Genesis 2:20–24

Context

This passage is part of the second creation account, which begins in the second half of Genesis 2:4. After forming man from the dust and placing him in the garden, God says, "It is not good that the man should be alone" (Genesis 2:18). Adam gives names to the animals, but among them "there was not found an help meet for him" (v. 20). God then causes Adam to fall into a deep sleep, makes a woman from one of his ribs, and brings her to him. Adam responds in almost poetic words: "This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh" (v. 23). In Hebrew the word for man is ish and the word for woman is ishshah; verse 23 uses this wordplay between the similar-sounding terms to name the two. Verse 24 is read not as Adam's words but as the narrator's commentary explaining the basis of marriage. The woman receives the name Eve in Genesis 3:20.

Interpretation

• The meaning of "help meet": The Hebrew ezer kenegdo literally means "a helper corresponding to him." The word ezer is also used in the Old Testament to refer to God (Exodus 18:4; Psalm 121:1–2). For this reason many commentators hold that the term carries no sense of inferiority or subordination but denotes a counterpart who corresponds to the man.
• The significance of the rib: The word tsela is used elsewhere to refer to the "side" of the tabernacle. On this basis the passage is often read to mean that the woman came from the man's "side" and is his equal companion. A well-known saying holds that she was not taken from his head to rule over him, nor from his feet to be trampled by him; it is often attributed to the commentary of the English commentator Matthew Henry.
• The institution of marriage: Most denominations regard verse 24 as the text in which God instituted marriage. From it they derive the principles of monogamy between one man and one woman, independence from one's parents, and lifelong union. Jesus quoted this verse in answering the Pharisees who questioned him about divorce (Matthew 19:5; Mark 10:7–8). Paul applied it to the relationship between Christ and the church (Ephesians 5:31).
• Historical-critical readings: Some scholars regard chapter 2 as a creation account deriving from a different tradition than chapter 1 and read it in comparison with the marriage customs of the ancient Near East. Evangelical and conservative denominations often read chapters 1 and 2 as a single continuous account.

Controversies and Issues

The order in which the man was created first and the woman was taken from him is cited in the New Testament when Paul discusses the roles of men and women (1 Timothy 2:13; 1 Corinthians 11:8–9). Those who hold that men and women have distinct roles read this order as a basis for order in the home and the church. Those who emphasize the equality of men and women point to the meaning of "help meet" and to 1 Corinthians 11:11–12 to stress mutuality. In Korea, this difference in interpretation also bears on the debate within Korean churches over women's ordination.

In discussions of divorce and remarriage, verse 24 is used as a text supporting the permanence of marriage. It is also frequently cited in discussions of homosexuality and the church as grounds for defining marriage as the union of a man and a woman. Others counter that the passage does not speak directly to same-sex relationships.

Perspective: Korean Protestant practiceHow this idea is used in Korean churches, kept from the original Korean article.

In Korean Protestant churches, verse 24 is frequently read together with Ephesians 5 in the Scripture readings and the officiant's sermon at wedding services. The expression "bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh" is also commonly quoted when speaking of the oneness of husband and wife.

Related Passages

• Matthew 19:3–9
• Ephesians 5:31–32
• 1 Corinthians 11:11–12
• 1 Timothy 2:13–15
• Malachi 2:14–16