The Synonymous Words used for
"Man". This Is Appendix 14 From The Companion Bible.
There are four principal Hebrew words rendered
"man", and these must be carefully discriminated. Every
occurrence is noted in the margin of The Companion Bible.
They represent him from four different points of view :-
- 'Adam, denotes his origin, as
being made from the "dust of the
Adamah" ground (Latin homo).
- 'Ish, has regard to sex, a male (Latin
vir).
- 'Enosh, has regard to his infirmities, as
physically mortal, and as to character,
incurable.
- Geber, has respect to his
strength, a mighty man.
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I. 'Adam, without the
article, denotes man or mankind in general (Genesis 1:26; 2:5; 5:1, followed by
plural pronoun). With the article, it denotes the man,
Adam, though rendered "man" in Genesis
1:27; 2:7 (twice)
8,15,16,19 (margin),
22 (twice);
3:12,22,24; 5:1; 6:1 (rendered
"men"), 2,3,4. After this, the
Hebrew 'Adam = man or men, is used of the descendants of
Adam. Hence, Christ is called "the son of Adam", not a son
of Enosh. With the particle ('eth)
in addition to the article it is very emphatic, and means self,
very, this same, this very,. See Genesis 2:7 (first
occurrence), 8,15.
Rendered in the Septuagint (anthropos) 411 times; (aner)
eighteen times (fifteen in Proverbs); once
(thnetos), Proverbs 20:24 = dying; four
times (brotos), mortal (all in Job); once
(gegenes), earth-born, Jeremiah
32:20.
II. 'Ish. First occurrence in
feminine, Genesis 2: 23,
'ishah = woman. Therefore, 'ish
= male, or husband ; a man, in contrast with a woman. A great man in
contrast with ordinary men (Psalm 49:2, where
"low" are called the children of Adam, and the
"high" = children of 'ish. So Psalm
62:9 and Isaiah
2:9; 5:15; 31:8). When God is
spoken of as man, it is 'ish (Exodus 15:3. So Joshua
5:13. Daniel
9:21; 10:5; 12:6,7. Zechariah
1:8, etc.). Also, in
such expressions as "man of God", "man of
understanding", etc. In the early chapters of Genesis we have it in
chapters 3:22,24 and 4:1.
Translated in Septuagint 1,083 times by
(aner), Latin vir, and only 450 by (anthropos), Latin homo.
It is rendered "husband" sixty-nine
times, "person" twelve times, and once or twice each in
thirty-nine different ways.
III. 'Enosh. First occurrence
Genesis 6: 4, men of
name. Always in a bad sense (Isaiah 5:22; 45:14. Judges
18:25). Morally =
depraved, and physically = frail, weak. It is
from 'anash, to be sick, wretched, weak, and denotes
inability, for strength, physically; and for good, morally
(compare 2Samuel
12:15. Job
34:6. Jeremiah
15:18; 17:9; 30:12,15. Micah
1:9). Note the
contrasts, Isaiah 2:11 and 17, "The lofty
looks of man ('Adam) shall be humbled, and the haughtiness
of men ('Enosh) shall be bowed down" (compare Isaiah
13:12. Job
25:6. Psalms
8:4; 90:3; 144:3. Job
4:17; 10:5; 7:17. Daniel
4:16). Other
instructive passages are Isaiah 8:1; 66:24. Ezekiel
24:17 (afflicted, or
mourners. Compare Jeremiah 17:16, "day of
man"). In 1Samuel
4:9 it is probably
plural of 'Ish (so probably Genesis 18 and 19, where the
indefinite plural must be interpreted by the context, because
'Adam would have denoted human, and
'Ish, males). It is rendered
"man" 518 times, "certain" eleven times, and
once or twice each in twenty-four other and different ways.
IV. Geber. first occurrence in
Genesis 6: 4 1, mighty
men, and denotes man in respect of his physical strength, as
'Enosh does in respect of the depravity of his nature. It is
rendered "man" sixty-seven times, "mighty"
twice, "man child" once, "every one" once. In
the Septuagint rendered fourteen times
(anthropos) and the rest by (aner).
For illustrative passages see Exodus 10:11; 12:37. 1Samuel
16:18. 2Samuel
23:1. Numbers
24:3,15. 1Chronicles
26:12; 28:1. 2Chronicles
13:3. Ezra
4:21; 5:4,10; 6:8.
V. M ethim
(plural) = adults as distinguished from children, and males as
distinguished from females. Occurs Genesis 34:30. Deuteronomy
2:34; 3:6; 4:27; 26:5; 28:62; 33:6. 1Chronicles
16:19. Job
11:3,11; 19:19; 22:15; 24:12; 31:31. Psalm
17:14; 26:4; 105:12. Isaiah
3:25; 5:13; 41:14. Jeremiah
44:28.
NOTE 1 In Genesis
6:4, we have three out
of the above four words: "daughters of men" (= daughters of
[the man] 'Adam); "mighty men" =
(geber); "men of renown" = Hebrew men
('Enosh) of name, that is to say, renowned for their moral
depravity.
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