Lexical Summary
adamdam: Reddish, ruddy
Original Word:אֲדַמְדָּם
Part of Speech:Adjective
Transliteration:adamdam
Pronunciation:ad-em-dawm'
Phonetic Spelling:(ad-am-dawm')
KJV: (somewhat) reddish
NASB:reddish-white, reddish
Word Origin:[reduplicated fromH119 (אָדַם - dyed red)]
1. reddish
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
somewhat reddish
Reduplicated from'adam; reddish -- (somewhat) reddish.
see HEBREW'adam
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom the same as
adomDefinitionreddish
NASB Translationreddish (2), reddish-white (4).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
(compare Assyrian
ada(m)mumu ? Dl
W) of leprous sores
Leviticus 13:42 ()
Leviticus 13:49 ();
f.Leviticus 13:24;
Leviticus 13:43;
Leviticus 13:19;
feminine pluralLeviticus 14:37.
Topical Lexicon
Meaning and Sphere of Useאֲדַמְדָּם conveys a “reddish” hue—deeper than pink yet lighter than crimson—used exclusively in Leviticus to describe suspicious discolorations on skin, fabric, leather, or masonry. The word never appears in poetic or narrative passages; it is confined to priestly legislation regarding ritual purity and contamination.
Occurrences within Levitical Purity Regulations
1. Skin ailments:Leviticus 13:19, 13:24, 13:42, 13:43
2. Garments:Leviticus 13:49
3. Houses:Leviticus 14:37
Each context describes surface changes that must be evaluated by the priest. The term therefore functions as a diagnostic flag in Israel’s public-health system, signaling situations that may render a person or object “unclean” and in need of further scrutiny.
Historical Background
Ancient Near Eastern cultures associated unusual reddish spots with divine displeasure or contagious danger. Israel’s law, however, embedded the diagnosis in an orderly priestly process. The priest served simultaneously as health official and theological interpreter, acknowledging that disease and defilement interrupt fellowship with God but also providing a clear pathway to restoration.
Theological Significance of the Color
“Reddish” evokes the color of blood. The presence of a blood-like stain without an actual wound suggests a life-threatening intrusion into the created order—an echo of the Fall, where death entered and distorted human flesh and environment. Thus the regulations underscore that what appears minor to the eye may hide a deeper corruption needing divine remedy.
Foreshadowing the Atonement
Every inspection points ahead to the ultimate Priest who can truly “cleanse every spot.” The Messiah’s ministry recorded in the Gospels often mirrors Levitical procedure: “Jesus reached out His hand and touched the man. ‘I am willing,’ He said. ‘Be clean.’” (Matthew 8:3). Whereas the Levitical priest could only declare clean, Jesus actually makes clean, fulfilling the typology in His atoning blood—blood that is itself vividly red yet purifies completely (1 John 1:7).
Practical Ministry Lessons
• Vigilance: Small discolorations, tolerated, can spread; believers must deal quickly with sin before it permeates life and fellowship (1 Corinthians 5:6-7).
• Community Care: Diagnosis in Leviticus involved community oversight, reminding churches to practice loving, restorative discipline (Galatians 6:1).
• Hope of Restoration: Reddish stains did not necessitate destruction if cleansing proved possible. Likewise, no sinner is beyond Christ’s power to redeem (Hebrews 7:25).
Selected Scripture Quotations
Leviticus 13:19: “and in the place of the boil there is a white swelling or a reddish-white spot, it shall be shown to the priest.”
Leviticus 13:49: “and if the mildew on the garment, the leather, the warp or woof, or any article of leather is greenish or reddish, it is a spreading mildew; it must be shown to the priest.”
Leviticus 14:37: “He is to examine the plague, and if the mildew in the walls of the house consists of greenish or reddish depressions that appear to go deeper than the surface, …”
Summary
אֲדַמְדָּם, though a rare adjective, serves an outsized role in highlighting impurity that threatens covenant life. By demanding inspection and, when necessary, purification, the term upholds the holiness of God among His people and directs hearts to the only lasting cure for defilement—the red blood of the Lamb “who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29).
Forms and Transliterations
אֲדַמְדֶּ֔מֶת אֲדַמְדֶּ֖מֶת אֲדַמְדַּמֹּ֑ת אֲדַמְדָּ֑ם אֲדַמְדָּ֑מֶת אֲדַמְדָּ֗ם אדמדם אדמדמת ’ă·ḏam·dā·meṯ ’ă·ḏam·dām ’ă·ḏam·dam·mōṯ ’ă·ḏam·de·meṯ ’ăḏamdām ’ăḏamdāmeṯ ’ăḏamdammōṯ ’ăḏamdemeṯ adamDam adamDamet adamdamMot adamDemet
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