Note: Strong's Hebrew 120 and Hebrew 121 represent the same Hebrew word. James Strong simply added Hebrew 121 to distinguish between what he believed were the proper name use of the word, as Adam, and the generic use of the same word, as man or person. In Hebrew there is no capitalization to distinguish them, and Bible versions differ as to which occurrences in Gen 2 and 3 are translated as "man" and which are translated as "Adam." To further explore the use of the Hebrew word adam in Gen 1:26, 27; Gen 2 and 3; and the rest of the Hebrew Old Testament, browse http://www.bibletexts.com/terms/heb-adam.htm.)

• Hebrew - adam

• Strong's - Hebrew 120 and Hebrew 121

• KJV - man, Adam, person

• NRSV - humankind, man, Adam, people, mortals, humans, human beings, human, person

• BDB (The Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon, edited by Francis Brown, S.R.Driver, and Charles A. Briggs, Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 1996, page 9) - man, mankind. 1. a man. 2. collective man, mankind. 3. Adam. 4. city in Jordan valley (Joshua 3:16)

• Online Hebrew dictionary definition - click here (120) and click here (121)

• S&H references

• S&H 338:12 The word Adam is from the Hebrew adamah, signifying the red color of the ground, dust, nothingness. Divide the name Adam into two syllables, and it reads, a dam, or obstruction. This suggests the thought of something fluid, of mortal mind in solution. It further suggests the thought of that "darkness . . . upon the face of the deep," when matter or dust was deemed the agent of Deity in creating man,--when matter, as that which is accursed, stood opposed to Spirit. Here a dam is not a mere play upon words; it stands for obstruction, error, even the supposed separation of man from God, and the obstacle which the serpent, sin, would impose between man and his creator. The dissection and definition of words, aside from their metaphysical derivation, is not scientific. Jehovah declared the ground was accursed; and from this ground, or matter, sprang Adam, notwithstanding God had blessed the earth "for man's sake." From this it follows that Adam was not the ideal man for whom the earth was blessed. The ideal man was revealed in due time, and was known as Christ Jesus.

• S&H 525:7-11 The following are some of the equivalents of the term man in different languages. In the Saxon, mankind, a woman, any one; in the Welsh, that which rises up,--the primary sense being image, form; in the Hebrew, image, similitude; in the Icelandic, mind.

• Gen 1:26,27

• KJV 26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness:... 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

• NRSV Then God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness;... 27 So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

• Gen 2:7,21,22

• KJV 7 And 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... 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; 22 And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.

• NRSV 7 then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being... 21 So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then he took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. 22 And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man.