Lexical Summary
adam: Man, mankind, human, Adam
Original Word:אָדָם
Part of Speech:Noun Masculine
Transliteration:adam
Pronunciation:ah-DAHM
Phonetic Spelling:(aw-dawm')
KJV: X another, + hypocrite, + common sort, X low, man (mean, of low degree), person
NASB:man, men, man's, human, mankind, person, anyone
Word Origin:[fromH119 (אָדַם - dyed red)]
1. ruddy i.e. a human being (an individual or the species, mankind, etc.)
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
another, hypocrite, common sort, low, man mean, of low degree, person
From'adam; ruddy i.e. A human being (an individual or the species, mankind, etc.) -- X another, + hypocrite, + common sort, X low, man (mean, of low degree), person.
see HEBREW'adam
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom an unused word
Definitionman, mankind
NASB Translationany man (2), anyone (4), anyone's (1), being* (1), common sort* (1), human (19), infantry (1), low degree* (1), low* (1), man (363), man's (20), man* (1), mankind (9), men (104), men of low degree* (1), men's (3), men* (4), mortal (1), one (3), people (1), person (5), person* (1), persons (3), population (1), someone (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
560Genesis 1:27 (Phoenician , Sabean
id., CIS
iv.1,l.4 and others; compare Assyrian
admu,
young (of bird) Dl
W, but Nö
ZMG 1886, 722 identification with Arabic
collective
creatures) — Singular absolute except construct
Proverbs 6:12 compare Thes; ( often = plural of
Genesis 11:5 39t., compare
Genesis 6:2,4) —
a man (= GermanMensch) = human beingGenesis 2:5,7 (twice in verse);Genesis 2:8,15,16,18 +,Genesis 16:12 (27 t. J)Leviticus 5:4 ""Leviticus 13:2,9 (19 t. P)Nehemiah 2:10;Isaiah 13:12 ("" );Joshua 14:15 (E);Proverbs 6:12 ("" compare1 Samuel 25:25 & see ); = any oneLeviticus 1:2;Numbers 9:6,7;Job 20:29;Job 27:13;Proverbs 15:20;Proverbs 21:16,20;Proverbs 24:30;Ecclesiastes 7:20 + often Wisdom Literature,Jeremiah 2:6;Jeremiah 4:25;Nehemiah 2:12, compareNumbers 19:11,13 +; seldomman opposed to womanGenesis 2:22 (twice in verse);Genesis 2:23,25;Genesis 3:8,12,17,20,21;Ecclesiastes 7:28.
collectiveman, mankindGenesis 1:26;Genesis 9:5,6 (3 t. in verse) + (P 28 t.)Genesis 6:1,5,6,7 (J E 24 t.)Deuteronomy 4:32 (D 6 t.) (on2 Samuel 7:19 compare1 Chronicles 17:17 see DrSm); distinctly = men + womenGenesis 1:27;Genesis 5:1;Numbers 5:6; given as nameGenesis 5:2; but = warriorsIsaiah 22:6 "" ; "" beasts (41 t.)Genesis 6:7;Genesis 7:23 (J ?)Exodus 8:13;Exodus 8:14;Exodus 9:9,10 (P)Exodus 9:19,22,25;Exodus 12:12;Exodus 13:2,13,15 (all J) +; late prophetsJeremiah 21:6;Jeremiah 31:27;Jeremiah 50:3;Jeremiah 51:62;Ezekiel 14:13,17,19,21;Ezekiel 25:13;Ezekiel 29:8,11;Ezekiel 32:13 (strike out Co)Ezekiel 36:11;Jonah 3:8;Zephaniah 1:3;Haggai 1:11;Zechariah 2:8;Zechariah 8:10; ""Ezekiel 4:15; "" ,Numbers 31:28; ""id. +Numbers 31:30 compareJonah 3:7; ""Genesis 9:5 (P) compareEzekiel 1:5,8,10,26, & description ofEzekiel 10:8,14,21; compareEzekiel 41:19; "" treesDeuteronomy 20:19 (read see Di); opposed to God1 Samuel 15:29;1 Samuel 16:7 (twice in verse);Isaiah 31:3;Ezekiel 28:2,9;1 Chronicles 21:13;1 Chronicles 29:1; 2Chronicles 6:18;Malachi 3:8 compareExodus 33:20;Deuteronomy 5:21; soNumbers 23:19 ("" )Ezekiel 2:1,3,6,8 (87 t. Ezekiel, always addressed to prophet);1 Samuel 26:19; made in God's imageGenesis 1:26,27;Genesis 9:6 compareEcclesiastes 7:29; as feeble, earthly, mortalNumbers 16:29 (twice in verse);Psalm 82:7;Psalm 144:3;Psalm 144:4;Job 5:7;Job 14:1,10; compareJob 25:6 ()Ecclesiastes 12:5; as sinful1 Kings 8:46; 2Chronicles 6:36;Jeremiah 10:14 compareNumbers 5:6;Job 31:33;Hosea 6:7; of men in General, other men (opposed to particular ones)Judges 16:17 (compareJudges 16:7;Judges 16:11)Judges 18:7,28;Psalm 73:5;Jeremiah 32:20 +; ""Isaiah 2:9,11,17;Isaiah 5:15 compareEzekiel 23:42 (strike out Co Vrss);2 Samuel 7:14 ("" )Proverbs 8:4 ("" );Psalm 49:3;Psalm 62:10 (both "" ) = men of low opposed to men of high degree — so often Phoenician and =vassal Sabean DHMZMG 1875, 680 compare 686; collectiveNumbers 31:35,40,46;1 Chronicles 5:21;Ezekiel 27:13.
(without article, compare1 Chronicles 21:1 over ag.Job 1:6 etc.)Genesis 4:25 (J)Genesis 5:1,3,4,5 (P)1 Chronicles 1:1. (Genesis 2:20;1 Chronicles 3:17,21 read see Di.)
(asbuilt ?)Joshua 3:16.
Topical Lexicon
Scope of the Termאָמָד (ʾāḏām) is used approximately 552 times in the Hebrew canon to denote humankind—whether an individual, the collective race, or, in a limited number of contexts, the first man Adam. The contexts range from legal codes and genealogies to psalms, proverbs, prophetic oracles, and historical narratives. Its flexibility allows Scripture to speak both of the dignity bestowed on humanity and of humanity’s frailty and sin.
Creation and Divine Image
From the opening chapters of Genesis, אָדָם is inseparably linked to the truth that humanity is created by God and bears His image. “Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image’ … So God created man in His own image” (Genesis 1:26-27). The term underlines that humanity is a single family, male and female, endowed with rationality, moral capacity, and stewardship authority: “The LORD God took the man and placed him in the Garden of Eden to cultivate and keep it” (Genesis 2:15). The first appearance of אָדָם thus grounds the biblical doctrines of human dignity, work, marriage, and dominion.
Universal Solidarity and Responsibility
Because all people share this one designation, Scripture repeatedly uses אָדָם to emphasize the unity of the race and the obligation to love neighbor and stranger alike.Leviticus 19:18 calls every Israelite to love “your neighbor as yourself,” andLeviticus 19:34 extends the same ethic to the sojourner. Job appeals to their common humanity when he says, “Did not He who made me in the womb make them? Did not the same One form us both in the womb?” (Job 31:15).
Sin and Mortality
Genesis 3 traces the entrance of sin and death into the human experience.Romans 5:12 later reflects on this, but the Old Testament itself already presents the consequence: “By the sweat of your brow you will eat your bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for dust you are, and to dust you shall return” (Genesis 3:19). The collective name אָדָם becomes a reminder that the entire race is now under the sentence of death.Psalm 90:3 echoes the verdict: “You return man to dust, saying, ‘Return, O sons of men.’”
Covenantal and Redemptive Dimensions
Humanity’s fall does not annul God’s covenant purposes. After the flood, God speaks to Noah and his sons as representatives of all mankind: “Whoever sheds man’s blood, by man his blood shall be shed; for in the image of God has God made man” (Genesis 9:6). The Abrahamic promise that “all the families of the earth will be blessed through you” (Genesis 12:3) presupposes that every אָדָם stands within the scope of God’s redemptive plan.
Humanity in Wisdom Literature
Wisdom texts often juxtapose human transience with divine eternity: “What is man that You are mindful of him?” (Psalm 8:4). Ecclesiastes explores the limitations of human achievement: “For what does a man gain for all his labor …? All go to the same place; all come from dust, and all return to dust” (Ecclesiastes 3:9, 20). Yet, even here, hope remains: “He has set eternity in their hearts” (Ecclesiastes 3:11).
Prophetic Use
The prophets use אָדָם to expose human pride and call for repentance. Isaiah declares, “Stop regarding man, whose breath is in his nostrils, for of what account is he?” (Isaiah 2:22). Jeremiah warns, “Cursed is the man who trusts in man” (Jeremiah 17:5), contrasting human weakness with the security found in the LORD. Ezekiel, while often addressed as “son of man” (a different but related expression), also assures restored fellowship: “You are My flock, the flock of My pasture, and you are men; I am your God” (Ezekiel 34:31).
Liturgical and Poetic Expressions
In worship, the psalmists confess both dependence and privilege.Psalm 144:3 laments, “O LORD, what is man, that You take knowledge of him?” yetPsalm 8:5 proclaims, “You have made him a little lower than the angels and crowned him with glory and honor.” Corporate laments such asPsalm 90 and communal praise such asPsalm 103 leverage אָדָם to unite worshipers in shared mortality and redeeming hope.
Contrasts with God
One frequent rhetorical device is to place אָדָם beside the personal name Yahweh to highlight divine transcendence.Numbers 23:19 states, “God is not a man, that He should lie.”Hosea 11:9 similarly records the LORD’s mercy: “I will not come in wrath, for I am God and not a man.”
Messianic Anticipation
Prophecies of a coming Redeemer often arise against the backdrop of human insufficiency.Isaiah 52:14-53:12 presents the Servant who will act on behalf of many “men.”Daniel 7:13 introduces “One like a Son of Man,” hinting at a representative figure who will restore what the first אָדָם forfeited.
New Testament Connections
While Greek ἄνθρωπος takes over the vocabulary, the apostolic writers rely on the Old Testament’s theology of אָדָם.1 Corinthians 15:45 contrasts “the first man, Adam” with “the last Adam,” affirming Christ as the head of a new humanity.Hebrews 2:6-9 quotesPsalm 8 to demonstrate how Jesus fulfills humanity’s intended destiny.
Ministry Implications
1. Dignity: Every person bears God’s image; ministry must honor life from conception to death (Genesis 9:6;James 3:9).
2. Universality of Sin: All have inherited Adam’s corruption; preaching must call every man and woman to repentance (Psalm 14:3;Romans 3:23).
3. Redemption: The gospel addresses the whole human race; missions rest on the promise that in Abraham “all families of the earth will be blessed” (Genesis 12:3;Matthew 28:19).
4. Servanthood: Leaders are reminded of their humanity and dependence on grace (Deuteronomy 17:20;2 Corinthians 4:7).
5. Hope of Resurrection: Believers anticipate the restoration of humanity in Christ (Job 19:26;1 Corinthians 15:49).
Key Representative References
Genesis 1:26-27; 2:7; 3:19; 6:5-7; 9:6
Exodus 4:11; 18:21
Leviticus 19:18, 34
Numbers 23:19
Deuteronomy 8:3; 17:9
Joshua 14:15
2 Samuel 7:14
Job 7:17; 14:1-2; 31:15
Psalm 8:4-6; 90:3-6; 103:14-16; 144:3-4
Proverbs 12:3; 20:24
Isaiah 2:22; 6:5; 17:7; 66:2
Jeremiah 17:5; 32:30
Ezekiel 34:31
Micah 6:8
Habakkuk 2:4
Zechariah 13:7
Forms and Transliterations
אָ֝דָ֗ם אָ֠דָם אָ֤דָֽם־ אָ֫דָ֥ם אָ֭דָם אָדָ֑ם אָדָ֓ם ׀ אָדָ֔ם אָדָ֕ם אָדָ֖ם אָדָ֗ם אָדָ֛ם אָדָ֜ם אָדָ֞ם אָדָ֡ם אָדָ֣ם אָדָ֤ם אָדָ֥ם אָדָ֬ם אָדָֽם׃ אָדָם֒ אָדָם֙ אָדָם֮ אָדָם׃ אדם אדם־ אדם׃ בְּאָדָ֑ם בְּאָדָ֖ם בְּאָדָ֥ם בְאָדָם֙ בָּֽאָדָ֔ם בָּֽאָדָ֖ם בָּאָדָ֑ם בָּאָדָ֔ם בָּאָדָ֖ם בָּאָדָ֥ם בָּאָדָֽם׃ בָּאָדָם֙ בָֽאָדָם֙ באדם באדם׃ הָ֝אָדָ֗ם הָ֠אָדָם הָ֣אָדָ֔ם הָ֭אָדָם הָֽאָדָ֑ם הָֽאָדָ֔ם הָֽאָדָ֖ם הָֽאָדָ֗ם הָֽאָדָ֛ם הָֽאָדָ֜ם הָֽאָדָֽם׃ הָֽאָדָם֒ הָֽאָדָם֙ הָאָ֫דָ֥ם הָאָדָ֑ם הָאָדָ֔ם הָאָדָ֖ם הָאָדָ֗ם הָאָדָ֛ם הָאָדָ֜ם הָאָדָ֞ם הָאָדָ֡ם הָאָדָ֣ם הָאָדָ֤ם הָאָדָ֥ם הָאָדָ֧ם הָאָדָ֨ם הָאָדָֽם׃ הָאָדָם֙ האדם האדם׃ וְ֝אָדָ֗ם וְאָדָ֖ם וְאָדָ֣ם וְאָדָֽם׃ וְאָדָם֙ וְהָ֣אָדָ֔ם וּבְאָדָ֥ם וּבָֽאָדָ֑ם וּלְאָדָ֕ם וּלְאָדָ֞ם ואדם ואדם׃ ובאדם והאדם ולאדם כְּאָדָ֣ם כאדם לְאָדָ֔ם לְאָדָ֛ם לְאָדָ֣ם לְאָדָ֥ם לְאָדָ֧ם לְאָדָם֙ לְמֵאָדָ֖ם לָֽאָדָ֑ם לָֽאָדָ֔ם לָֽאָדָ֗ם לָֽאָדָ֜ם לָֽאָדָם֒ לָֽאָדָם֙ לָאָדָ֖ם לָאָדָ֗ם לָאָדָֽם׃ לאדם לאדם׃ למאדם מֵ֝אָדָ֗ם מֵֽאָדָ֑ם מֵֽאָדָם֙ מֵאָדָ֖ם מֵאָדָ֣ם מֵאָדָ֤ם מֵאָדָ֥ם מֵאָדָֽם׃ מאדם מאדם׃ ’ā·ḏām ’ā·ḏām- ’āḏām ’āḏām- aDam Adom bā’āḏām ḇā’āḏām bā·’ā·ḏām ḇā·’ā·ḏām baaDam bə’āḏām ḇə’āḏām bə·’ā·ḏām ḇə·’ā·ḏām beaDam hā’āḏām hā·’ā·ḏām haaDam Haadom kə’āḏām kə·’ā·ḏām keaDam lā’āḏām lā·’ā·ḏām laaDam lə’āḏām lə·’ā·ḏām lə·mê·’ā·ḏām leaDam ləmê’āḏām lemeaDam mê’āḏām mê·’ā·ḏām meaDam ū·ḇā·’ā·ḏām ū·ḇə·’ā·ḏām ū·lə·’ā·ḏām ūḇā’āḏām ūḇə’āḏām ūlə’āḏām uleaDam uvaaDam uveaDam vaaDam veaDam veHaaDam wə’āḏām wə·’ā·ḏām wə·hā·’ā·ḏām wəhā’āḏām
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