Genesis Part 006

"The Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being" (Genesis 2:7).

The word for “being” (Hebrew “Nephesh”) simply means “creature.” It can apply to both animals and mankind. It has nothing to do with an “immortal soul.” 

The UCG reading program states the following:

“Of course, there is another important difference between animals and human beings. Human beings have a spiritual component to their existence. Not to be confused with the false concept of an immortal soul, this spirit is not conscious of itself but, rather, empowers the physical brain with human intellect. This 'spirit in man' or 'human spirit' is mentioned in several verses in both the Old and New Testaments. Interestingly, both the Hebrew word for spirit, ruach, and its New Testament Greek equivalent, 'pneuma,' also convey the sense of 'wind' or 'breath.' When God breathed into Adam physical life, he also “spiritually breathed” the human spirit into him. It is this spirit that enables man to have a mind in the image of God’s, to make moral choices and to have a genuine relationship with God.”

The spirit in man is an important study on its own and this link to a quick 2-minute article will give you some information as well as the study aid Why Were You Born.    

In Genesis 2:18 we see it wasn’t good for man to be alone; God said, “I will make him a helper comparable [opposite/counterpart] to him.” The Hebrew word for “help opposite/counterpart” is “Ezer neged.” “Ezer” means “Help” or “One who helps” and “neged” means “a front, a part opposite, a counterpart.” In verse 20 we then read that there was not a comparable counterpart that was found for Adam.

God performs the first surgery and healing on man in verse 21. He takes a rib from Adam and from it God makes a “woman” (Hebrew “ishshah”). This word is most often translated “wife” in the Bible (425 times).  

Before creating Eve, though, God seems to have decided to make the man aware of this need for emotional and intellectual companionship. God directed the man to name the various creatures He had made, thereby indicating the man’s leadership. Throughout the Scriptures the bestowal of a name by one upon another indicates the former being over the latter in some sense—as in God naming Adam, Adam naming his wife Eve, and many other examples.  At the same time, it impressed on the man his own loneliness and need for a companion.  

It must be stressed that God was not allowing Adam to seek a mate from among the animals. Rather, in examining the animals, Adam would see their pairings and realize his need for a companion like himself.  

God then took one of the man’s ribs and from it made (the Hebrew is, literally, “built”) a woman.

“Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh” (Genesis 2:24).

The Hebrew for “joined” means “to cling, to stick, to stay close, adhere.” Eve was literally a part of Adam and he was a part of her. Woman was not created from the ground like all other creatures. She was not created from an inferior or lesser material but was created from Adam himself. We already saw she was created to be a counterpart to help him. This word “Neged” that we already discussed contains an additional meaning, “in front of oneself, before your face, parallel to.” It was as if Adam and Eve stood looking at each other seeing that they were each one half and that together they made up a whole (“one body”).