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אָדָם

𐤀𐤃𐤌

Adam

H121 noun

SILEX Entry

Root אדם to be red, to be ruddy, to be of the earth, to form

Definition

Proper name designating the prototypical human, Adam, as presented in early Genesis narratives, and also a geographical place name. In reference to a person, denotes the original human being created by the deity in the Genesis creation account and subsequently the patriarch of all humanity. As a place name, refers to a locality near Zarethan on the Jordan River. Lexically, the primary sense is as a personal name, with the connotations of origin or archetype representing humanity.

Semantic Range

Adam as the first human being, Adam as the progenitor of humanity, Adam as a personal name, Adam as a place name near the Jordan River

Root / Etymology

From the Hebrew root אדם (aleph-dalet-mem), which at the root level carries the sense of 'to be red,' 'to be ruddy,' or 'to be of the earth, ground.' The name אָדָם (ʼAdam) is derived from this root and is often linked in biblical wordplay to אֲדָמָה (adamah, 'ground' or 'soil') in Genesis 2:7, reflecting humanity's origin as formed from the earth.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the earliest Israelite traditions (Genesis 1–5), אָדָם refers first generically to humanity and then specifically to the first human. In the primeval narratives, ʼAdam shifts from a generic meaning ('the human,' 'man') to operate as a personal name after Genesis 2–3. In genealogical lists (Genesis 5, 1 Chronicles 1), ʼAdam is presented as the foundational ancestor of subsequent generations. In prophetic and historical materials (e.g., Joshua 3:16), 'Adam' as a place name refers to a town on the east bank of the Jordan, not directly connected to the personal name but possibly a toponym based on the same root. Later translations (LXX, Vulgate) sometimes preserve the ambiguity between 'Adam' as a name and 'human/person' more than standard English renderings do. The English term 'Adam' has subsequently acquired significant theological meaning not present in the original text, where it originally denotes the first human rather than a figure associated with sin or a particular doctrine. The Hebrew אָדָם as a generic noun for 'human being' is distinct but related to its usage as a personal name.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

the same as אָדָם; Adam the name of the first man, also of a place in Palestine; Adam.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

אדם (ʾ-d-m) — to be red, to be ruddy, to be of the earth, to form

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1157 בְּעַד in the human being
H119 אָדַם they became red
H120 אָדָם human being
H122 אָדֹם reddish
H123 אֱדֹם in Red-land

Word Forms

6 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H121-01 אָדָ֥ם adam HNp Adam Adam 6
H121-02 כְּ/אָדָ֖ם keadam HR/Np like Adam like Adam 1
H121-03 כְ/אָדָ֣ם kheadam HR/Np like Adam as Adam 1
H121-06 ב/אדם vdm HRd/Np at Adam in Adam 1
H121-05 וּ/לְ/אָדָ֣ם uleadam HC/R/Np to Adam and to Adam 1
H121-04 מֵֽ/אָדָ֤ם meadam HR/Np from Adam from a human being 1

Occurrences in Scripture

11 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H121-05 Genesis 3:17 וּ/לְ/אָדָ֣ם uleadam HC/R/Np to Adam and to Adam
H121-01 Genesis 4:25 אָדָ֥ם adam HNp Adam Adam
H121-01 Genesis 5:1 אָדָ֑ם adam HNp of Adam Adam
H121-01 Genesis 5:3 אָדָ֗ם adam HNp Adam Adam
H121-01 Genesis 5:4 אָדָ֗ם adam HNp of Adam Adam
H121-01 Genesis 5:5 אָדָם֙ adam HNp of Adam Adam
H121-06 Joshua 3:16 ב/אדם vdm HRd/Np at Adam in Adam
H121-04 Joshua 3:16 מֵֽ/אָדָ֤ם meadam HR/Np from Adam from a human being
H121-02 Hosea 6:7 כְּ/אָדָ֖ם keadam HR/Np like Adam like Adam
H121-03 Job 31:33 כְ/אָדָ֣ם kheadam HR/Np like Adam as Adam
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