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אָדֹם

𐤀𐤃𐤌

ʼâdôm

H122 adjective

SILEX Entry

Root אדם to be red, show redness, to show earthy redness

Definition

A descriptor meaning 'red' or 'reddish-brown', usually used to indicate color, especially of skin, earth, or objects with a reddish hue. In contexts where it describes a person, it refers to a ruddy or reddish complexion. The term can also function as a place name (e.g., 'Adom') indicating a location characterized by a reddish appearance or soil.

Semantic Range

red, reddish-brown, ruddy, describing color of skin, objects, earth; as a place name, indicating red-soiled land

Root / Etymology

From the root אדם, which has the core meaning 'to be red' or 'to show redness', often in reference to the color of earth or blood. אָדֹם is the adjective form signifying the color red or reddish.

Historical & Contextual Notes

Across biblical usage, אָדֹם most often describes color, referring primarily to a reddish or ruddy appearance. This can apply both to the color of objects—such as lentil stew (Genesis 25:30) or earth/soil (Numbers 19:2)—and to humans, denoting a ruddy complexion. The association of this color with earth is linguistically and conceptually linked to the related noun אֲדָמָה (ground, soil) and the personal name אָדָם (Adam), reflecting a cluster of ideas around earthiness, life, and blood. In narrative contexts, the term can signal distinctiveness or special notice of a person's appearance (as with Esau, described using the related root). English translations often use 'red' or 'ruddy,' which captures the main sense but sometimes lacks the nuance of context—especially the earthiness or connection to natural features. There is no theological or tribal connotation to the term itself in Hebrew usage; references to later identities, such as Edomites, stem from a play on the color's significance rather than an ethnic marker. Place names using this root reflect local geography or mineralogy rather than a people group. Lexical nuance may be lost when translated simply as 'red' in English, especially where context-rich associations (earth, blood, appearance) are involved.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from אָדַם; rosy; red, ruddy.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

אדם (ʾ-d-m) — to be red, show redness, blush

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1157 בְּעַד in the human being
H119 אָדַם they became red
H120 אָדָם human being
H121 אָדָם Adam
H123 אֱדֹם in Red-land

Word Forms

5 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H122-03 אֲדֻמִּ֥ים adumim HAampa red Reddish-places 3
H122-04 הָ/אָדֹ֤ם haadom HTd/Aamsa the red the red one 2
H122-01 אָדֹ֖ם adom HAamsa red reddish 2
H122-02 אֲדֻמָּ֜ה adumah HAafsa red red 1
H122-05 וְ/אָד֔וֹם veadom HC/Aamsa and ruddy red 1

Occurrences in Scripture

9 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H122-04 Genesis 25:30 הָ/אָדֹ֤ם haadom HTd/Aamsa the red the red one
H122-04 Genesis 25:30 הָ/אָדֹם֙ haadom-2 HTd/Aamsa the red the red one
H122-02 Numbers 19:2 אֲדֻמָּ֜ה adumah HAafsa red red
H122-03 2 Kings 3:22 אֲדֻמִּ֥ים adumim HAampa red Reddish-places
H122-01 Isaiah 63:2 אָדֹ֖ם adom HAamsa red reddish
H122-01 Zechariah 1:8 אָדֹ֔ם adom HAamsa red reddish
H122-03 Zechariah 1:8 אֲדֻמִּ֔ים adumim HAampa red Reddish-places
H122-03 Zechariah 6:2 אֲדֻמִּ֑ים adumim HAampa red Reddish-places
H122-05 Song of Songs 5:10 וְ/אָד֔וֹם veadom HC/Aamsa and ruddy red
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