adam

Coming directly from the Hebrew word אדם (ʾadam), meaning "man" or "humankind," the name Adam was the name of the first man created in Genesis. Interestingly, in Genesis 1:26, the word אדם (ʾadam) is clearly plural and means "humankind," as the accompanying verbs are plural and two people are created as a result.

אדם is “mankind, humanity” as opposed to God or the animals (אישׁ is man as opposed to woman). Adam, the first man created and named, is representative of humanity (cf. TDOT 1:75–87; THWAT 1:41–57). (For a diachronic explanation of the variant spellings in chaps. 2–3 see Barthélemy, 1981). 27 Whereas v 26 used the anarthrous אדם, here in v 27 the definite article האדם is used, and clearly mankind in general, “male and female,” not an individual, is meant.

Gordon J. Wenham, Genesis 1–15 (vol. 1; Word Biblical Commentary; Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 1998), 32.

The Hebrew text has the article prefixed to the noun (הָאָדָם, ha’adam). The article does not distinguish man from woman here (“the man” as opposed to “the woman”), but rather indicates previous reference (see v. 26, where the noun appears without the article). It has the same function as English “the aforementioned.”

Biblical Studies Press, The NET Bible First Edition; Bible. English. NET Bible.; The NET Bible (Biblical Studies Press, 2005).

The Hebrew word is אָדָם (’adam), which can sometimes refer to man, as opposed to woman. The term refers here to humankind, comprised of male and female. The singular is clearly collective (see the plural verb, “[that] they may rule” in v. 26b) and the referent is defined specifically as “male and female” in v. 27. Usage elsewhere in Gen 1–11 supports this as well. In 5:2 we read: “Male and female he created them, and he blessed them and called their name ‘humankind’ (אָדָם).” The noun also refers to humankind in 6:1, 5–7 and in 9:5–6.

Biblical Studies Press, The NET Bible First Edition; Bible. English. NET Bible.; The NET Bible (Biblical Studies Press, 2005).

divine code