Investigating the Hebrew words Bara’ ’Asah Yatsar, led me to explore the connection between yatsar3335, formed – as by a potter, and ’adamah127, ground – as in the potter’s clay.
And of course ’adamah led me to ’adam120 and … more.
Yatsar
As explained in Create Make Form: Bara’ ’Asah Yatsar the Hebrew word yatsar3335 is used in describing God’s act of the creation of “man,” i.e., mankind, humanity.
7 Then the LORD God formed3335 man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. Genesis 2:7 NASB
The the Hebrew Greek Key Word Study Bible NASB [HGKWSB] (p1732) reads
yatsar3335
It means to form, to fashion, to devised, to frame; to produce, to create; to be formed or fashioned; to exist; to be predestined.
In its part. form it is a potter or a creator.
The Potter and the Clay
3 Then I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was, making something on the wheel. 4 But the vessel that he was making of clay was spoiled in the hand of the potter; so he remade it into another vessel, as it pleased the potter to make. Jeremiah 18:3-4 NASB
Hands beginning to form red clay pot on wheel
Photo by Earl Wilcox on Unsplash
’Adam
In the second chapter of Genesis the Hebrew word used for the man YeHoVaH created is ’adam120.
7 Then the LORD God formed man120 of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. Genesis 2:7 NASB
’Adam120 is used both for man, mankind [humanity] as well as the proper name of the first man – Adam.
The Hebrew Greek Key Word Study Bible NASB (p1707) entry for ’Adam120 reads
This noun usually refers to mankind in the collective sense. It is also a proper noun, the first man that God created [Adam]. …
There is probably some original connection to the ruddiness of men’s complexion; see ’adam (119).
’Adam (120) refers to generic man as the image of God, the crown of His creation, distinct from the rest of creation. [Genesis 1:26-27 NASB]
’Adom
A cognate of ’Adam120/ ’adam120 is the related word ’adom119.
The website biblehub.com defines ’adom119 as
be red … ruddy, dyed red, flush or rosy [in face]
… ruddy i.e. A human being (an individual or the species, mankind, etc.) — X another, + hypocrite, + common sort, X low, man (mean, of low degree), person.
The Hebrew Greek Key Word Study Bible NASB (p1707) entry for Strong’s 119 is transliterated as ’adam119.
’Adamah
I find it interesting that the ground (soil) of Israel tends to have a reddish tint.
As ’Adam120 (and humankind) were formed from the ground, so the Hebrew word for ground is related to ’adam120:
7Then the LORD God formed man120 of dust from the ground127, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. Genesis 2:7 NASB
The Hebrew Greek Key Word Study Bible NASB (p1707) explains
’adamah127
Refers to the soil, agriculture, fruit, produce, region, and even the entire earth. It is humus, arable land.
The body of the first man, Adam, was formed from ’adamah127, a play on the words in Heb[rew].
And from biblehub.com:
’adamah127
Ground, land … ground (as tilled, yielding sustenance) tiller, husbandman, land [as property], earth [dirt] as material substance; of which man is made; ground as earth’s visible surface; land, territory, country; whole earth, inhabited earth; proper name
From ‘adam119; soil (from its general redness) – country, earth, ground, husband(-man) (-ry), land.
So, ’adamah is dirt.
Good, ole, dirt.
And it’s dirt with a reddish hue, especially in the arid regions of Israel.
’Aphar
Looking again at Genesis 2:7, let’s consider an additional word of interest: dust.
7 Then the LORD God formed man of dust6083 from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. Genesis 2:7 NASB
The Hebrew Greek Key Word Study Bible NASB (p1761) describes dust as
’aphar6083
dust, fine particles of earth, dry earth, fine dust (as blown by the wind), soil, loam, clay, lumps, clods, ground, earth, mortar, ashes, a heap of rubbish
The usual meaning is dust or loose earth.
The biblehub.com description is similar, but with the additional meaning as the material humans are made of.
’aphar6083
dry earth, dust – dry, loose earth; specifically as material of human body; surface of ground; powder; debris; earth of the grave; mortar; ore; material of the earth; of abundance; of worthlessness; scattered, dispersed; of self-abasement; of humiliation ashes, dust, earth, ground, mortar, powder, rubbish
Let us consider again …
Yatsar
After studying the meaning and roots of ’adam and ’adamah, let us return to yatsar.
The Hebrew Greek Key Word Study Bible NASB (p1732) further expands the meaning of yatsar:
yatsar3335
[T]his is probably identical with [yatsar]3334.
In its part. form it is a potter or a creator.
The narrowness or distressing situation of [yatsar]3334 is very similar to the squeezing or moulding of [yatsar]3335. …
The word implies initiation as well as structuring.
While the “Lexical Aids” of the HGKWSB does not include yatsar3334 the volume does include a Hebrew and Chaldee Dictionary.
In this dictionary, yatsar3334 is defined (p51) as
a prim. root; to press (intrans.), i.e. be narrow; fig.be in distress: –be distressed.be narrow, be straitened (in straits), be vexed.
The definition of yatsar3334 at biblehub.com corresponds.
It highlights the images of both the human potter making vessels of clay and the Divine Potter squeezing “clay” to form man.
Thus ’Adam – the first man (mankind) was yatsar – formed (especially by squeezing) from the ’aphar – dust of the ’adamah – the ground, the soil, dirt.
Image of hands forming red clay pot on wheel by Ed Wilcox
Photo by Earl Wilcox on Unsplash
To me, the relationship between yatsar, ’adam, and ’adamah emphasizes YHVH as the Master Potter.
8 But now, O LORD, You are our Father, We are the clay, and You our potter; And all of us are the work of Your hand. Isaiah 64:8 NASB
I found (and find) these word associations fascinating.
Who would have thought Adam was AKA Joe Dirt?
Joe Dirt
So, wha’ d’yah think?
Please share your thoughts in the comments about the language relationships of the Hebrew words Yatsar, ’Adam, ’Adom, ’Adamah, and ’Aphar.
What other Biblical words would you like to explore together?
You can list them in the comments.
Together we can Check It Out!
Blessings,
TLThomas
© TLThomas 2021