Hadad the Edomite

Biblical Account

Hadad is a figure of Edomite royal descent who appears in 1 Kings 11:14–22 and 25. The text describes him as "of the king's seed in Edom" but does not give his father's name.

In the time of David, the army commander Joab remained in Edom for six months and struck down every male in Edom (1 Kings 11:15–16). Hadad, then a little child, fled with some of his father's servants. The group set out from Midian, passed through Paran, and came to Egypt, where Pharaoh gave him a house, provisions, and land. Hadad found great favor in Pharaoh's sight and married the sister of Queen Tahpenes. Their son Genubath was weaned by Tahpenes in Pharaoh's house and grew up in the palace among Pharaoh's sons (11:18–20).

When Hadad heard that David and Joab were dead, he asked Pharaoh to let him return to his own country. When Pharaoh asked what he lacked, Hadad replied that he lacked nothing but repeatedly pressed his request to be allowed to go (11:21–22). The Hebrew Masoretic Text does not record in detail what Hadad did afterward; verse 25 only briefly mentions "the mischief that Hadad did" during "all the days of Solomon."

Significance Within Scripture

The account of Hadad is placed immediately after the record that Solomon followed his foreign wives in serving other gods and so provoked God's anger (11:1–13). The text states that "the LORD stirred up an adversary unto Solomon, Hadad the Edomite" (11:14). It then introduces Rezon (11:23–25) and Jeroboam (11:26–40) in turn.

The Hebrew word translated "adversary" is the same word as "satan." In this context it is used in the general sense of "one who opposes." The accounts of these three adversaries foreshadow the division of the kingdom that would follow Solomon's reign. The New Testament does not mention Hadad.

Interpretation and Issues

• Other individuals with the same name: Hadad the king of Edom (the son of Bedad) in Genesis 36:35–36 and Hadad the son of Ishmael in Genesis 25:15 are different people from this figure. Hadadezer, king of Zobah, in 2 Samuel 8, is also a different person.
• A gap in the text: The Hebrew text does not say what Hadad did after returning to Edom. The corresponding passage in the Septuagint is reported to contain additional material to the effect that Hadad returned to his own land and reigned over Edom. Scholars hold various views on the relationship between the two texts.
• Chronology and the identity of Pharaoh: The text does not name the Pharaoh who received Hadad. Some identify him as a king of Egypt's Twenty-first Dynasty, but this has not been established. Scholars also differ in their estimates of when Hadad was active.
• Connections with other texts: David's conquest of Edom is also recorded in 2 Samuel 8:13–14 and 1 Chronicles 18:12–13. Hadad's flight to Egypt and subsequent return resemble Jeroboam's flight to Egypt in the same chapter (11:40), and some interpreters read this as an intentional parallel.

In the Korean Church

Hadad is rarely the subject of a sermon in his own right. He is generally mentioned briefly in sermons and Bible studies on 1 Kings 11 that discuss Solomon's later years and their consequences. In such contexts he is presented, together with Rezon and Jeroboam, as one of the "adversaries raised up by God."