Can We Trust The Translation Of The Original Design?
- Lisa Wilson
- Dec 13, 2023
- 5 min read
This is post 2 in a 3 part study series on the Hebrew word/phrase ezer k'negdo as
found in Genesis 2. Find part 1 here.
Ezer As Found In Genesis 2
“Then the LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable [ezer k’negdo] for him.
Out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast 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 a living creature, that was its name.
The man gave names to all the cattle, and to the birds of the sky, and to every beast of the field, but for Adam there was not found a helper suitable [ezer k’negdo] for him.
So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place. The LORD God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man. The man said, “This is now bone of my bones, And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man. For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh.
And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.” (Genesis 2:18-25 NASB95). Emphasis mine.
Originally, God created man (Ish – man, person, mankind) in their image and gave that person the task of overseeing Eden and every living thing in the garden. God saw that it was not good for the person to be alone, so God took a piece from the person (Ish) and made a woman (Ishah). The whole is needed to complete the work.
A Word About Translations And Translators
There are large portions of Scripture that translators across time and in various church traditions, all agree on. The trouble arises when they run into a word in ancient Hebrew or Greek that doesn’t have a corresponding English word. In those instances, translators make decisions that are inevitably influenced by their personal views, culture, and church traditions.
We have to hold that reality in balance when doing a word study. So, it’s often wise to compare a number of translations to try and catch the various nuances of a word.
The word translated as ‘helper’ is the Hebrew word ezer. Here’s how a few different translations (and one paraphrase) navigate the Hebrew phrase ezer k’negdo. The NIV and NASB both use suitable helper.
NKJV says a helper comparable to Adam.
The Message paraphrase uses the word companion.
The ESV translation says, "...But for Adam there was not found a helper fit for him." Fit here is referring to the King James Version which used the phrase "help meet." Meet, in middle English, meant fit, proper, well-suited or appropriate. That's a meet/fit career for your skills. (I am a proud, flag-waving, word nerd.)
The NET uses “a companion for him who corresponds to him”
Elle Grover Fricks is a Hebrew scholar who studied in Jerusalem. On her podcast Text In Us, she strives to make a literal translation of the text using modern scholarship techniques. Her translation uses the phrase “an ally parallel to him.” Find the podcast episode here.
Where Else Do We See Ezer Used?
Concordances are helpful to a point. There’s a great deal of assumed knowledge in terms of using the tool effectively. Avoid looking up a word that scholars can’t agree on to get a direct translation from the ancient Hebrew (which would require proficiency in understanding parts of speech, grammar rules, sentence structure, clauses, phrases, etymology, transliteration, conjugation, etc.). If the translation of the word was easy, scholars wouldn’t still be arguing over it centuries later.
Instead, use this tool to see where else in Scripture that word is used. Get curious about the nuances of that word, what context it’s used in, does it always refer to a particular person or place? Look for common usage or meaning, or thematic similarities to give additional meaning.
If you look up the Hebrew word ezer outside of Genesis, it refers to God's role as "helper" to Israel in time of war or hardship. There’s a sense of rescuing or saving. Ezer is used 21 times in the NASB and I looked up each one. If you want to look them up for yourself, here's the list:
Genesis 2:18; 2:20
Exodus 18:4
Deuteronomy 33:7; 33:26; 33:29
Psalms 20:2; 33:20; 70:5; 89:19; 115:9-11; 121:1-2; 124:8; 146:5
Isaiah 30:5
Ezekiel 12:14
Daniel 11:34
Hosea 13:9
Nijay K. Gupta in Tell Her Story addresses this idea that Eve is Adam’s rescue. “It is often pointed out, and for good reason, that ezer is often used in the Old Testament to refer to God as ‘helper’ and protector of Israel. When Israel is in trouble, they can count on God to ‘help.’ [Deut 33:29; Hos 13:9; Ps 70:5; Ps 121:1]
“Now, Eve is not Adam’s savior (like God), nor is she Adam’s servant. The task given to Adam by God to complete in the garden is something he cannot do alone.”
Translating Ezer K’negdo
Jewish scholars often translate k’negdo as “against” – a helper against the man. Marty Solomon at BEMA Discipleship shared about the Mishnah (a collection of oral traditions on the law and judgements given out during the 1st and 2nd century – the time of Jesus) invoking this image of two planks leaning against one another like the peak of a pyramid. Neither are able to stand alone, they need the opposition of the other to remain upright.
We've seen words like comparable, fit, meet, and suitable used. Elle Grover Fricks used “an ally parallel to him,” saying that there’s a distinct word for ‘propped up against’ and it isn’t used here.
Eve was created to be Adam's opposite (male and female) yes, but she simultaneously encourages and holds back -- cheers and challenges, protects by watching his back and opposing.
Woman lends a voice of caution and praise. She is both comforter and exhorter assuring him he is enough as he is, AND also do better, be better. She stands behind as a companion and partner, stands in front to oppose him, and beside him as an ally and fellow worker.
In addition to those things, man’s focus must also be on unity – so the two come together as one in relationship, in ministry, in life.
Marty Solomon boils this discussion down somewhat succinctly: “The driving point here between ish and ishah is that Adam was this representative of humanity and mankind and yet there’s some kind of tension in the created order…Woman is that piece of him that he’s now missing. Ish and ishah.
“You have this: only when male and female are together is when life — and I’m not just talking about marriage, I’m talking about something far larger than that — only when male and female are together, do you see humanity in its fullness. Because if there’s only a bunch of men in the room, you’re missing a large piece of humanity.
“…She’s the help that opposes. One of the things that we find in marriage all the time, for any of us that have been married, is this idea and this concept that the woman opposes us, but in her opposition, she is our greatest help.” Marty Solomon, BEMA Discipleship (source here)
Questions
When we look up the word ezer elsewhere in Scripture, we see this used in reference to God as Israel's ally, defender, protector, comforter, and shelter particularly in times of war. How do we apply that our undestanding of how this word is used in Genesis 2?
Write out a list of synonyms for this phrase ezer k'negdo that hold meaning for you. Is there additional nuance or complexity to this word that you weren't aware of before? Does it change or reaffirm your view of God's original design for woman?
In your opinion, has culture or church tradition (modern or historical) created additional meaning to this word/phrase that you don't see in the original Hebrew?
