Who Is the Boss?

Genesis 2:18-24

God completed creating the universe and all the things in it, including the land, the living creatures, and the plants by the seventh day (Genesis 2:1-4a). Genesis 1:24-31 and 2:4-24 differently narrate the same story of mankind’s beginning. What are significant differences?

The first difference is the order of creation. Genesis 1:24-31 reports that God created everything before creating Adam, whereas Genesis 2:4-8 tells us that God created Adam to work the land. The second difference is the creation of humankind. Genesis 1:24-31 simply reports that God created male and female in his image, and it does not mention God creating Adam from the ground and blowing the breath of life into Adam.

Because of these differences, scholars contend that the two texts came from different traditions: J, E, D, P. J is the name given to the materials which used Jehovah for God’s name. E stands for materials that used Elohim for God’s name. D stands for Deuteronomic source. P materials deal with priestly concerns such as rituals. Thus, the differences in the creation of man is explained by saying that Genesis 2 account came from P-source since the chapter rituals, namely, name-giving and marriage.

An alternative explanation focuses on the texts of Genesis 1 and 2 as they are. It explains that the first former is the “summary report” and the latter a “detail report.” It contends that Genesis 2 is the “flashback” of Genesis 1. So, Genesis 2 does not contradict Genesis 1.

Now, let us focus on the message of our text.

Our title implies “authority” although the word “authority” does not occur in the text. However, the creation of man and woman as reported by Genesis 2 had been taken to support the superiority of man. For example, Paul, one of the writers of our New Testament, says, “I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent. For Adam was formed first, then Eve.” (1 Timothy 2:12-13). Does Genesis 2 really teach what Paul thinks it does? Our investigation will focus on Genesis 2:18.

The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him."

There are at least 18 different rendering of the phrase “a helper suitable” in English Bibles. A very striking finding is that almost all versions use the word “helper” or “help” while they use different words for “suitable.” Remarkably, two translated the phrase as “suitable partner” (NAS) and “companion” (NET). These versions indicate that the word “helper” here does have its modern meaning. The Hebrew word for “helper,” is Azer, which means helper, partner or companion. It does not have the idea of “servant” or “helper” in its modern sense of the word. Azer occurs only 20 times in the Bible. “Azer” is the one who helps the helpless, the poor, the needy, and the oppressed. In Psalms, God is Azer (Ps. 30:11 and 54:4). God is our helper; God is not our servant. Azer also means “strength” in Ps. 89:19 (NIV). The Greek word of Azer is bothos, which occurs in Hebrews 13:6, “God is my helper.” God is the Azer, the helper of humankind. Woman is the Azer of man. The Hebrew word for “suitable” is in fact a preposition which means “before, in front of, opposite, facing.” It carries the idea of “shoulder to shoulder.” A woman is created as a “helper” of man because the man needs help.

Genesis 2 does not teach woman’s inferiority. Adam did not name the woman whom God had created for him. Name-giving is a social and religious ritual. It requires that the name-giver have a special status, authority, or privilege to give name. Name-giving is an exercise of influence from the part of the name-giver upon the name-receiver. But, such an exercise of authority and influence is absent in our text. Adam merely states that the new human being shall be called “woman.” Here, it is imperative to not that the Hebrew word for “woman” is the feminist form of the word “man”. At this point, it is also necessary to highlight that “man” in our text literally means “Adam.” Thus, it gives the impression that our text is mostly about Adam and the nameless woman, who was named Eve after the Fall. Another point to highlight is that the general words for “man” and “woman” are used together in Genesis 2: 24 “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.” Up to this point, the text persistently teaches the idea that man and woman, husband and wife, are suitable counterparts or equally companions.

There is no boss between man and woman, husband and wife. Let us reflect on the statement, “They will become one flesh” (Genesis 2:24). Let us focus on the philosophy of “one.” Number one can be collective and absolute. One family is a collective one whereas one spoon is an absolute. Thus, “one flesh” can be understood as collective while “God takes one of the ribs” can be taken as the absolute one, one rib bone. Two becoming “one flesh” in Genesis 2:24 stresses human “unity while recognizing diversity within that oneness." Becoming one flesh, therefore, gives the idea of solidarity or being united for same goal. Although husband and wife become one flesh, they are not identical. We should recognize our differences.

The idea of “helper” does not carry master-servant idea of helper. The absence of name-giving ritual for the woman indicates that the absence of power relation between Adam and the woman. The ritual of marriage declares the husband and wife to be “one flesh,” which stresses unity and solidarity. In this light, gender does not determine power and authority relation. If there should be the boss, God is the boss because he is the creator. Human beings by divine appointment can be seen as the boss, in a sense of the chief steward, over the creation. But, man or husband is not the boss over woman or wife. God created us equal for unity and common purpose.