אָדָם
𐤀𐤃𐤌
ʼâdâm
H120 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A human being; the generic term for a person, either an individual human or humanity collectively. Primarily denotes a member of the human species regardless of sex, but may also refer to 'mankind' as a whole in collective contexts. In some contexts used in contrast with animals, divine beings, or other categories, emphasizing human nature or mortal limitation.
Semantic Range
a human being, humanity as a species, people (in contrast to animals or divine beings), an individual person, mankind collectively, the primordial human ('Adam'), members of the human race, mortal being
Root / Etymology
From the root א-ד-ם (אדם), which originally relates to 'redness' or 'earth/soil,' possibly referring to the reddish tint of soil (adamah) and thus to humanity's created origin from the earth. The noun אָדָם in its basic form refers to 'human being.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
In pre-monarchic and monarchic periods, אָדָם serves as the principal term for 'human,' distinguishing people from animals (Genesis 2–3) and sometimes from divine beings (e.g., Psalms 8:5; Job 25:6). In legal and narrative contexts it can refer to any individual or to humanity collectively (Genesis 5:1–2). The proper name 'Adam' designates the primordial human in Genesis, but most biblical occurrences are generic. During the exilic and post-exilic periods, usage expands to emphasize the universal aspect of humanity, sometimes in contrast to Israelite ethnicity and to underline shared mortality (e.g., Ezekiel 2:1; Psalms). The term contrasts with אִישׁ (’ish, male, man of distinction or individual male), גֶּבֶר (gever, often man of strength or adult male), and אֱנוֹשׁ (’enosh, emphasizing mortality or frailty of human beings). English translations as 'man' or 'mankind' often obscure the inclusivity or nuance of the Hebrew; at times, translation traditions have rendered the collective with masculine-biased terms, overlooking the generic aspect. Later theological traditions associated אָדָם specifically with the first human, influencing interpretation, but in biblical usage most occurrences are generic and non-specific.
Translation Consistency
Neutral, natural, and covers both individual and collective senses (a human, humans, humanity). It avoids the gendered ambiguity of “man,” matches the most common English renderings, and fits contexts contrasting humans with animals or divine beings.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from אָדַם; ruddy i.e. a human being (an individual or the species, mankind, etc.); [idiom] another, [phrase] hypocrite, [phrase] common sort, [idiom] low, man (mean, of low degree), person.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.
Related Articles
Adom: Redness, Earthiness, and Israelite Identity
How the Hebrew root אדם connects skin colour, soil, and the first man
The Hebrew word אָדֹם (adom, H122) means red or ruddy and derives from the root אדם, which connects redness to the earth (adamah) and to the first human (Adam). This article explores how the semantic range of this root — …
Read full article →Root Family
אדם (Adam) — to be red, to become red, to display redness
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H119 | אָדַם | they became red |
| H121 | אָדָם | Adam |
| H122 | אָדֹם | reddish |
| H123 | אֱדֹם | in Red-land |
| H124 | אֹדֶם | red gemstone |
Word Forms
15 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H120-01 |
אָדָ֖ם | adam | HNcmsa |
of man | human being | human being | 338 |
H120-04 |
הָ/אָדָ֛ם | haadam | HTd/Ncmsa |
man | the earthling | the human | 138 |
H120-02 |
בָּ/אָדָ֔ם | baadam | HRd/Ncmsa |
among men | in a human | in a human | 18 |
H120-09 |
מֵ/אָדָ֖ם | meadam | HR/Ncmsa |
from man | from a human being | from a human being | 13 |
H120-06 |
לָֽ/אָדָ֑ם | laadam | HRd/Ncmsa |
to man | to the human | to the human | 12 |
H120-07 |
לְ/אָדָם֙ | leadam | HR/Ncmsa |
to man | to a human | to a human | 12 |
H120-14 |
וְ/אָדָם֙ | veadam | HC/Ncmsa |
and man | human being | and human being | 10 |
H120-03 |
בְּ/אָדָ֖ם | beadam | HR/Ncmsa |
among men | in a human being | in a human being | 3 |
H120-10 |
וּ/לְ/אָדָ֞ם | uleadam | HC/R/Ncmsa |
but for man | and to a human | and to a human | 2 |
H120-05 |
כְּ/אָדָ֣ם | keadam | HR/Ncmsa |
like man | like a human | like a human | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
552 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H120-01 |
Genesis 1:26 | אָדָ֛ם | adam | HNcmsa |
man | human being | human being |
H120-04 |
Genesis 1:27 | הָֽ/אָדָם֙ | haadam | HTd/Ncmsa |
the man | the earthling | the human |
H120-14 |
Genesis 2:5 | וְ/אָדָ֣ם | veadam | HC/Ncmsa |
and man | human being | and human being |
H120-04 |
Genesis 2:7 | הָֽ/אָדָ֗ם | haadam | HTd/Ncmsa |
the man | the earthling | the human |
H120-04 |
Genesis 2:7 | הָֽ/אָדָ֖ם | haadam-2 | HTd/Ncmsa |
the man | the earthling | the human |
H120-04 |
Genesis 2:8 | הָֽ/אָדָ֖ם | haadam | HTd/Ncmsa |
the man | the earthling | the human |
H120-04 |
Genesis 2:15 | הָֽ/אָדָ֑ם | haadam | HTd/Ncmsa |
the man | the earthling | the human |
H120-04 |
Genesis 2:16 | הָֽ/אָדָ֖ם | haadam | HTd/Ncmsa |
the man | the earthling | the human |
H120-04 |
Genesis 2:18 | הָֽ/אָדָ֖ם | haadam | HTd/Ncmsa |
the man | the earthling | the human |
H120-04 |
Genesis 2:19 | הָ֣/אָדָ֔ם | haadam | HTd/Ncmsa |
the man | the earthling | the human |
H120-04 |
Genesis 2:19 | הָֽ/אָדָ֛ם | haadam-2 | HTd/Ncmsa |
the man | the earthling | the human |
H120-04 |
Genesis 2:20 | הָֽ/אָדָ֜ם | haadam | HTd/Ncmsa |
the man | the earthling | the human |
H120-10 |
Genesis 2:20 | וּ/לְ/אָדָ֕ם | uleadam | HC/R/Ncmsa |
but for man | and to a human | and to a human |
H120-04 |
Genesis 2:21 | הָ/אָדָ֖ם | haadam | HTd/Ncmsa |
the man | the earthling | the human |
H120-04 |
Genesis 2:22 | הָֽ/אָדָ֖ם | haadam | HTd/Ncmsa |
the man | the earthling | the human |
H120-04 |
Genesis 2:22 | הָֽ/אָדָֽם | haadam-2 | HTd/Ncmsa |
the man | the earthling | the human |
H120-04 |
Genesis 2:23 | הָֽ/אָדָם֒ | haadam | HTd/Ncmsa |
the man | the earthling | the human |
H120-04 |
Genesis 2:25 | הָֽ/אָדָ֖ם | haadam | HTd/Ncmsa |
the man | the earthling | the human |
H120-04 |
Genesis 3:8 | הָֽ/אָדָ֜ם | haadam | HTd/Ncmsa |
the man | the earthling | the human |
H120-04 |
Genesis 3:9 | הָֽ/אָדָ֑ם | haadam | HTd/Ncmsa |
the man | the earthling | the human |
H120-04 |
Genesis 3:12 | הָֽ/אָדָ֑ם | haadam | HTd/Ncmsa |
the man | the earthling | the human |
H120-04 |
Genesis 3:20 | הָֽ/אָדָ֛ם | haadam | HTd/Ncmsa |
the man | the earthling | the human |
H120-07 |
Genesis 3:21 | לְ/אָדָ֧ם | leadam | HR/Ncmsa |
for Adam | to a human | to a human |
H120-04 |
Genesis 3:22 | הָֽ/אָדָם֙ | haadam | HTd/Ncmsa |
the man | the earthling | the human |
H120-04 |
Genesis 3:24 | הָֽ/אָדָ֑ם | haadam | HTd/Ncmsa |
the man | the earthling | the human |
H120-15 |
Genesis 4:1 | וְ/הָ֣/אָדָ֔ם | vehaadam | HC/Td/Ncmsa |
And the man | and the human being | and the human being |
H120-01 |
Genesis 5:1 | אָדָ֔ם | adam-2 | HNcmsa |
man | human being | human being |
H120-01 |
Genesis 5:2 | אָדָ֔ם | adam | HNcmsa |
Adam/Man | human being | human being |
H120-04 |
Genesis 6:1 | הָֽ/אָדָ֔ם | haadam | HTd/Ncmsa |
men | the earthling | humankind |
H120-04 |
Genesis 6:2 | הָֽ/אָדָ֔ם | haadam | HTd/Ncmsa |
of men | the earthling | the human |
H120-13 |
Genesis 6:3 | בָֽ/אָדָם֙ | vaadam | HRd/Ncmsa |
in man | human being | in human being |
H120-04 |
Genesis 6:4 | הָֽ/אָדָ֔ם | haadam | HTd/Ncmsa |
mankind | the earthling | the human |
H120-04 |
Genesis 6:5 | הָ/אָדָ֖ם | haadam | HTd/Ncmsa |
of man | the earthling | the human |
H120-04 |
Genesis 6:6 | הָֽ/אָדָ֖ם | haadam | HTd/Ncmsa |
man | the earthling | the human |
H120-04 |
Genesis 6:7 | הָ/אָדָ֤ם | haadam | HTd/Ncmsa |
man | the earthling | the human |
H120-09 |
Genesis 6:7 | מֵֽ/אָדָם֙ | meadam | HR/Ncmsa |
man | from a human being | from a human being |
H120-04 |
Genesis 7:21 | הָ/אָדָֽם | haadam | HTd/Ncmsa |
man | the earthling | the human |
H120-09 |
Genesis 7:23 | מֵ/אָדָ֤ם | meadam | HR/Ncmsa |
from man | from a human being | from a human being |
H120-04 |
Genesis 8:21 | הָֽ/אָדָ֔ם | haadam | HTd/Ncmsa |
man | the earthling | the human |
H120-04 |
Genesis 8:21 | הָ/אָדָ֛ם | haadam-2 | HTd/Ncmsa |
of man | the earthling | the human |
H120-04 |
Genesis 9:5 | הָֽ/אָדָ֗ם | haadam | HTd/Ncmsa |
man | the earthling | the human |
H120-04 |
Genesis 9:5 | הָֽ/אָדָֽם | haadam-2 | HTd/Ncmsa |
of man | the earthling | the human |
H120-04 |
Genesis 9:6 | הָֽ/אָדָ֔ם | haadam | HTd/Ncmsa |
of man | the earthling | the human |
H120-02 |
Genesis 9:6 | בָּֽ/אָדָ֖ם | baadam | HRd/Ncmsa |
by man | in a human | by a human |
H120-04 |
Genesis 9:6 | הָ/אָדָֽם | haadam-2 | HTd/Ncmsa |
man | the earthling | the human |
H120-04 |
Genesis 11:5 | הָ/אָדָֽם | haadam | HTd/Ncmsa |
men | the earthling | the human |
H120-01 |
Genesis 16:12 | אָדָ֔ם | adam | HNcmsa |
of a man | human being | human being |
H120-06 |
Exodus 4:11 | לָֽ/אָדָם֒ | laadam | HRd/Ncmsa |
for man | to the human | to the human |
H120-02 |
Exodus 8:13 | בָּ/אָדָ֖ם | baadam | HRd/Ncmsa |
on man | in a human | on man |
H120-02 |
Exodus 8:14 | בָּ/אָדָ֖ם | baadam | HRd/Ncmsa |
on man | in a human | on man |