### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **ʻÂdâh**, represented by `{{H5711}}`, is defined as **ornament** and appears in the Bible as the proper name of two women. It is used **8 times** in **8 unique verses**, with all occurrences found in the book of Genesis. The name serves to identify these specific individuals within the scriptural record.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In the biblical narrative, `{{H5711}}` identifies two different women. The first Adah appears as one of the two **wives** of Lamech [[Genesis 4:19]]. She is noted as the mother who **bare** Jabal [[Genesis 4:20]] and is addressed directly by Lamech in his speech [[Genesis 4:23]]. The second Adah is one of the **wives** of **Esau**, identified as the daughter of Elon the Hittite [[Genesis 36:2]]. She **bare** a **son** named **Eliphaz** to **Esau** [[Genesis 36:4]], and her lineage is recorded as part of the ancestry of the dukes of Edom [[Genesis 36:16]].
### Related Words & Concepts
The context of Adah's life is clarified by several related words:
* `{{H802}}` **ʼishshâh** (wife): This term defines Adah's primary role in the narrative. She is consistently identified as the **wife** of Lamech [[Genesis 4:19]] and the **wife** of **Esau** ([[Genesis 36:10]], [[Genesis 36:12]]).
* `{{H1121}}` **bên** (son): This word is central to Adah's significance, as her main purpose in the text is to be the mother of a **son**. Her **sons** are Jabal [[Genesis 4:20]] and **Eliphaz** [[Genesis 36:4]], whose own descendants are then listed ([[Genesis 36:12]], [[Genesis 36:16]]).
* `{{H3205}}` **yâlad** (to bear): This verb describes the act of giving birth and is used to connect Adah directly to her offspring. The scripture states that **Adah** **bare** Jabal [[Genesis 4:20]] and that she **bare** **Eliphaz** to **Esau** [[Genesis 36:4]].
* `{{H6215}}` **ʻÊsâv** (Esau): The second Adah is almost exclusively identified through her connection to **Esau**. She is his **wife** [[Genesis 36:10]], and her children are part of his posterity [[Genesis 36:4]].
### Theological Significance
The significance of `{{H5711}}` is found in its function within biblical genealogy and history.
* **Matriarch of a Lineage:** Adah is recorded as a key matriarchal figure. She is the mother of Jabal in the line of Lamech [[Genesis 4:20]] and the mother of **Eliphaz** in the line of **Esau** [[Genesis 36:4]], establishing distinct family lines.
* **Establishing Posterity:** The accounts of Adah and her children contribute to the biblical theme of tracing posterity. The listing of "the sons of Adah" who became "dukes... in the land of Edom" shows the formation of a people from a specific ancestor [[Genesis 36:16]].
* **Name and Identity:** The deliberate recording of her **name** `{{H8034}}`, as in "the **name** of the one was Adah" [[Genesis 4:19]], highlights the importance of individual identity within the larger framework of biblical genealogies.
### Summary
In summary, `{{H5711}}` is not an abstract concept but the proper **name**, **ʻÂdâh**, given to two women in Genesis. While its base meaning is **ornament**, its biblical usage is entirely focused on her role within family genealogies. She is recorded as a **wife** and mother, essential for tracing the lineage of both Lamech's descendants and the posterity of **Esau**. Through her, the narrative establishes key ancestral lines that are foundational to the early history recorded in Scripture.
TRV