Genesis 2:18–24
God sees the man is alone and makes someone who fits him
Study it word by word18And YHWH Elohim said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make for him a helper corresponding to him.”
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.
20And the man gave names to all the livestock and to the birds of the sky and to every animal of the field; but for Adam there was not found a helper corresponding to him.
21And YHWH Elohim caused a deep sleep to fall on the man, and he slept; and he took one of his sides and closed up the flesh in its place.
22And YHWH Elohim built the side that he had taken from the man into a woman and brought her to the man.
23And the man said, “This one, at last, is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; this one will be called Woman, because from Man this one was taken.”
24That is why a man leaves his father and his mother and clings to his wife, and they become one flesh.
In its context
16And YHWH Elohim commanded the man, saying, “From every tree of the garden you may freely eat;
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.”
…
25And the two of them, the man and his wife, were naked, and they were not ashamed.
Its words in the original
- יֹּאמֶרyomer· say
Say, speak. The most common verb for bringing in what someone says; sometimes "think" (say to oneself) or "command".
- יְהוָהyehva· 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.
- אֱלֹהִיםelohim· Elohim, God, gods
The Hebrew word usually translated "God". This translation keeps "Elohim" when it speaks of the one true God, the Creator, the God of Israel. The word ends like a plural, but it does not mean several: for him the verb is singular ("Elohim created"); the plural form expresses greatness. The same word as a common noun names the "gods" of other peoples, and there it is a true plural, translated "gods". It is also used of mighty ones or judges.
- טוֹבtov· good
Good in the widest sense: pleasant, beautiful, useful, right, of good quality. As a noun, "good", "good things", "well-being".
- הֱיוֹתheot· be, become, happen
Be, exist; also "become" or "happen". It is the verb of "there was", "it was" and "it came to pass".
- אָדָםadam· human being, man, Adam
The Hebrew word "adam". It has three uses: (1) humanity in general, men and women alike: "human beings" (Genesis 1:27); (2) a particular man; in Genesis 2-4, the first man, "the man"; (3) the personal name of that first man, "Adam". In Hebrew "adam" sounds like "adamah", the ground he was formed from (Genesis 2:7).
- בַדּvad· alone, apart; pole
Alone, apart; "besides". The same word (in another sense) means "pole", like the ones for carrying the ark, or a branch.
- אֶעֱשֶׂהּeeseh· do, make
Do, make, in the widest sense: build, produce, carry out, keep (a command), prepare.
- עֵזֶרezer· 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).
- נֶגְדּnegd· in front of, counterpart
In front of, opposite, before. The full phrase "as in front of him" means someone who corresponds to him, a counterpart.
- יִּצֶרyitser· form
Form, shape, like a potter who molds clay; figuratively, plan, purpose. As a noun, "potter".
- אֲדָמָהadama· ground, land
The ground, the soil that is tilled; also the territory where people live. In Hebrew "adamah" sounds like "adam", the human being formed from it.
- חַיַּתchayat· living, animal, life
Living, alive; also fresh (of water). As a noun, "living thing" or "animal" (above all wild animals); in the plural, "life".
- שָּׂדֶהsade· field
Field: open country, cultivated or not.
- עוֹףof· bird
Bird; any creature that flies. It is usually singular with a collective sense: "the birds".
- שָּׁמַיִםshamayim· heavens, sky
The heavens: what is above, where the clouds, the sun and the stars are seen; also the dwelling of God. In Hebrew it is always plural. With birds, "the sky".
- יָּבֵאyave· come, go in, bring
Come, arrive, go in, enter. In the causative form, "bring" or "carry in". "Go in to" a woman is to have marital relations with her.
- רְאוֹתreot· see
See. Also look, observe, notice, consider; in some forms, "appear" or "show".
- יִּקְרָאyikra· call, proclaim
Call: speak out to someone, summon, invite, give a name, proclaim; also read aloud. "Call on the name of YHWH" is to pray to him and worship him.
- נֶפֶשׁnefesh· soul, living being, life
A breathing being, a living being. It is translated "living being" (people and animals), "life" (when living or dying is at stake), "person" (in counts and laws), "soul" (the person at the innermost: desires, joy, anguish) or "myself". In the Old Testament it names the whole living being, not only a part of it.
- שְׁמshem· name
Name. In the Bible a name says who someone is; so it also means fame, renown or reputation.
- בְּהֵמָהbehema· livestock, beast
Four-footed animal, above all livestock and domestic animals; sometimes all animals in contrast with human beings.
- מָצָאmatsa· find
Find, come upon; also obtain, reach; in the passive, be found, be present.
- יַּפֵּלyapel· fall
Fall; also fall upon (attack), lie down, desert to someone. In the causative form, "make fall", throw down, cast (lots).
- תַּרְדֵּמָהtardema· deep sleep
A very deep sleep, which in the Bible often comes from God.
- יִּישָׁןyishan· sleep
Sleep. Of a disease or a thing, grow old, become chronic.
- יִּקַּחyikach· take
Take: seize, take along, receive. Also "take a wife" (marry).
- אַחַתachat· one
One; only, the same. Also "first" in a series.
- צַּלְעֹתָיtsalotay· side
Side. In almost all the Bible it means "side" (of a building, of the ark), or a side room or plank; it is also the part of the man's side from which God made the woman.
- יִּסְגֹּרyisgor· shut, shut in
Shut, close. Also shut someone in, isolate for some days; hand over to an enemy.
- בָּשָׂרbasar· flesh
Flesh: the body, and the person as weak and mortal. "One flesh" is the union of husband and wife; "my flesh" can mean "my family". "All flesh" is every living being. In the Old Testament it does not mean something bad in itself.
- יִּבֶןyiven· build
Build, construct; also rebuild. Figuratively, build up a family (give it children).
- אִשָּׁהisha· woman, wife
Woman; with a possessive ("his woman"), wife. In Hebrew it is "ishah", which sounds like "ish", man.
- פַּעַםpaam· time, step
Time ("this time", "three times"); also step, stroke, or foot of a piece of furniture.
- עֶצֶםetsem· bone
Bone. "Bone of my bones" is the Hebrew way of saying "of my own family", "like me". It also means "very", "self" ("that very day").
- אִישׁish· man, husband, each
Man, male; with a possessive, husband. Also "each one", "anyone". It is "ish", distinct from "adam" (human being); it is used for the man in contrast with the woman ("ishah").
- יַעֲזָבyaazav· leave, forsake
Leave, forsake, abandon; also let go, leave behind for someone.
- אָבִיavi· father
Father; also ancestor ("our fathers"), and the founder or head of a family or group.
- אִמּim· mother
Mother; also figuratively, a city as the mother of its people.
- דָבַקdavak· cling
Cling, stay firmly joined to something or someone. It is also used for faithfulness to God (Deuteronomy 10:20).