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You are here: Beliefs > Feminism > Articles

Man and Him Translations: A Word Study of Biblical Gender Terms

By RockOfVictory (Zepfanman.com) Updated '04Oct20

I have probably not looked hard enough, but I have never run across an in-depth word study of the Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic "man", "him", "female", "god", etc.  I claim to be no expert in the biblical languages, but this should shed more light on my feminist and patriarchal opinions.  Like everything else in Zepfanman.com, "Man" and "Him" Translations will likely be updated over the course of time. Update: I'm now even more confused about the Hebrew "he" and "she" after researching it a bit further. I need to take some Hebrew lessons!

abH1 = "father" or "guardian"  (Never used as a title like in the Greek, but several metaphors are made to God as a father, esp. to Israel.)
paterG3962 = "father," "parent" (pl.), or "elder" (in a loose sense)

adamH120 = "humankind" or "man"

asahH6213 = "make" or "accomplish"

autosG846 = "he/she/it" (Greek is not gender-specific for pronouns.  "He" and "she" are rarely used in Hebrew!)

baraH1254 = "create" (only used of God)
ginomaiG1096 = "cause to be" or "become" (John 1:3)

elohiymH430 = "God" (uni-plural) or "gods"

emH517 = (literal) "mother"

meterG3384 = "mother" or "source"

ishshahH802 = "woman" or "wife"

ishH376 = "man" or "husband"

neqebahH5347 = "female" or "woman"

zakarH2145 = "male" or "remembered"

Superscript #s are Strong's Bible reference numbers in Hebrew (H) or Greek (G)

First, a word about Hebrew and Greek grammar.  Like many of the romance languages, every Hebrew noun is associated a gender.  The "spirit of God" ruach elohiym (Genesis 1:2) is a feminine noun.   A book sefer is a masculine noun.  Since the titles for God in the Hebrew Bible (elohiym, el, adonai) are masculine nouns, should God be called "he".  If so, should a book also be called "he"?

Do ye not therefore err, because ye know not the Scriptures, neither the power of God?  For when they shall rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage; but are as the angels which are in heaven.  - Luke 20:34-36

In the beginning elohiym bara the heavens and the earth.  - Genesis 1:1

Then elohiym said, "Let us asah adam in our own image...."  And elohiym bara adam in "his" own image... zakar and neqebah "he" bara them.  - Genesis 1:26-27

This is now bone of my bones,
and flesh of my flesh;
"she" shall be called ishshah,
because "she" was taken out of ish."  - Genesis 2:23

- A -
This is the stone which was rejected by you the builders, but which has become the head of the corner.  - Acts 4:11

This citation of Ps. 118:22 changes the pronoun of the OT by adding a reference to "you" that the OT does not possess to drive home the fulfillment of the passage in those who reject Jesus.  See also the use of Deut 32:21 in Rom 10:19, where again an explanatory "you all" is added to the text to make its force clear.

- B -
      "How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news" (Isa 52:7)
      "As it is written, 'How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news.' " (Rom 10:15)

      "There is no fear of God before his eyes" (Psa 36:1)
      "As it is written..., 'There is no fear of God before their eyes.' " (Rom 3:10, 18)

      "Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered." (Psa 32:1)
      "David says the same thing... 'Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.' " (Rom 4:6-7)

Apparently Paul did not feel constrained by limitations in his rendering of these Old Testament texts!

- C -
      2 Corinthians 6:18- "and I will be a Father to you, and you all shall be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty."
      2 Sam 7:8, 14 "I will be a Father to him, and you shall be a son to me."  Carson:

There are complex reasons why Paul can argue this way, bound up with an important typology that needs to be explored. But the least we can say is that the apostle himself does not think that Hebrew singulars must be rendered by Greek singulars.

Mollenkott continues, "Things have come to a bad pass when we have to avoid seeing certain facts of Scriptures (or to avoid admitting that we see them) in order to preserve our preconceived notions about inspiration." - H. Wayne House

... to be edited and continued...

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zepfanman.com/bibeqman.php last modified 2005Mar19 10:22:00EST