About Man

Hebrew Name

אָדָם

English Name

Man

Phonetic Spelling

Ah-dam

Close,Up,Kid,Hand,Planting,Young,Tree,Over,Green,Background

What does Man mean?

The Hebrew word Adam shares the same root as adama, the Hebrew word for “earth.”

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֱלֹהִ֔ים נַֽעֲשֶׂ֥ה אָדָ֛ם בְּצַלְמֵ֖נוּ כִּדְמוּתֵ֑נוּ וְיִרְדּוּ֩ בִדְגַ֨ת הַיָּ֜ם וּבְע֣וֹף הַשָּׁמַ֗יִם וּבַבְּהֵמָה֙ וּבְכׇל־הָאָ֔רֶץ וּבְכׇל־הָרֶ֖מֶשׂ הָֽרֹמֵ֥שׂ עַל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃
And Hashem said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. They shall rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the cattle, the whole earth, and all the creeping things that creep on earth.”
vai-YO-mer e-lo-HEEM na-a-SEH a-DAM b'-tza-l'-ME-nu ki-d'-mu-TE-nu v'-yir-DU vi-D'-gat ha-YAM u-ve-OF ha-sha-MA-yim u-va-b'-HE-ma u-ve-KOL ha-A-retz u-ve-KOL ha-RE-mes ha-RO-mes al ha-A-retz
Genesis 1:26

וַיִּ֩יצֶר֩ יְהֹוָ֨ה אֱלֹהִ֜ים אֶת־הָֽאָדָ֗ם עָפָר֙ מִן־הָ֣אֲדָמָ֔ה וַיִּפַּ֥ח בְּאַפָּ֖יו נִשְׁמַ֣ת חַיִּ֑ים וַֽיְהִ֥י הָֽאָדָ֖ם לְנֶ֥פֶשׁ חַיָּֽה׃
Hashem formed man from the dust of the earth. He blew into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living being.
vai-YI-tser a-do-NAI e-lo-HEEM et ha-a-DAM a-FAR min ha-a-DA-ma, vai-pa-KH b'-a-PA-v nish-MAT cha-YEEM, vai-YI ha-a-DAM l'-NE-fesh cha-YAH
Genesis 2:7

Description about Man

In the creation story at the beginning of Genesis, no names are given to the animals. Only human beings are named, as it is written, “Let us make man (Adam)” (Genesis 1:26). What does this name mean, and what does it teach us about the uniqueness of humanity? The Hebrew word Adam shares the same root as adama, the Hebrew word for “earth.” The Bible teaches that the first human was made “from the earth,” as it is written, “And the Lord God formed man of dust from the earth” (Genesis 2:7). Man, however, was not the only creature formed from the earth. Superficially, man and animal appear to be fundamentally the same, as both were formed from the adama. “God said, “Let the earth bring forth every kind of living creature” (Genesis 1:24). But there is more to mankind than earth! Adam was created “in the image of God” (Genesis 1:27), and “blew into his nostrils the breath of life” (Genesis 2:7). Though our bodies come from the same earth as the animals, God created us with a higher level of soul and a loftier purpose. Though the name Adam is linked to adama (earth), it is also linked to an entirely different word, edameh, meaning “I will be like.” As the verse in Isaiah states: “I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like (edameh) the Most High!” (Isaiah 14:14). Mankind, Adam, must choose. We can choose to act like animals and be people of physicality, of the earth (adama). Or we can choose to control our desires and to emulate God and His holy ways (edameh). The choice is ours.

Attribute of Man

FIND YOUR HEBREW NAME