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Admah

biblical_place theological_term standard

A biblical city associated with the cities of the plain and remembered chiefly for its destruction under divine judgment.

At a Glance

A city in the plain near Sodom and Gomorrah, known from Scripture chiefly as part of the example of divine judgment.

Key Points

Description

Admah is an Old Testament city associated with the cities of the plain. It appears in the table of nations and in the account of the campaign involving the kings of the region, and it is later recalled in passages that warn of divine judgment. Scripture mentions Admah alongside Sodom, Gomorrah, and Zeboiim as part of the overthrow of that area. The exact location of Admah is not known with certainty, but its biblical significance is clear: it functions as a place-name bound to the memory of judgment and warning.

Biblical Context

Genesis places Admah among the cities associated with the plain near Sodom and Gomorrah. Later biblical writers refer back to Admah when describing the destruction of those cities and when warning Israel about covenant judgment.

Historical Context

Admah was likely one of several towns in the fertile region south or southeast of the Dead Sea, though its precise site has not been identified with confidence. Outside the biblical record, its history is largely unknown.

Jewish and Ancient Context

In Jewish memory, Admah belonged to the cluster of cities that became a standard example of catastrophic judgment. The city’s name survives mainly through Scripture’s use of it as a warning illustration rather than through independent historical tradition.

Primary Key Texts

Secondary Key Texts

Original Language Note

The Hebrew form is commonly given as ’Admah. As a place-name, it identifies a city rather than a theological concept.

Theological Significance

Admah is significant as part of Scripture’s witness to God’s historical judgment on sin. It strengthens the Bible’s moral seriousness and its pattern of using real events and places as warnings to later generations.

Philosophical Explanation

As a place-name, Admah illustrates how concrete history carries moral meaning in Scripture. Biblical theology often uses remembered events and locations to teach that divine judgment is real, public, and historically grounded.

Interpretive Cautions

The exact location of Admah is uncertain, so claims about its archaeology or geography should remain modest. Its principal biblical function is illustrative, and it should not be treated as a separate doctrine or symbolic code beyond what Scripture itself says.

Major Views

Readers generally agree that Admah was one of the cities associated with the destruction of the plain. The main uncertainty concerns geography and identification, not the biblical testimony to its role in that judgment.

Doctrinal Boundaries

Admah is not a doctrinal term. It should be treated as a biblical place-name with theological significance only insofar as Scripture uses it to illustrate judgment.

Practical Significance

Admah serves as a sober reminder that God judges persistent sin and that historical warnings in Scripture are meant to call readers to repentance and reverence.

Related Entries

See Also

Data

Machine-readable JSON for Admah

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