Sons of Adam, Sons of Ish

Both the sons of “Adam,” and the sons of “Ish,” together rich and poor.

Tehillim (Psalms) – Chapter 49:3

In “Pre-Adamite Man,” Paschal Beverly Randolph discusses the distinction between different human origins as mentioned in Scripture. He points out the existence of references to separate human lineages, specifically mentioning the “sons of Adam” and the “sons of Ish.” Here is the quoted passage:

“It is somewhat remarkable that those who so delighted in perverting Scripture, and assigning but a single origin to man, should not have taken pains to exclude all those passages which relate to independent and different origins, as, for instance, those already quoted, and such passages as this, from the 33rd chapter of Deuteronomy: ‘Give ear all inhabitants of the world: both sons of Adam, and sons of Ish;’ and Isaiah 31st, ‘Then shall the Assyrian fall… And the sword, not of an Adamite, shall devour him.’ These two races, of Adam and Ish, are mentioned more than seventy times in the same sentences.”

Summary

In this passage, Randolph emphasizes that:

1. Scriptural References to Multiple Origins: He highlights that the Bible contains references to different origins of humanity, specifically mentioning “sons of Adam” and “sons of Ish,” suggesting that there were distinct lineages of humans.
2. Passages in Deuteronomy and Isaiah: He cites specific passages from Deuteronomy 33 and Isaiah 31 to support his claim. These references indicate that the Scriptures acknowledge the existence of multiple human races or origins.
3. Frequency of Mention: Randolph notes that the distinction between the races of Adam and Ish is made more than seventy times in the same sentences within the Scriptures, underscoring the importance of recognizing these separate lineages.