Sadoc is a name found in the King James Bible, appearing 1 time in the text.
Who This Was
Sadoc is another name for Zadok, a priest who remained loyal to King David during Absalom’s rebellion and later anointed Solomon as king. In the Old Testament narrative, Zadok stands out as a man of steady faithfulness in a time of upheaval. When Absalom rose up against his father David and drove the king from Jerusalem, loyalties across the nation were tested. Zadok did not waver. He stayed true to David when others defected, and he was among those who carried the ark of God back toward Jerusalem at the king’s command, though David sent him back, unwilling to risk the ark in his flight.
Later, when David was old and another son, Adonijah, attempted to seize the throne, Zadok again acted with courage and conviction. He joined Nathan the prophet and Benaiah in anointing Solomon as the rightful king, ensuring that God’s chosen successor would reign. Throughout his life, Zadok served as a priest before the Lord, and his descendants held the high priesthood for generations.
In the New Testament, Sadoc appears only once, in the genealogy of Jesus Christ recorded in Matthew 1:14: “And Azor begat Sadoc; and Sadoc begat Achim; and Achim begat Eliud.” Here Sadoc is listed among the ancestors of Joseph, the husband of Mary, placing this faithful priest within the lineage through which Jesus was born. Scripture says nothing further of him in the New Testament beyond this single mention, yet his inclusion ties the priestly heritage of Israel to the coming of the Messiah.
The Name
The name Sadoc is the Greek form of the Hebrew name Zadok, which is generally understood to mean “righteous” or “just.” This meaning is well established and is reflected in the character of the man who bore it, for Zadok the priest proved himself righteous and just in his dealings with David and Solomon. The name’s root carries the sense of being upright or blameless before God, a fitting designation for one who served faithfully in the priesthood.
A Closing Thought
Sadoc’s life, though he appears in the New Testament only as a name in a long genealogy, reminds us that faithfulness often outlasts the moment in which it is shown. He stood by David when standing by him was costly, and he helped secure the throne for Solomon when the future hung in the balance. Most of us will not see how our quiet loyalty to God ripples through the generations, but Sadoc did not need to see it. He simply did what was right before the Lord, and God wove his faithfulness into a story far larger than his own.
At a Glance
- Gender: Male
- Testament: New
- Mentions in the KJV: 1
Where It Appears in Scripture
- Matthew 1:14 — And Azor begat Sadoc; and Sadoc begat Achim; and Achim begat Eliud;