Gen 2:19-20 | KingComments | STEP | Before Adam feels the lack of his wife ( ), God has already expressed the purpose to give her to him ( ). Adam gives the animals names. A name expresses the character of the animal. This shows the deep insight Adam has in God’s works. The word “helper” is not a derogatory expression for the woman. God Himself is also called “help” ( ). That she is “suitable to him” or literally “as one opposite him” means that she is also created in the image of God ( ). Then God gives Adam his wife. God does not do this by forming Eve out of the dust of the earth just like Adam. Then she would be independent of Adam. He forms Eve from Adam. He does not do this out of his head, for she is not his superior. Nor does he make her out of his feet, for she is not his slave. He forms her from his side. She is therefore someone of equal value, standing beside him. She is his “opposite”, as it literally says. To be able to give Adam his wife, God puts him in a deep sleep, a death-sleep. Here we have a beautiful picture of the way in which the Lord Jesus received the church as His wife. That is through His death on the cross ( ). By forming Adam first and then Eve, God establishes the rank order that He wants to see maintained in creation. With this He determines that the man is the head of creation and also of the woman. Paul draws that conclusion unambiguously in his first letter to the Corinthians and his first letter to Timothy, while also indicating the purpose for which the woman was created ( ; ).

‏ Genesis 2:19-20

Adam Gets His Wife

Before Adam feels the lack of his wife (Gen 2:20b), God has already expressed the purpose to give her to him (Gen 2:18). Adam gives the animals names. A name expresses the character of the animal. This shows the deep insight Adam has in God’s works.

The word “helper” is not a derogatory expression for the woman. God Himself is also called “help” (Psa 33:20 ; Psa 70:5 ; Psa 115:9). That she is “suitable to him” or literally “as one opposite him” means that she is also created in the image of God (Gen 1:27).

Then God gives Adam his wife. God does not do this by forming Eve out of the dust of the earth just like Adam. Then she would be independent of Adam. He forms Eve from Adam. He does not do this out of his head, for she is not his superior. Nor does he make her out of his feet, for she is not his slave. He forms her from his side. She is therefore someone of equal value, standing beside him. She is his “opposite”, as it literally says.

To be able to give Adam his wife, God puts him in a deep sleep, a death-sleep. Here we have a beautiful picture of the way in which the Lord Jesus received the church as His wife. That is through His death on the cross (Eph 5:25).

By forming Adam first and then Eve, God establishes the rank order that He wants to see maintained in creation. With this He determines that the man is the head of creation and also of the woman. Paul draws that conclusion unambiguously in his first letter to the Corinthians and his first letter to Timothy, while also indicating the purpose for which the woman was created (1Cor 11:8-9; 1Tim 2:11-13).