Word Study for H119 (אָדַם) | Strong's Concordance

ʼâdam /aw-dam'/ Ask about this word

Meaningto show blood (in the face), i.e.; flush or turn rosy

KJV usagebe (dyed, made) red (ruddy).

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of ʼâdam — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Hebrew word ʼâdam, represented by H119, means to be dyed or made red (ruddy). It is derived from the idea of showing blood in the face, such as when flushing or turning rosy. This word appears 10 times across 10 unique verses in the Bible, carrying significant symbolic weight in each context.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In biblical narratives, H119 is used to describe the color red in several distinct ways. Its most frequent application is in the construction of the Tabernacle, where rams' H352 skins H5785 were dyed red H119 to serve as a covering H4372 for the holy tent H168 (Exodus 26:14, Exodus 35:23). The term also describes physical appearance, as when the consecrated Nazarites H5139 are said to be more ruddy H119 in body H6106 than rubies, signifying health and purity Lamentations 4:7. In a martial context, the shields H4043 of mighty men H1368 are made red H119 in preparation for battle Nahum 2:3. Finally, it serves as a warning, cautioning against looking at wine H3196 when it is red H119 in the cup H3563 H3599 Proverbs 23:31.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help illuminate the conceptual field of H119:

H2399 chêṭᵉʼ (sin): This word for an offense or crime is directly linked to H119 in the powerful imagery of sin being as red as crimson, requiring divine cleansing Isaiah 1:18.
H3835 lâban (to be white): This word serves as the direct theological opposite of H119 in scripture. Sins that are red H119 like crimson can be made white H3835 as snow H7950 by the LORD H3068 Isaiah 1:18.
H1368 gibbôwr (warrior, mighty man): This term describes the valiant men whose shields are made red H119 for battle, connecting the color to strength and warfare Nahum 2:3.
H5139 nâzîyr (Nazarite, separate): The consecrated status of a Nazarite is described with an appearance that is ruddy H119, linking the color to a state of vitality and separation unto God Lamentations 4:7.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H119 is significant, representing a duality of meaning.

Symbol of Sin: The color red is used powerfully to illustrate the deep stain of sin H2399. In Isaiah 1:18, the LORD H3068 states that though sins are red H119 like crimson H8438, they can be cleansed and made white.
Mark of Consecration: The use of rams' skins dyed red H119 as a prominent covering for the Tabernacle H168 imbues the color with sacred importance, setting apart objects for holy use (Exodus 25:5, Exodus 26:14).
Image of Vitality and Purity: Far from being only a symbol of sin, being ruddy H119 is associated with the health and purity of Nazarites H5139, who were described as purer H2141 than snow and whiter H6705 than milk Lamentations 4:7.

Summary

In summary, ʼâdam H119 is a multifaceted word that moves beyond a simple color descriptor. It serves as a powerful biblical symbol, capable of representing the stain of sin H2399 that requires divine forgiveness Isaiah 1:18 as well as the consecrated materials used in the worship of God Exodus 39:34. Whether describing the healthy glow of a Nazarite or the dangerous allure of wine, H119 demonstrates how a single word can convey profound theological truths about sin, purity, and holiness.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as a verb across 10 occurrences, inflected in 5 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form.

Pual Participle Passive Plural Masculine Absolute 6×
Hiphil Imperfect 3rd Plural Masculine 1×
Hithpael Imperfect 3rd Singular Masculine 1×
Pual Participle Passive Singular Masculine Absolute 1×
Qal Perfect 3rd Plural common gender 1×

Singular: One.
Plural: More than one.
Masculine: Masculine grammatical gender.
common gender: Either gender — the form does not distinguish.
3rd: Third person — the one spoken about ("he"/"they").
Imperfect: Ongoing or repeated action in the past — "was doing".
Perfect: A completed act whose results continue.
Passive: The subject is acted upon.
Participle: A verbal adjective — describes while carrying the verb's action.
Qal: The simple, basic stem — plain action in the active voice.
Pual: The passive of the intensive (Piel) stem.
Hiphil: The causative stem — the subject causes the action.
Hithpael: Reflexive-intensive — the subject acts upon itself.
Absolute: The independent form of a noun (not bound to another).

Related Words

Other entries the study above points to — each one is drawn from a reference it makes. Follow the trail to see how the words connect.

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 10 verses across 5 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Exodus (6 verses); never once in the other 34.

Exodus

Proverbs

Isaiah

Lamentations

Nahum

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.