אָדָם
𐤀𐤃𐤌
Adam
H121 noun
SILEX Entry
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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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 (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 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H121-01 |
אָדָ֥ם | adam | HNp |
Adam | Adam | Adam | 6 |
H121-02 |
כְּ/אָדָ֖ם | keadam | HR/Np |
like Adam | like Adam | like Adam | 1 |
H121-03 |
כְ/אָדָ֣ם | kheadam | HR/Np |
like Adam | as Adam | like Adam | 1 |
H121-06 |
ב/אדם | vdm | HRd/Np |
at Adam | in Adam | in Adam | 1 |
H121-05 |
וּ/לְ/אָדָ֣ם | uleadam | HC/R/Np |
to Adam | and to Adam | and to Adam | 1 |
H121-04 |
מֵֽ/אָדָ֤ם | meadam | HR/Np |
from Adam | from a human being | from Adam | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
11 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H121-05 |
Genesis 3:17 | וּ/לְ/אָדָ֣ם | uleadam | HC/R/Np |
to Adam | and to Adam | and to Adam |
H121-01 |
Genesis 4:25 | אָדָ֥ם | adam | HNp |
Adam | Adam | Adam |
H121-01 |
Genesis 5:1 | אָדָ֑ם | adam | HNp |
of Adam | Adam | Adam |
H121-01 |
Genesis 5:3 | אָדָ֗ם | adam | HNp |
Adam | Adam | Adam |
H121-01 |
Genesis 5:4 | אָדָ֗ם | adam | HNp |
of Adam | Adam | Adam |
H121-01 |
Genesis 5:5 | אָדָם֙ | adam | HNp |
of Adam | Adam | Adam |
H121-06 |
Joshua 3:16 | ב/אדם | vdm | HRd/Np |
at Adam | in Adam | in Adam |
H121-04 |
Joshua 3:16 | מֵֽ/אָדָ֤ם | meadam | HR/Np |
from Adam | from a human being | from Adam |
H121-02 |
Hosea 6:7 | כְּ/אָדָ֖ם | keadam | HR/Np |
like Adam | like Adam | like Adam |
H121-03 |
Job 31:33 | כְ/אָדָ֣ם | kheadam | HR/Np |
like Adam | as Adam | like Adam |