Why did God name the first man Adam? — Jason of Vancouver, WA

Dear Jason,

That is a very interesting question. Many names in the Bible had meanings attached to them. Often people's names had something to do with the way they looked at events surrounding their births. The name "Joseph," for example, comes from a Hebrew word (much of the Old Testament was written in the Hebrew language) that means "do again" or "to add." Rachel named her son Joseph because she prayed that God would give her another son (Genesis 30:24).

The name "Adam" is a Hebrew word meaning "man." This is fitting, since Adam was the first man that ever lived (1 Corinthians 15:45). Also, the name "Adam" is very similar to a Hebrew word that means "ground." This is fitting, too, because we are told that God formed Adam from the "dust of the ground" (Genesis 2:7; 3:19).