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Adam

maleAntediluvian

Meaning: “Man; ground; humankind

The first human being, formed by God from the dust of the ground and made in His image. Through his disobedience sin and death entered the world.

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Biography

Adam is the first human being in the biblical account — the head of the human race and the figure through whom Scripture explains the origin of humanity, work, marriage, sin, and death. His name (Hebrew adam) is bound up with the ground (adamah) from which he was taken, and it doubles as the Hebrew word for "humankind." To tell Adam's story is to tell the story of every person.

Creation in the image of God

On the sixth day of creation God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness" (Genesis 1:26). Unlike the animals, Adam was formed deliberately and personally: "the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul" (Genesis 2:7). To bear God's image is to be made for relationship with God and given dominion over creation (Genesis 1:28).

Life in Eden

God placed Adam in the garden of Eden "to dress it and to keep it" (Genesis 2:15) — meaningful work that preceded the fall. Adam named the animals (Genesis 2:19–20), exercising the dominion God had granted. Seeing that "it is not good that the man should be alone" (Genesis 2:18), God formed Eve from Adam's side, and Adam received her with joy: "This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh" (Genesis 2:23). Here Scripture grounds marriage itself (Genesis 2:24).

The Fall

God gave one prohibition: not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:17). Tempted by the serpent, Eve ate and gave to Adam, "and he did eat" (Genesis 3:6). Their eyes were opened to shame; they hid from God. When confronted, Adam blamed Eve and, implicitly, God (Genesis 3:12). The consequences were sweeping: pain, toil, broken relationships, and expulsion from the garden (Genesis 3:16–24). Yet even here God gave a promise — the seed of the woman who would crush the serpent's head (Genesis 3:15), the first announcement of the gospel.

Life outside the garden

East of Eden, Adam and Eve raised a family. Cain and Abel were born, and after Abel's murder and Cain's exile, Seth was given as a replacement (Genesis 4:25). Adam lived 930 years and "he died" (Genesis 5:5) — the refrain of Genesis 5 that proves the warning of Genesis 2:17 was no idle threat.

Adam and Christ

The New Testament makes Adam a pivotal theological figure. Paul calls him "the figure of him that was to come" (Romans 5:14) and contrasts the two: "as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive" (1 Corinthians 15:22). Where Adam's disobedience brought condemnation, Christ — the "last Adam" (1 Corinthians 15:45) — brings righteousness and life to all who believe (Romans 5:17–19). Adam's failure sets the stage for the whole story of redemption.

Life Timeline

4004 BC

Created by God from the dust and given the breath of life

Genesis 2:7
4004 BC

Placed in Eden to work and keep the garden; names the animals

Genesis 2:15
4004 BC

Eve formed from his side; the first marriage

Genesis 2:22
4004 BC

Eats the forbidden fruit — the fall of humanity

Genesis 3:6
4004 BC

Driven out of the garden of Eden

Genesis 3:23
3874 BC

Seth born when Adam was 130

Genesis 5:3
3074 BC

Dies at the age of 930

Genesis 5:5

On the Bible timeline

Adam belongs to the Creation & the Early World era (Beginning – c. 2100 BC).

  1. c. 2400 BC (traditional)The Flood
  2. c. 2200 BCThe Tower of Babel

Family Tree

AAdamAntediluvian
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Selah · myselahh.com

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Themes & lessons from Adam

Biblical themes that run through the passages where Adam appears.

Man10×God7×Sin (1)6×Women6×Eve5×Fall of Man4×Seth4×Sin4×Woman4×Temptation3×Agriculture or Husbandry2×Body2×Escape2×Genealogy2×Immortality2×Innocency2×Minister (1)2×Resurrection2×

People they appear with

Seth4×
Eve3×
Cain2×
Enos1×
Moses1×
Enoch1×

Places in their story

Garden of Eden1×

Scripture Appearances

29 verses in 11 books
Genesis17 verses

Genesis 2:15

And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. the man: or, Adam

Genesis 2:19

And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. Adam: or, the man

Genesis 2:20

And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him. gave: Heb. called

Genesis 2:21

And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;

Genesis 2:23

And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Woman: Heb. Isha Man: Heb. Ish

Genesis 3:8

And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden. cool: Heb. wind

Genesis 3:9

And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?

Genesis 3:17

And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;

Genesis 3:20

And Adam called his wife's name Eve; because she was the mother of all living. Eve: Heb. Chavah: that is Living

Genesis 3:21

Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.

Genesis 4:1

And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD. Cain: that is, Gotten, or, Acquired

Genesis 4:25

And Adam knew his wife again; and she bare a son, and called his name Seth: For God, said she, hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew. Seth: Heb. Sheth: that is Appointed, or, Put

Genesis 5:1

This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him;

Genesis 5:2

Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created.

Genesis 5:3

And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth:

Genesis 5:4

And the days of Adam after he had begotten Seth were eight hundred years: and he begat sons and daughters:

Genesis 5:5

And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died.

Deuteronomy1 verse

Deuteronomy 32:8

When the most High divided to the nations their inheritance, when he separated the sons of Adam, he set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Israel.

Joshua1 verse

Joshua 3:16

That the waters which came down from above stood and rose up upon an heap very far from the city Adam, that is beside Zaretan: and those that came down toward the sea of the plain, even the salt sea, failed, and were cut off: and the people passed over right against Jericho.

1 Chronicles1 verse

1 Chronicles 1:1

Adam, Sheth, Enosh,

Job1 verse

Job 31:33

If I covered my transgressions as Adam, by hiding mine iniquity in my bosom: as Adam: or, after the manner of men

Hosea1 verse

Hosea 6:7

But they like men have transgressed the covenant: there have they dealt treacherously against me. men: or, Adam

Luke1 verse

Luke 3:38

Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God.

Romans1 verse

Romans 5:14

Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.

1 Corinthians2 verses

1 Corinthians 15:22

For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

1 Corinthians 15:45

And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.

1 Timothy2 verses

1 Timothy 2:13

For Adam was first formed, then Eve.

1 Timothy 2:14

And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.

Jude1 verse

Jude 1:14

And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,

Frequently asked about Adam

Who was Adam in the Bible?

The first human being, formed by God from the dust of the ground and made in His image. Through his disobedience sin and death entered the world.

What does the name Adam mean?

The name Adam means “Man; ground; humankind”.

What did Adam do in the Bible?

Adam served as gardener, farmer, of the tribe of None (pre-Israel).

Who were Adam's children?

Adam's children include Cain, Abel, Seth.

Where does Adam appear in the Bible?

Adam is mentioned 29 times across 11 books: Genesis, Deuteronomy, Joshua, 1 Chronicles, Job, Hosea, Luke, Romans, 1 Corinthians, 1 Timothy, Jude.

What can we learn from Adam?

The story of Adam touches on themes of man, god, sin (1), women — explore each to study the lessons drawn from Adam's life.

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