Who was Adoniram in the bible?
Adoniram, son of Abda, appears in 1 Kings 4:6 and 1 Kings 5:14 as the official over men subject to forced labor under Solomon.
Role Under Solomon
In Solomon’s administration, Adoniram is listed among key officials: “Ahishar was over the household; and Adoniram… was over the men subject to forced labor” (1 Kings 4:6).
Learn More →Work Oversight
During Solomon’s labor levy, “Adoniram was over the men subject to forced labor” (1 Kings 5:14). The setting describes workers sent to Lebanon “ten thousand a month” (1 Kings 5:14).
Learn More →Adoniram is presented as an Israelite official in Solomon’s administration, identified as “the son of Abda” and appointed “over the men subject to forced labor.” His name is explained in the lexicon as meaning “lord of height.”
Adoniram in Scripture
Adoniram appears in the list of key figures serving under King Solomon, where he is named alongside other leading administrators and priests. In that setting, the text states:
“Ahishar was over the household; and Adoniram the son of Abda was over the men subject to forced labor.” (1 Kings 4:6, WEB)
The surrounding context places this notice within a broader description of Solomon’s officials. Just before Adoniram is mentioned, the passage lists military and priestly leadership:
“Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the army; Zadok and Abiathar were priests;” (1 Kings 4:4, WEB)
“Azariah the son of Nathan was over the officers; Zabud the son of Nathan was chief minister, the king’s friend;” (1 Kings 4:5, WEB)
Immediately after Adoniram’s appointment is recorded, the narrative continues by describing a system of provisioning for the king through regional officers:
“Solomon had twelve officers over all Israel, who provided food for the king and his household. Each man had to make provision for a month in the year.” (1 Kings 4:7, WEB)
It then begins to name these officers and their districts:
“These are their names: Ben Hur, in the hill country of Ephraim;” (1 Kings 4:8, WEB)
“Ben Deker, in Makaz, in Shaalbim, Beth Shemesh, and Elon Beth Hanan;” (1 Kings 4:9, WEB)
Within this administrative portrait, Adoniram’s specific responsibility is supervisory: he is “over the men subject to forced labor.” The text does not describe his actions in detail here, but it presents his office as a distinct and recognized role within Solomon’s governmental structure.
Adoniram is mentioned again in connection with Solomon’s large-scale labor efforts connected to work beyond Israel’s borders, in a passage that describes Solomon’s arrangements in a period of stability and agreement with Hiram. The setting is introduced as follows:
“Yahweh gave Solomon wisdom, as he promised him. There was peace between Hiram and Solomon, and the two of them made a treaty together.” (1 Kings 5:12, WEB)
Against that background, Solomon organizes a major levy from Israel:
“King Solomon raised a levy out of all Israel; and the levy was thirty thousand men.” (1 Kings 5:13, WEB)
The narrative then explains the rotation of this workforce to Lebanon—one month away, followed by two months at home—and identifies Adoniram as the supervising official over the laborers:
“He sent them to Lebanon, ten thousand a month by courses; for a month they were in Lebanon, and two months at home; and Adoniram was over the men subject to forced labor.” (1 Kings 5:14, WEB)
This passage situates Adoniram’s oversight within a broad labor program that included large numbers of workers assigned to carrying and cutting stone:
“Solomon had seventy thousand who bore burdens, and eighty thousand who were stone cutters in the mountains;” (1 Kings 5:15, WEB)
Alongside these laborers, the text notes additional supervisory structures:
“besides Solomon’s chief officers who were over the work, three thousand and three hundred, who ruled over the people who labored in the work.” (1 Kings 5:16, WEB)
The work itself is described in terms of the king’s command and the preparation of large stones for a foundation:
“The king commanded, and they cut out large stones, costly stones, to lay the foundation of the house with worked stone.” (1 Kings 5:17, WEB)
In the flow of this chapter, Adoniram’s role is consistent with his earlier appointment: he is again named as the one “over the men subject to forced labor,” now explicitly connected with Solomon’s levy system and the organized labor that supported the king’s building operations.
Name and Meaning
In Hebrew script his name is written אֲדֹנִירָם, transliterated ‘Adoniyram and pronounced ad-o-nee-rawm. The lexicon derives it from H113 and H7311 and explains it as meaning “lord of height,” drawing on the elements adown (אָדוֹן), “sovereign, i.e. controller,” and ruwm (רוּם), “to be high… to rise or raise.”
Observation
Across both mentions, Adoniram is defined by one recurring charge: he is the official “over the men subject to forced labor” (1 Kings 4:6; 1 Kings 5:14), appearing within Solomon’s broader network of officers who organized provisioning (1 Kings 4:7) and extensive labor for commanded work (1 Kings 5:13–17).
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the name Adoniram mean?
Adoniram means “lord of height.”
How many times does Adoniram appear in the Bible?
Adoniram appears 2 times.
Who was Adoniram?
Adoniram was an Israelite. In 1 Kings 4:6, he is named as “the son of Abda” and placed “over the men subject to forced labor.”
What role did Adoniram have in Solomon’s labor force?
He was “over the men subject to forced labor” (1 Kings 4:6; 1 Kings 5:14).
Explore Further
If you found this page about Adoniram 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).
