Bible Person

Abda

Meaning: a servant; servitude · Male · 1 cross reference

Abda is the father of Adoniram, Solomon's officer over forced labor or tribute. He appears through the family background of one of the most consequential administrators in the monarchy. First appears in 1 Kgs 4:6.1

AI summary: Abda matters because his cross reference places his house behind the official responsible for the levy, one of the institutions that would later fuel grievance against Solomon's regime. Even in a brief genealogical notice, that connection gives the name administrative and political weight. Taken together, the material presents Abda as the familial source of a significant royal functionary.1

Central Figure

Abda

Meaning: a servant; servitude

The father of Adoniram, whom Solomon set over the tribute (1 Kings 4:6); i.e., the forced labour (R.V., “levy”).