26, WEB)

“the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri,” (Luke 3:27, WEB)

Then Luke 3:28 contains the specific placement of Addi (quoted above), and the genealogy continues immediately after:

“the son of Jose, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi,” (Luke 3:29, WEB)

“the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonan, the son of Eliakim,” (Luke 3:30, WEB)

“the son of Melea, the son of Menan, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David,” (Luke 3:31, WEB)

Taken together, these verses show Addi as one named figure in a sequence of ancestors, identified only by his position in the genealogy: Addi is said to be the son of Melchi and the father of Cosam (Luke 3:28). The wider context places this line within a genealogy that ultimately reaches “David” (Luke 3:31), though Luke gives no additional biographical detail about Addi beyond his placement in the list.

Name and Meaning

The name is written in Greek as Ἀδδί, transliterated Addi and pronounced “ad-dee’.” Lexicon information describes it as probably of Hebrew origin (compared with Strong’s H05716).

Observation

Addi’s entire biblical identification is genealogical: “the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam” (Luke 3:28), a brief reference that locates him within a larger ancestral line extending to “David” (Luke 3:31).

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the name Addi mean?

Addi is given simply as the name “Addi,” and it is probably of Hebrew origin.

How many times does Addi appear in the Bible?

Addi appears 1 time.

Who was Addi in the Bible?

Addi is named in a genealogy in Luke 3:28 as the father of Melchi and the son of Cosam.

Where is Addi mentioned?

Addi is mentioned in Luke 3:28.

Explore Further

If you found this page about Addi interesting and would like to discover more about other biblical characters, explore our comprehensive Encyclopedia of Biblical Characters. For those looking to delve deeper into the Greek origins of these names and terms, our Greek Lexicon is an invaluable resource.

Sources: Name and occurrence data from Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance and STEPBible reference data (CC BY). Scripture quotations from the World English Bible (public domain).