# H0120 - adam **Strong's:** [H0120](https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h120/) · BLB lookup **Pronunciation:** aw-dawm' **Part of speech:** masculine noun (often collective); also used as proper name (Adam) **OT occurrences:** ~562 ## Semantic range 1. **Mankind, humanity**, the human race collectively 2. **A human being / a person / a man**, individual human (gender-inclusive in this sense) 3. **Adam**, the proper name of the first human ([Genesis 2](/codex/genesis-2/)-5) 4. **Earthling / one taken from the earth**, etymologically tied to *adamah* (earth / ground) The word's etymology connects humans to the earth (*adamah*), Adam was *formed from the dust of the ground* ([Genesis 2:7](/codex/genesis-2-7/)) and returns to the dust at death ([Genesis 3:19](/codex/genesis-3-19/)). The *adam-adamah* wordplay is theologically loaded throughout Genesis. ## Theological force ### *Adam* as humanity When used collectively, *adam* refers to the entire human race: - **[Genesis 1:26-27](/codex/genesis-1-26-27/)**, "let *Us* make *adam* in Our image… male and female He created them" - **[Genesis 6:1](/codex/genesis-6-1/), [5-7](/codex/genesis-6-5-7/)**, *adam* multiplied and corrupted - **[Genesis 9:5-6](/codex/genesis-9-5-6/)**, life of *adam* under God's protection - **[Job 14:1](/codex/job-14-1/), [12](/codex/job-14-12/)**, *adam* born of woman, short of days - **[Psalm 8:4-6](/codex/psalms-8-4-6/)**, what is *adam* that You take thought of him? - **[Psalm 90:3](/codex/psalms-90-3/)**, God turns *adam* to dust - **[Ecclesiastes 3:11](/codex/ecclesiastes-3-11/)**, God set *olam* in the heart of *adam* - **[Isaiah 2:9](/codex/isaiah-2-9/), [17](/codex/isaiah-2-17/), [22](/codex/isaiah-2-22/)**, humbled *adam* ### *Adam* as the first human (proper name) [Genesis 1](/codex/genesis-1/)-5 narrates the creation, fall, and post-fall life of the first *adam*: - [Genesis 1:26-31](/codex/genesis-1-26-31/), created last; in God's image; given dominion - [Genesis 2:7-25](/codex/genesis-2-7-25/), formed from dust; given life-breath; given the woman; placed in Eden - [Genesis 3](/codex/genesis-3/), the Fall; rebellion; curse - [Genesis 4](/codex/genesis-4/), Cain and Abel; first murder - [Genesis 5](/codex/genesis-5/), Adamic genealogy through Seth ### *Imago Dei*, [Genesis 1:26-27](/codex/genesis-1-26-27/) [Genesis 1.27](/codex/genesis-1-27/) is the most theologically loaded *adam*-text: > God created the *adam* in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. This grounds: - **Universal human dignity**, every human bears divine image - **Sexual complementarity**, male and female together image God - **Stewardship calling**, image-bearers entrusted with creation's care - **Christological grounding**, Christ as the perfect *imago* ([Col 1:15](/codex/colossians-1-15/); [2 Cor 4:4](/codex/2-corinthians-4-4/); [Heb 1:3](/codex/hebrews-1-3/)); the redeemed are conformed to His image ([Rom 8:29](/codex/romans-8-29/); [2 Cor 3:18](/codex/2-corinthians-3-18/)) ### Adam as covenant head Adam represents humanity in the covenant of works / the federal-headship relation: - **[Romans 5:12-21](/codex/romans-5-12-21/)**, Adam as one through whom sin and death entered humanity; Christ as the second Adam ([Romans 5.12](/codex/romans-5-12/)) - **[1 Corinthians 15:21-22](/codex/1-corinthians-15-21-22/), [45-49](/codex/1-corinthians-15-45-49/)**, "as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive… the first *adam* became a living being; the last *Adam* became a life-giving spirit" The Adam-Christ typology is the **structural backbone** of Pauline soteriology. Adam fails; Christ succeeds. Adam's sin imputes condemnation; Christ's righteousness imputes justification. ### *Ben-Adam*, son of man The Hebrew *ben-adam* ("son of man" / "human being") appears extensively: - **[Numbers 23:19](/codex/numbers-23-19/)**, "God is not a man… nor a son of man (*ben-adam*)" - **[Psalm 8:4](/codex/psalms-8-4/)**, "what is man (*enosh*) that You take thought of him? And the son of man (*ben-adam*) that You care for him?" - **[Daniel 7:13](/codex/daniel-7-13/)**, *kebar enash* (Aramaic equivalent), "one like a son of man" coming with the clouds - **Ezekiel**, repeated address to the prophet as "son of man" (~93 times) The [Daniel 7:13](/codex/daniel-7-13/) *bar-enash* / "Son of Man" becomes Jesus's most-used self-designation in the Gospels (~80x). Christ's "Son of Man" claim is **simultaneously**: - Identification with humanity (we are sons of *adam*) - Identification with the [Daniel 7](/codex/daniel-7/) divine-human Messianic figure who comes on the clouds and receives universal dominion This is one of the strongest Christological-deity proofs, [Daniel 7](/codex/daniel-7/)'s "Son of Man" is *worshiped*, has *eternal dominion*, is *divine*; Jesus claims this title. ## Apologetic significance *Adam* anchors: 1. **The historicity of Adam**, required for Pauline Adam-Christ typology ([Rom 5](/codex/romans-5/); [1 Cor 15](/codex/1-corinthians-15/)) 2. **The unity of humanity**, all from one common ancestor ([Acts 17:26](/codex/acts-17-26/), "from one made every nation") 3. **The doctrine of original sin**, federal headship; Adam's sin imputed 4. **The *imago Dei***, universal human dignity; cross-racial / cross-ethnic equality 5. **Christological typology**, Adam as the type; Christ as the antitype 6. **Anti-evolutionary-naturalist anthropology**, humans are not just one more species but a special creation in God's image The Adam-historicity question intersects with population-genetics debates (see [Origins and Cosmology](/codex/origins-and-cosmology/); [Genesis 11](/codex/genesis-11/), Genetic Diversity). ## Notable verses - **[Genesis 1:26-27](/codex/genesis-1-26-27/)**, *imago Dei* - **[Genesis 2:7](/codex/genesis-2-7/), [19-25](/codex/genesis-2-19-25/)**, formation; naming; Eve - **[Genesis 3:1-24](/codex/genesis-3-1-24/)**, the Fall - **[Genesis 5:1-5](/codex/genesis-5-1-5/)**, Adamic genealogy beginning - **[Job 7:17](/codex/job-7-17/); 14:1, 12**, *adam* in Job's lament - **[Psalm 8:4](/codex/psalms-8-4/)**, *ben-adam* - **[Psalm 39:5](/codex/psalms-39-5/), [11](/codex/psalms-39-11/); 49:12; 73:5; 90:3; 144:3**, *adam* in Psalter wisdom - **[Ecclesiastes 1:13](/codex/ecclesiastes-1-13/); 2:18; 3:11; 7:14, 29**, Qoheleth's *adam*-meditation - **[Isaiah 2:11](/codex/isaiah-2-11/), [17](/codex/isaiah-2-17/), [22](/codex/isaiah-2-22/)**, humbled *adam* - **[Daniel 7:13](/codex/daniel-7-13/)**, *bar-enash* (Aramaic) - **[Romans 5:12-21](/codex/romans-5-12-21/)**, Pauline Adamic typology - **[1 Corinthians 15:21-22](/codex/1-corinthians-15-21-22/), [45-49](/codex/1-corinthians-15-45-49/)**, Christ as last Adam - **[1 Timothy 2:13-14](/codex/1-timothy-2-13-14/)**, Adam first formed; Eve deceived ## Patristic / scholarly note Patristic engagement: extensive across all Christian theological history. The Pauline Adam-Christ typology is the controlling structure. Modern conservative engagement on Adamic historicity: - C. John Collins (*Did Adam and Eve Really Exist?*, 2011) - Henri Blocher (*Original Sin*, 1997) - Hans Madueme & Michael Reeves, eds. (*Adam, the Fall, and Original Sin*, 2014) - William VanDoodewaard (*The Quest for the Historical Adam*, 2015) - Vern Poythress (*Did Adam Exist?*, 2014) - John Walton (*The Lost World of Adam and Eve*, 2015) ## See also - H127 - adamah, earth / ground - [H1254 - bara](/codex/h1254-bara/), to create - [H0430 - elohim](/codex/h0430-elohim/), God (creator subject) - [H7307 - ruach](/codex/h7307-ruach/), Spirit / breath - [H5315 - nephesh](/codex/h5315-nephesh/), soul / living being - [Genesis 1.27](/codex/genesis-1-27/), *imago Dei* anchor - [Romans 5.12](/codex/romans-5-12/), Adam-Christ typology - [Origins and Cosmology](/codex/origins-and-cosmology/), broader synthesis ## Notes _Lexical workspace for adam._