adamah

Adamah (Hebrew: אדמה) is a Hebrew noun meaning earth, ground, or soil. Feminine in form, it denotes the physical substance of the ground as well as land in a general sense. In biblical Hebrew it commonly refers to soil suitable for planting and to the earth as a material substance.

Origin and cognates: The word derives from a root meaning ground or from the wider Semitic family; it is related to the noun adam meaning 'man' or 'mankind' and to the idea of being made from the earth. The name Adam is traditionally explained as referring to being formed from adamah—the dust of the ground—or being red like the clay.

Biblical usage and themes: In Genesis 2:7, God forms man from the dust of the ground (adamah) and breathes life into him, underscoring humanity's dependence on the earth. The word is also used for soil in agrarian contexts and can appear in poetic or covenantal themes about cultivation, land, and stewardship. In Genesis 3, the ground is cursed as a consequence of the Fall, linking Adamah to toil and divine judgment.

Modern usage and distinctions: In Modern Hebrew, adamah continues to mean soil or earth, though the ordinary word for land or country is eretz. Adamah appears less frequently in everyday speech and is more common in biblical, liturgical, or literary contexts. The term is distinct from eretz, which emphasizes territory or homeland rather than the physical soil.