Adam. [Heb. Adam, "man," etymology uncertain. There is a possible connection with the verb adam, "to be ruddy," and thus a reference to the clay from which man was formed (Gen 2:7). In the cognate languages, Phoenician and Ugaritic, dm also means "man," but in ancient South Arabic it means "servant," and in Akkadian admu means "child." The name Adam, spelled Adamu, occurs in the cuneiform texts from Ebla. Gr. Adam].

The first member of the human family, created by God from the dust of the earth (Gen 2:7). His wife, Eve, was formed out of a rib from his side (vs. 21, 22). Adam was given authority over the earth and all living creatures (ch 1:26); and was commanded to populate the world (v 28). He and his wife were placed in a "garden eastward in Eden," and were given the task of caring for it (ch 2:8, 15). The product of plant and tree was to be their food (ch 1:29).

Adam and Eve were created perfect (Gen 1:31), and thus sinless. But they were also created with the power of choice, and thus had the freedom to disobey God. They were tested by means of "the tree of the knowledge of good and evil," the fruit of which God forbade them to taste or even to touch (chs 2:17; 3:3). Eve was beguiled by the serpent to eat of the tree, and then persuaded Adam to eat also (ch 3:1-7). By this act of disobedience, they brought the curse of sin upon themselves and their children, and were expelled from the garden (vs. 8-24). After the expulsion from the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve became the parents of Cain, Abel, Seth, and "sons and daughters" (chs 4:1, 2, 25; 5:4). Adam was 930 years of age at his death (ch 5:5). It is not known how long he lived in Eden, although it was only a comparatively short period, for he was only 130 years old when Seth was born (v 3), which was evidently some time after the expulsion (cf. ch 4:1-25).

Through the sin of Adam, death came upon the entire human family (Rom 5:12-14; Eph 2:12). However, Christ, the second Adam (1 Cor 15:45-47), overcame where the first Adam failed (cf. Mt 4:1-10), and by His sacrifice made our redemption from the results of Adam's sin possible (Heb 5:9; 9:28) -- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Dictionary.