Adah

Fausset's Bible Dictionary

("adornment, beauty".).

1. One of Lamech's (See Lamech ; see Zillah wives ( Genesis 4:19).

2. Daughter of Elon the Hittite; one of Esau's three wives; mother of his firstborn, Eliphaz; ancestress of six of the Edomite tribes ( Genesis 36:2-4; ( Genesis 36:15-16); called Βashemath ( Genesis 26:34), ("the fragrant"). Esau's third wife, daughter of Ishmael, also is called Bashemath, but Mahalath in  Genesis 28:9. Moses drew the genealogy from documents of Esau's tribe, without altering them. Eastern and especially Arabian custom gives surnames (founded on some memorable event in one's life), which gradually supersede the other name; for instance, Edom,  Genesis 25:30. Women received new names when married; so both might be called Bashemath.

Smith's Bible Dictionary

A'dah. (Ornament, Beauty).

1. The first of the two wives of Lamech, by whom were borne to him Jabal and Jubal.  Genesis 4:19. (B.C. 3600).

2. A Hittitess, one of the three wives of Esau, mother of Eliphaz.  Genesis 36:2;  Genesis 36:10;  Genesis 36:12;  Genesis 36:16. In  Genesis 26:34, she is called Bashemath . (B.C. 1797).

Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible

ADAH. 1 . One of the two wives of Lamech, and mother of Jabal and Jubal (  Genesis 4:19-20 ). The name possibly means ‘brightness’ (cf. Arab. [Note: Arabic.] ghadât ), Lamech’s other wife being named ‘Zillah’ = ‘shadow,’ ‘darkness’ 2 . Daughter of Elon, a Hittite, and one of the wives of Esau (  Genesis 36:2 ). In   Genesis 26:34 (P [Note: Priestly Narrative.] ) the daughter of Elon the Hittite, whom Esau takes to wife, is named Basemath (wh. see).

Morrish Bible Dictionary

1. Oneof the two wives of Lamech, and the mother of Jabal and Jubal.  Genesis 4:19,20,23 .

2. One of the wives of Esau, daughter of Elon the Hittite and thus 'a daughter of Canaan:' she bare to Esau his first-born son Eliphaz, who became the father of seven of the dukes of Edom.   Genesis 36:2,4,15,16 . See BASHEMATH.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

• The first of Lamech's two wives, and the mother of Jabal and Jubal ( Genesis 4:19,20,23 ).
• The first of Esau's three wives, the daughter of Elon the Hittite ( Genesis 36:2,4 ), called also Bashemath (26:34).

Holman Bible Dictionary

 Genesis 4:19-23 2 Genesis 36:2-16

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ā´da ( עדה , ‛ādhāh , "adornment"):

(1) One of the two wives of Lamech the descendant of Cain ( Genesis 4:19 ,  Genesis 4:20 ,  Genesis 4:23 ). The narrative in Gen assigns to her two sons, Jabal the "father" of tent-dwelling people, and Jubal the "father" of all such as handle the harp and pipe." Josephus says that Lamech had 77 sons by Ada and Zillah ( Ant. , I, ii, 2).

(2) According to  Genesis 36:2 ,  Genesis 36:4 ,  Genesis 36:10 ,  Genesis 36:12 ,  Genesis 36:16 , the Hittite wife of Esau, daughter of Elon, and mother of Eliphaz. In this chapter Esau's other wives are Oholibamah, a Hivite, and Basemath the daughter of Ishmael. The names are differently given elsewhere ( Genesis 26:34;  Genesis 28:9 ). Basemath is said to be the daughter of Elon. The daughter of Ishmael is called Mahalath. In place of Oholibamah the Hivite we find Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite. Data are lacking for the solution of the problem.

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature

(Heb. Adah', עָדָה , Ornament; Sept. Ἀδά ) , the name of two women.

1. The first named of the two wives of the Cainite Lamech, and mother of Jabal and Jubal ( Genesis 4:19-20;  Genesis 4:23). B.C. cir. 3600. 2. The first of the three wives of Esau, being the daughter of Elon the Hittite, and the mother of Eliphaz ( Genesis 36:2;  Genesis 36:4;  Genesis 36:10;  Genesis 36:12;  Genesis 36:16). B.C. 1964. She is elsewhere confounded with BASHEMATH (See Bashemath) ( Genesis 26:34). (See Esau).

Kitto's Popular Cyclopedia of Biblial Literature

A´dah (Adornment, comeliness)

1. one of the wives of Lamech ( Genesis 4:19);

2. one of the wives of Esau, daughter of Elon the Hittite ( Genesis 36:4). She is called Judith in  Genesis 26:34.