18
AndוַYHWHיְהוָהElohimאֱלֹהִיםsaid,יֹּאמֶר“It isnotלֹאgoodטוֹבthat the manהָאָדָםshould beהֱיוֹתalone;לְבַדּוֹI will makeאֶעֱשֶׂהּfor himלּוֹa helperעֵזֶרcorresponding to him.”כְּנֶגְדּוֹ
Genesis 2:18
Study it in the app“And YHWH Elohim said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make for him a helper corresponding to him.””
God sees the man is alone and makes someone who fits himDating and MarriageFrom the beginning, God says it is not good for the man to be aloneLoneliness
With the Hebrew beneath
Genesis 2:18, word by word
- YHWHיְהוָהyehva
YHWH
The personal name of the God of Israel, written in Hebrew with four letters, Y-H-W-H, without vowels. Out of reverence Jews stopped pronouncing it and read "Adonai" (Lord), so many Bibles put "the LORD" or "Jehovah". This translation keeps the four letters. The name is related to the verb "to be" (Exodus 3:14-15). He is not a god other than Elohim: "YHWH Elohim" is the same Creator God, called by his name.
Where else “yehva” appears- Elohimאֱלֹהִיםelohim
Elohim
The one true God, the Creator; the word is plural but means one.
Where else “elohim” appears- saidיֹּאמֶרyomer
say
To say with the mouth to someone what one thinks or wants, or to answer him.
Where else “yomer” appears- goodטוֹבtov
good
What is as it should be and gives delight: sound, useful, beautiful or valuable.
Where else “tov” appears- that the manאָדָםadam
Adam
Adam, the first man.
Where else “adam” appears- should beהֱיוֹתheot
be
To be: "I will be their Elohim".
Where else “heot” appears- aloneבַדּvad
alone
One thing alone, set apart from the rest; also the expression 'besides'.
Where else “vad” appears- I will makeאֶעֱשֶׂהּeeseh
make
To build or create something.
Where else “eeseh” appears- a helperעֵזֶרezer
helper, help
Help, aid; one who helps. It does not imply inferiority: the same word is often used for God as the helper of his people (Psalm 33:20; 121:1-2).
Where else “ezer” appears- corresponding to himנֶגְדּnegd
counterpart
What stands opposite another and matches it: a fitting helper.
Where else “negd” appears
The context
17but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat from it, for in the day that you eat from it you will certainly die.”
18 · This verse (above)
19And YHWH Elohim formed from the ground every animal of the field and every bird of the sky, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called it, as a living being, that was its name.
To study Genesis 2 in a group
1. What it says
How did YHWH Elohim form the man, and what did he give him so that he became a living being (v. 7)?
2. What it means
Why does YHWH Elohim say it is not good for the man to be alone (v. 18)?
3. How I live it
What friendship or relationship can you care for this week so you do not walk alone?