Man in Easton's Bible Dictionary
(1.) Heb. 'Adam, used as the proper name of the first man.
The
name is derived from a word meaning "to be red," and
thus the
first man was called Adam because he was formed from
the red
earth. It is also the generic name of the human race
(Gen. 1:26,
27; 5:2; 8:21; Deut. 8:3). Its equivalents are the
Latin homo
and the Greek anthropos (Matt. 5:13, 16). It denotes
also man in
opposition to woman (Gen. 3:12; Matt. 19:10).
(2.) Heb. 'ish, like the Latin vir and Greek aner,
denotes
properly a man in opposition to a woman (1 Sam.
17:33; Matt.
14:21); a husband (Gen. 3:16; Hos. 2:16); man with
reference to
excellent mental qualities.
(3.) Heb. 'enosh, man as mortal, transient,
perishable (2 Chr.
14:11; Isa. 8:1; Job 15:14; Ps. 8:4; 9:19, 20;
103:15). It is
applied to women (Josh. 8:25).
(4.) Heb. geber, man with reference to his strength,
as
distinguished from women (Deut. 22:5) and from
children (Ex.
12:37); a husband (Prov. 6:34).
(5.) Heb. methim, men as mortal (Isa. 41:14), and as
opposed
to women and children (Deut. 3:6; Job 11:3; Isa.
3:25).
Man was created by the immediate hand of God, and is
generically different from all other creatures (Gen.
1:26, 27;
2:7). His complex nature is composed of two
elements, two
distinct substances, viz., body and soul (Gen. 2:7;
Eccl. 12:7;
2 Cor. 5:1-8).
The words translated "spirit" and "soul," in 1
Thess. 5:23,
Heb. 4:12, are habitually used interchangeably
(Matt. 10:28;
16:26; 1 Pet. 1:22). The "spirit" (Gr. pneuma) is
the soul as
rational; the "soul" (Gr. psuche) is the same,
considered as the
animating and vital principle of the body.
Man was created in the likeness of God as to the
perfection of
his nature, in knowledge (Col. 3:10), righteousness,
and
holiness (Eph. 4:24), and as having dominion over
all the
inferior creatures (Gen. 1:28). He had in his
original state
God's law written on his heart, and had power to
obey it, and
yet was capable of disobeying, being left to the
freedom of his
own will. He was created with holy dispositions,
prompting him
to holy actions; but he was fallible, and did fall
from his
integrity (3:1-6). (See FALL -T0001304.)
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