Genesis 1:27

The Man of Heaven

This second instance of the Hebrew word Adam, "Red One", has a definite article in front of it, ha-adam, which is literally “the Red-one”. The word Adam is a unique Hebrew word as it is considered both a common noun and a proper noun. See Strong’s #120. In any other case attaching a definite article to a proper noun is not done. According to Gesenius, “the article cannot be prefixed to a proper name” for Hebrew names (cf. §125) although some “gentilic” names can, i.e. the Hebrews, the Canaanites, the River (Nile), and the Jordan. It occurs with the definite article 552 times in the Hebrew Scriptures. Without the definite article it occurs around 368 times. Interestingly, the word philistines is almost always without a definite article as though it was meant to be taken for a common noun.

This is a definitive and specific man, made in the image of elohim—a man of heaven. The Hebrew describes him first as one self "cutting himself out", then as two—"male" and "female", then as many "themselves."

Speaking in Tongues

זכר zakar (Strong's #2145): remembered one. From the root zakar (#2142), meaning to remember, memorialize. The word for "male".

נקבה neqebah (Strong's #5347): pierced one. From the root naqab (#5344), to puncture, literally (to perforate, with more or less violence). Other contexts give additional meanings such as blaspheme, bore, and curse. The word for "female", but not a favorable etymology. It is not the word for hole, but for piercing/stabbing.

"You have pierced [naqab] with his staves the head of his leaders" (Habbakuk 3:14 RBT)

"he is taking him with snares, he is piercing [naqab] his nose" (Job 40:24 RBT)

Hoy to those secure in the desert place [Zion], and those confident on the mountain of Samaria: those who are pierced [neqab] are the head of the nations, and they are coming to them in the the house of Israel. (Amos 6:1 RBT)