And the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone – I will make a help meet for him. Gen 2:18 (KJV)
Like other aspects of Genesis 2 relating to gender, the woman’s designation as ‘a help meet’ — `ëzer KünegDô — has come under much scrutiny in recent years. Traditionally this phrase has been interpreted to imply a subordinate role — an assistant.
In 1973, Phyllis Trible published the paper “De-patriarchalizing in Biblical Interpretation” in which it was argued that, whilst the English word ‘helper’ denotes an assistant or subordinate, the Hebrew word used here does not. Trible reasoned that, because God Himself is often described in the Old Testament as an `ëzer, this word cannot imply inferior status. Trible also argued that the phrase KünegDô (‘corresponding to’) connotes mutuality and equality.[1]
Trible went on to claim in her 1978 book, God and the Rhetoric of Sexuality,[2] that `ezer actually implies superiority, as God is superior to those he saves; however, in the woman’s case the connotation of superiority was tempered by the addition of KünegDô, denoting equality.
Other scholars have taken up this line of interpretation. R. D. Freedman writes that the Hebrew word `ëzer is a combination of two roots, one `-z-r meaning ‘to rescue’ or ‘to save’, and the other `-z-r meaning ‘to be strong’”. Freedman writes that originally the Hebrews observed a distinction between the two terms; however in around 1200 BC, the two roots merged into one, and with the merger of writing and pronunciation came a merger of meaning. Initially the word `ëzer could mean either ‘to save’ or ‘to be strong’, but with time the root `-z-r was always interpreted as ‘to help’, a mixture of both nuances. Freedman divides the 21 occurrences of `ëzer in the Old Testament into eight instances where the word should be translated as ‘saviour’, and 13 where the word should be translated as ‘strength’.[3] Freedman also claims that the phrase KünegDô means ‘equal’, according to its usage in later Mishnaic Hebrew. Freedman concludes that `ëzer KünegDô is therefore more correctly translated as ‘a power, or strength, equal to him’.[4]
Standard Hebrew lexicons, however, do not support this translation. DBL[5] defines `ëzer as ‘an assistant, one who assists and serves another with what is needed’ and KünegDô as ‘a counterpart, i.e. that object which is corresponding to or like another object’. BDB[6] defines `ëzer as ‘help, succour; one who helps’ and KünegDô as ‘according to what is in front of; corresponding to’.[7] Standard modern translations translate the phrase ëzer KünegDô as ‘a helper suitable for him’ (NIV, NASB), ‘a helper fit for him’ (ESV, RSV), ‘a fitting helper’ (JPS), ‘a helper who is just right for him’ (NLT), ‘a helper comparable to him’ (NKJV) and ‘a companion who corresponds to him’ (NET).
Freedman’s theory, therefore, appears to lack mainstream scholarly support. As Freedman himself acknowledges, the traditional translation is the one almost universally adopted by lexicographers and translators.
J. A. Clines, in his work What Does Eve Do to Help? – And Other Readerly Questions criticises Trible’s interpretation and offers a defence of the traditional interpretation. Clines argues that the idea of helping is the same the world over; namely, that the person being helped has the primary role in regard to the task or problem at hand, and the person helping plays a secondary or subordinate role. Clines writes:
What I conclude, from reviewing all the occurrences in the Hebrew Bible, is that though superiors may help inferiors, strong may help weak, gods may help humans, in the act of helping they are being ‘inferior’. That is to say, they are subjecting themselves to a secondary, subordinate position. Their help may be necessary or crucial, but they are assisting some task that is already someone else’s responsibility. They are not actually doing the task themselves, or even in cooperation, for there is different language for that.[8]
Clines therefore concludes that, whilst the word ‘helper’ itself carries no implications about the respective statuses of the helper and helpee, in the relationship constituted by the act of helping, the helper assumes an inferior role, and the helpee a superior role.[9]
J. Wenham summarises the matter succinctly when he writes,
To help someone does not imply that the helper is stronger than the helped; simply that the latter’s strength is inadequate by itself. [10]
Further, he says that the phrase KünegDô,literally ‘like opposite him’, seems to express the notion of complementarity rather than identity, as the more natural phrase for identity would be ‘like him’.[11]
Eve’s help was not confined to a specific incident, for, as Paul says, the woman was created for the man (1 Cor 11:9) – the very purpose of her creation was to provide help for the man. Thus her role was to be a subordinate one.
Turning then to Clines’ question – what does Eve do to help? As Clines notes, the bearing of children was an important task of the woman. However, her help was not limited to a biological function alone. The man required help to fulfil the entire commission of Gen 1:28,
And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth”.
The Hebrew noun `ëzer (helper) is a derivative of the verb `āzar (to help), which generally indicates military assistance[12] (cf. Isa 30:5; Ezek 12:14; Hos 13:9). The use of a military term to describe the woman’s role is notable given that Gen 1:28 also includes military terminology, with the terms ‘subdue’ and ‘have dominion’ meaning ‘to conquer’ and ‘to rule over’ respectively.[13]
The battle which Adam was to fight, and which all sons of God are fighting, was to subdue fleshly desires, and prevent sin from gaining dominion. We do not ‘wrestle against flesh and blood’ (Eph 6:12), but ‘struggle against sin’ (Heb 12:4). Fleshly lusts ‘wage war against the soul’ (1 Pet 2:11). Paul said that within him there was ‘another law waging war against the law of my mind, and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members’ (Rom 7:22-23).
The woman was created to be the man’s helper in this conflict. God said “It is not good that the man should be alone.” Ecclesiastes 4:9, 12 (NET) expands – “Two people are better than one … Although an assailant may overpower one person, two can withstand him”.
In Old Testament times women were regarded as useless for literal warfare (Isa 3:12; 19:16; Jer 50:30, 37; Nah 3:13), nonetheless, there are allusions to female warriors of a different sort. Ecclesiastes 9:18 says that wisdom is better than weapons of war. In Prov 31:10 (‘who can find a virtuous woman’), the word translated as ‘virtuous’ in the KJV is the Hebrew Hayil meaning ‘strength’, ‘valour’, ‘might’ or ‘power’. The word is used around 20 times in the Old Testament in the general sense of ‘strength’ or ‘power’, about 30 times in the sense of ‘wealth’ (as a means of power), about 85 times as an attribute of people (e.g. ‘valiant’), and over 100 times in the sense of an ‘army, host or force’. When used to describe an attribute of a man, it was most often the man’s military prowess which was being referred to (e.g. ‘mighty man of valour’).[14]
The word Hayil is used three times in reference to women (Ruth 3:11; Prov 12:4; 31:10). One translation of Prov 31:10 is “Who can find a woman of valour” (JPS). The same word, conveying the idea of courage and effectiveness in battle, is used in Ps 108:12-13 – “O grant us help (cf. `āzar) against the foe; for vain is the salvation of man. With God we shall do valiantly (Hayil); it is he who will tread down our foes.”
Proverbs 31 contains other military terminology. Verse 17 says, ‘She girds herself with strength and makes her arms strong’. Compare Ps 18:39, which says, ‘For you girded me with strength (Hayil) for the battle’. The valiant woman’s husband safely trusts in her and he will have no lack of spoil (Prov 31:11) – meaning plunder or booty of war. The ‘spoils of war’ often consisted of a man’s own life. Jeremiah 21:9, 38:2 and 45:5 all refer to God giving men their lives as a ‘prize of war’. The ‘spoil’ or ‘prize of war’ which the woman and the man help each other to gain is eternal life (Phil 3:14). Paul refers to eternal life as a ‘crown of righteousness’ (2 Tim 4:8), or victor’s crown (cf. 1 Cor 9:25).[15]
As the woman was joined to the man as ‘bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh’, her conduct would inevitably affect him, for good or for ill. Proverbs 12:4 (ESV) says:
An excellent (valiant) wife is the crown of her husband; but she who brings shame is like rottenness in his bones.
The reference to the crown here is figurative of honour, glory or authority. The removal of a crown was figurative of loss of glory, shame or disgrace (Job 19:9; Lam 5:16). The contrast of the crown of honour with the pain of humiliation is reminiscent of the language of victory or defeat in battle. In Ps 132:18 it is said of David, “His enemies I will clothe with shame, but on him his crown will shine”.
As the betrothal of a man and a woman is typical of the betrothal of Jesus Christ to the ecclesia (2 Cor 11:2); and as the wedding of a man and woman is typical of the marriage supper of the Lamb to his Bride (Rev 19:7); so the help that a wife provides to her husband is typical of the help that the saints will provide to Jesus Christ following their marriage supper.
The heavenly army of saints will follow Christ as he goes forth to wage war upon the nations (Rev 19:11-14). Christ’s army will be made up of volunteers, not conscripts. In Ps 110:2-3 (NET) David prophesies of Christ:
The Lord extends your dominion from Zion. Rule (have dominion) in the midst of your enemies! Your people willingly follow you when you go into battle.
Both Jesus Christ (Rev 19:15) and the saints (Ps 149:6) will wield sharp two-edged swords with which to execute judgement. The saints will rule the nations alongside Christ (Rev 2:26-27), reigning as a kingdom of priests (Rev 5:10).
The woman’s role in marriage then is a glimpse of the role of the saints in the future age. The woman willingly follows her husband into battle each day as his helper or ally (cf. Prov 31:13 – ‘she works with willing hands’). Together a husband and wife take up the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God (Eph 6:17), in order to combat the forces of evil, maintain dominion over sin and raise a godly seed.
[1] P. Trible, “Depatriarchalizing in Biblical Interpretation” JAAR 41 (1973): 30-48 (36), cited in D. J. A. Clines, What Does Eve Do to Help? and Other Readerly Questions to the Old Testament, (Sheffield: JSOT Press, 1990), 28.
[2] P. Trible, God and the Rhetoric of Sexuality (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1978), 90, cited in Clines, What Does Eve Do to Help?, 29.
[3] [Ed AP]: The texts in the KJV are: Exod 18:4; Deut 33:7, 26, 29; Ps 20:3; 33:20; 70:5; 89:19; 115:9, 10, 11; 121:1, 2; 124:8; 146:5; 30:5; Ezek 12:14; Dan 11:34; and Hos 13:9. Freedman is letting words for saving/deliverance in a context strongly dictate the meaning of `ezer instead of seeing the word as giving a complementary sense in these sentences as in standard translations (e.g. KJV, RSV, and NASB).
[4] R. D. Freedman, “Woman, A Power Equal to Man” BAR 09/1 (Jan/Feb 1983): 56-58.
[5] J. Swanson, Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains: Hebrew (Old Testament) (electronic ed.), Oak Harbor, Logos Research Systems Inc., 1997.
[6] F. Brown, S. R. Driver, & C. A. Briggs, Enhanced Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon (electronic ed.), Oak Harbor, WA, Logos Research Systems Inc., 2000.
[7] [Ed JWA]: KünegDô in this form only occurs with the ‘k’ (‘as’ or ‘according to’) prefix in Gen 2:18 & 20. Without the prefix negDô occurs 11 times, generally as ‘before him’: Josh 6:5, 20; 2 Sam 22:13; etc. ‘As (a) before him’ simplifies, here.
[8] Clines, What Does Eve Do to Help?, 30-31.
[9] Clines, What Does Eve Do to Help?, 30-31.
[10] G. J. Wenham, Genesis 1-15 (WBC; Waco, Texas: Word Books, 1987), 68.
[11] Wenham, Genesis 1-15, 68.
[12] R. L. Harris, G. L. Archer & B. K. Waltke, (eds.), Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (electronic ed.), Moody Press, Chicago, 1999.
[13] [Ed AP]: The use of a noun like ‘help’ or the verb ‘to help’ in a military context does not thereby make the words military terms; the use of ‘help’ in relation to the woman is evidence of this point. The same point applies to ‘subdue’ and ‘have dominion’ in relation to the earth and its creatures: the use of ‘to have dominion’ is not military in relation to animals just because it may be used in military contexts elsewhere.
[14] Harris, Archer, & Waltke, Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament.
[15] [Ed JWA]: This helpful connection means it is the effect of God’s ‘help’ in fighting the good fight” that ends with a crown of righteousness….” God’s ‘help’ is through faith and prayer. He ensures that we are ‘valiant’ (or ‘virtuous’- Hayil) in the fight and so gain the victory (crown). This ‘help’ is what God-manifestation is. KJV Ps 108:13 is ‘through [God]’ or other versions’ ‘with’ (as given above); actually the Hebrew is ‘in’: ‘in God’ (e.g. 1 Sam 23:16; Ps 44:8; 56:4, 4 [5, 5 MT], 10 [11 MT], [12 MT]). Paul positions this redemptive theophany in 1 Cor 15:57: “But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through [Gk. dia.] our Lord Jesus Christ.” Col 1:27-29 has “Christ in you” providing for hope’s end. What it takes to ensure the fight is finished is his working in us ‘in power’/‘in virtue’, or ‘valiantly’- evn duna,mei (cf. Hebrew BüHayìl – ‘in power’/‘in [military or related] force’ sense in 1 Kings 10:2; 2 Chron 13:3; Zech 4:6. Greek translations in ‘LXX’ tradition give evn duna,mei in these texts. Also relate du,namin as ‘power’/‘virtue’ in Mark 5:30; Luke 6:19; 8:46.)
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One