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Adrammelech

biblical_proper_name theological_term standard

Adrammelech is a biblical proper name used for two different referents: a false deity worshiped by the Sepharvites and a son of Sennacherib who helped assassinate his father.

At a Glance

A shared proper name in Scripture used for both a pagan deity and an Assyrian royal son.

Key Points

Description

Adrammelech appears in the Old Testament as a proper name in two unrelated contexts. In 2 Kings 17:31, Adrammelech is listed as one of the deities worshiped by the Sepharvites, alongside Anammelech. The passage places this worship in the setting of idolatry and child sacrifice, emphasizing the spiritual corruption of the imported religions in Samaria. In 2 Kings 19:37 and Isaiah 37:38, Adrammelech is the name of one of Sennacherib’s sons, who, together with Sharezer, struck down his father while he was worshiping in the house of Nisroch. Scripture offers no extended explanation of the name’s etymology or broader background, so interpretation should stay close to the biblical data. Since the term names both a false god and a historical person, it is best handled as a disambiguated biblical proper name rather than as a doctrinal or theological category.

Biblical Context

The biblical data are limited but clear: one referent is a pagan deity connected with the Sepharvites in 2 Kings 17:31, and the other is an Assyrian royal son in the parallel accounts of Sennacherib’s death in 2 Kings 19:37 and Isaiah 37:38.

Historical Context

The name reflects the wider ancient Near Eastern setting in which royal and religious names could recur across different peoples and contexts. The Assyrian reference belongs to the historical background of the Assyrian empire’s conflict with Judah in the days of Hezekiah.

Jewish and Ancient Context

Second Temple and later Jewish readers would have recognized the passage primarily through its biblical context: the contrast between the living God of Israel and the idols of the nations, and the fall of an arrogant Assyrian ruler. Scripture itself gives no fuller Jewish interpretive tradition for the name.

Primary Key Texts

Secondary Key Texts

Original Language Note

The Hebrew form is transliterated as Adrammelech. The Bible does not provide enough data here to build a secure theological etymology from the name alone.

Theological Significance

The name is significant mainly as a reminder that Scripture records both the idols of the nations and the downfall of proud rulers. The idol context underscores the Bible’s rejection of pagan worship, while the Sennacherib account highlights God’s sovereignty over empires and kings.

Philosophical Explanation

As a proper name, Adrammelech illustrates how a single label can refer to different realities in different texts. Sound interpretation depends on literary and historical context, not on assuming one meaning for every occurrence of the same name.

Interpretive Cautions

Do not collapse the two biblical referents into one figure. Do not build doctrine from the name’s sound or supposed etymology. Keep the idol passage distinct from the historical account of Sennacherib’s son.

Major Views

Most interpreters simply distinguish the two biblical uses and avoid speculation beyond the text. The safest approach is to treat Adrammelech as a shared name with separate referents.

Doctrinal Boundaries

This entry concerns biblical identification and context, not doctrine. It should not be used to infer hidden meanings about names or to support speculative theology about pagan gods or Assyrian history.

Practical Significance

The entry helps readers track a difficult biblical name and read each passage in its own context. It also reinforces the value of careful, text-based interpretation.

Related Entries

See Also

Data

Machine-readable JSON for Adrammelech

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