ע
ABARIM
Publications
Discover the meanings of thousands of Biblical names in Abarim Publications' Biblical Name Vault: Adlai

Adlai meaning

Adlai in Biblical Hebrew
עדלי
Adlai categories:
♂
male names
≡
browse names and categories

Source: https://www.abarim-publications.com/Meaning/Adlai.html

🔼The name Adlai: Summary

Meaning
Yah Is Just, Justice Of The Lord
Etymology
From (1) the verb עדל ('dl), to be just or act equitable, and (2) יה (yah), the name of the Lord.
Related names
• Via עדל ('dl): Adullam
• Via יה (yah): See the 'browse by form' menu for a long list of yah-names.

🔼The name Adlai in the Bible

The name Adlai occurs only once in the Bible. He is the father of Shaphat, who is one of king David's chief herdsmen (1 Chronicles 27:20).

🔼Etymology of the name Adlai

The name Adlai consists of two elements. The final yod should probably be regarded as a remnant of יה (Yah) = יהו (Yahu) = יו (Yu), which in turn are abbreviated forms of the Tetragrammaton יהוה, YHWH, or Yahweh.

The first part of the name Adlai comes from the rarely used root group עדל ('dl):

Excerpted from: Abarim Publications' Biblical Dictionary
עדל

There's no Hebrew verb עדל ('dl) preserved in the Bible but its Arabic cognate means to act equitably or be just, whereas its Assyrian cognate means to be a hero. A second Arabic verb עדל ('dl) means to turn aside or flee.

— See the full Dictionary article —

🔼Adlai meaning

BDB Theological Dictionary lists the name Adlai under עדל I and treats the root but doesn't translate the name. For a meaning of the name Adlai, NOBSE Study Bible Name List reads Yahweh Is Just, and Jones' Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names proposes Justice Of The Lord