Genesis 2:22

22 And the Lord God builded the rib which he had taken from Adam into a woman, and brought her to Adam.

Genesis 2:22 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 2:22

And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man,
made he woman
It is commonly observed, and pertinently enough, that the woman was not made from the superior part of man, that she might not be thought to be above him, and have power over him; nor from any inferior part, as being below him, and to be trampled on by him; but out of his side, and from one of his ribs, that she might appear to be equal to him; and from a part near his heart, and under his arms, to show that she should be affectionately loved by him, and be always under his care and protection: and she was not "created" as things were, out of nothing, nor "formed" as Adam was, out of the dust of the earth, being in the same form as man; but "made" out of refined and quickened dust, or the flesh and bones of man, and so in her make and constitution fine and lovely; or "built" F14, as the word signifies, which is used, because she is the foundation of the house or family, and the means of building it up: or rather to denote the singular care and art used, and fit proportion observed in the make of her: and brought her unto the man:
from the place where the rib had been carried, and she was made of it; or he brought her, as the parent of her, at whose dispose she was, and presented her to Adam as his spouse, to be taken into a conjugal relation with him, and to be loved and cherished by him; which, as it affords a rule and example to be followed by parents and children, the one to dispose of their children in marriage, and the other to have the consent of their parents in it; as well as it is a recommendation of marriage, as agreeable to the divine will, and to be esteemed honourable, being of God: so it was a type of the marriage of Christ, the second Adam, between him and his church, which sprung from him, from his side; and is of the same nature with him, and was presented by his divine Father to him, who gave her to him; and he received her to himself as his spouse and bride; see ( Ephesians 5:29-32 ) .


FOOTNOTES:

F14 (Nbyw) "et aedificavit", Pagninus, Montanus, Vatablus, Piscator

Genesis 2:22 In-Context

20 And Adam called by their names all living things, and all volatiles [of (the) heaven(s)], and all unreasonable beasts of [the] earth. Forsooth to Adam was not found an helper like him. (And so Adam named all the living things, yea, all the birds of the air, and all the unreasoning beasts of the earth. But there was not found for Adam a helper like himself.)
21 Therefore the Lord God sent sleep into Adam, and when he slept, God took one of his ribs, and filled flesh for it. (And so the Lord God sent sleep into Adam, and while he slept, God took one of his ribs, and then closed up the flesh over that place.)
22 And the Lord God builded the rib which he had taken from Adam into a woman, and brought her to Adam.
23 And Adam said, This is now a bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; this shall be called virago, for she is taken (out) of man (she shall be called Woman, for she was taken from Man).
24 Wherefore a man shall forsake [his] father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife, and they shall be twain in one flesh [and two shall be in one flesh].
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.