Hebrew word · H5710

עָדָה

'adeh

to adorn

To put on ornaments, to deck out or adorn. Usually used of someone adorning themselves (reflexive): a woman putting on jewelry, a bride getting ready. Once figuratively, of being 'adorned' with majesty (Job 40:10).

Appears 10 times in 10 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

to ornament, deck oneself

Abridged from Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Ezekiel 16:11

Range of meaning

To put on ornaments, to deck out or adorn. Usually used of someone adorning themselves (reflexive): a woman putting on jewelry, a bride getting ready. Once figuratively, of being 'adorned' with majesty (Job 40:10).

Against the English

English "adorned" (BSB), "decked" (KJV, WEB) and "adorn" (YLT) are all accurate. None of them can show that the verb and its object share a root, though YLT's "adorn thee with adornments" comes close.

Used elsewhere in the period

In the prophets this verb is mostly used for a woman dressing up for lovers. Jeremiah 4:30: "though you adorn yourself with ornaments of gold… your lovers despise you." Hosea 2:13 (Heb 2:15): Israel "adorned herself with her ring and jewelry" and went after the Baals. Ezekiel 23:40: the adulterous sisters "adorned yourself with ornaments." The positive bridal use is Isaiah 61:10 (a bride adorned with her jewels) and Jer 31:4 (Israel adorned with tambourines).

From the study of Jeremiah 31:4

Range of meaning

To put on ornaments or jewellery, to dress up. Related to the noun ʿădî, 'ornament' or 'finery'. It is used for brides and for women dressing to be noticed.

Against the English

BSB and NIV turn it into "take up", which is clear but drops the picture of dressing up. KJV, WEB and ESV keep "adorn".

Used elsewhere in the period

Jer 4:30: "though you deck yourself (taʿdî) with ornaments of gold… your lovers despise you", the same form of the same verb, used of Zion. Ezek 16:11–13 uses it of God adorning his bride Jerusalem, and Ezek 23:40 of the adulterous sisters adorning themselves. Jer 2:32 uses the noun: "Can a virgin forget her ornaments, a bride her attire?" (HALOT s.v. עדה II).

From the study of Ezekiel 16:13

Range of meaning

To put on ornaments, to deck oneself with jewellery. The noun from the same root, 'adi, means 'ornament, jewellery' (Exod 33:4–6; Jer 2:32 'can a bride forget her ornaments?').

Against the English

English 'were adorned' (BSB) and 'wast decked' (KJV) make her passive. The Hebrew form is active: she puts the jewellery on herself (YLT: 'thou dost put on'). God gave the jewels in vv. 11–12, and here she wears them.

Used elsewhere in the period

Hosea 2:13 (Heb 2:15) is the model for Ezekiel's allegory: 'she adorned herself (watta'ad) with her ring and jewellery and went after her lovers.' Jeremiah 4:30 and Ezekiel 23:40 use the verb the same way, of a city dressing up for foreign lovers. Ps 45:13–14 shows the positive use, a royal bride in gold and embroidered cloth.

Where it appears

Job · 2

  1. Job 28:8 עָדָ֖ה it passes by

    Proud beasts have never trodden it; no lion has ever prowled over it.

  2. Job 40:10 עֲדֵ֥ה deck yourself

    Then adorn yourself with majesty and splendor, and clothe yourself with honor and glory.

    Here: An order: 'put on your ornaments.' The verb is used for putting on jewellery and finery (Jer 4:30; Ezek 16:11). Here the 'jewellery' is the visible splendour of a ruler. Job is told to dress himself as a king, or as God.

Proverbs · 1

  1. Proverbs 25:20 מַ֥עֲדֶה [one who] removes

    Like one who removes a garment on a cold day or vinegar poured on a wound is one who sings songs to a heavy heart.

Isaiah · 1

  1. Isaiah 61:10 תַּעְדֶּ֥ה [who] she adorns herself

    I will rejoice greatly in the LORD, my soul will exult in my God; for He has clothed me with garments of salvation and wrapped me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom wears a priestly headdress, as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

    Here: 'She adorns herself' — puts on jewellery; the same verb Ezekiel uses for God adorning Jerusalem as his bride (Ezek 16:11).

Jeremiah · 2

  1. Jeremiah 4:30 תַעְדִּ֣י you ornament yourself

    And you, O devastated one, what will you do, though you dress yourself in scarlet, though you adorn yourself with gold jewelry, though you enlarge your eyes with paint? You adorn yourself in vain; your lovers despise you; they want to take your life.

    Here: Verb and noun come from the same root ('you ornament yourself with ornaments'), which stresses how much effort she puts into her appearance.

  2. Jeremiah 31:4 תַּעְדִּ֣י you will ornament yourself

    Again I will build you, and you will be rebuilt, O Virgin Israel. Again you will take up your tambourines and go out in joyful dancing.

    Here: "You will deck yourself", the verb for putting on jewellery and finery. Her drums are treated as ornaments she puts on. Jeremiah used the same verb in 4:30 for Zion dressing up in vain for her lovers.

Ezekiel · 3

  1. Ezekiel 16:11 וָאֶעְדֵּ֖ךְ and I ornamented you

    I adorned you with jewelry, and I put bracelets on your wrists and a chain around your neck.

    Here: "And I adorned you." God is the subject; the 'you' is feminine singular: Jerusalem pictured as a young woman. It continues a long chain of 'and I…' verbs (vv. 9–13) where God does everything and she does nothing.

  2. Ezekiel 16:13 וַתַּעְדִּ֞י and you ornamented yourself

    So you were adorned with gold and silver, and your clothing was made of fine linen, silk, and embroidered cloth. You ate fine flour, honey, and oil. You became very beautiful and rose to be queen.

    Here: "And you decked yourself out": she puts on jewellery. Elsewhere in the prophets the same verb describes a woman dressing up for her lovers (Hos 2:13; Jer 4:30; Ezek 23:40), so it hints quietly at what comes next.

  3. Ezekiel 23:40 וְעָ֥דִית and you put on

    Furthermore, you sisters sent messengers for men who came from afar; and behold, when they arrived, you bathed for them, painted your eyes, and adorned yourself with jewelry.

    Here: 'And you adorned yourself.' The verb and the noun after it come from the same root, which stresses the action: she decked herself out.

Hosea · 1

  1. Hosea 2:13 וַתַּ֤עַד and she ornamented herself

    I will punish her for the days of the Baals when she burned incense to them, when she adorned herself with rings and jewelry, and went after her lovers. But Me she forgot,” declares the LORD.

    Here: "And she decked herself out": she dressed up for the festival, or the way a woman dresses for a lover (compare Jer 4:30; Ezek 23:40).

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.