ADONIRAM
(ad uh nai' ruhm) HEBREW: ADONIRAM
"my lord is exalted"
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The splendid kingdom of David and Solomon required not only heavy taxes but also forced labor to keep it running smoothly and to maintain the grandiose construrction projects dear to Solomon. Adoniram was the civil servant responsible for raising and maintaining levies of laborers, under David from the Canaanites but under Solomon from the Israelites themselves. It was an unenviable task since it made him the focus of popular hatred. After Solomon's death, Adoniram continued to serve his heir, the foolish King Rehoboam. Adoniram was stoned to death in protest against conscripted labor, an action that marked the beginning of the northern tribes' revolt against the house of David.
Adoniram is called Adoram in 2 Samuel 20:24 and in 1 Kings 12:18 and Hadoram in 2 Chronicles 10:18 - though some scholars think it is more likely that three separate men with similar names held the office over so long a period of time, perhaps 40 years.
{E2 Dictionary of Biblical People}