Bible Dictionaries
Adoniram

Holman Bible Dictionary

(ad oh ni' ruhm) Personal name meaning, “the Lord is exalted.” Officer in charge of the work gangs Solomon conscripted from Israel (1 Kings 4:6; 1 Kings 5:14 ). The king forced Israel's citizens to work for the state to secure materials to build the Temple and the other projects of Solomon. Apparently the same person continued administering the work force for Rehoboam, though his name is abbreviated to Adoram in 1 Kings 12:18 . At that time, Israel rebelled against making free citizens work. They stoned Adoniram to death. The name is spelled Hadoram in 2 Chronicles 10:18 . Recently archaeologists uncovered a seal which probably dates to the seventh century, long after Adoniram. The seal talks of a person over the labor force.