Genesis 2:20

20 The man gave names to all the livestock, to the birds of the sky, and to every wild animal; but for the man^[a] no helper was found who was like him.

Genesis 2:20 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 2:20

And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowls of
the air, and to every beast of the field
As they came before him, and passed by him, paying as it were their homage to him, their lord and owner: but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him;
and perhaps this might be one reason of their being brought unto him, that he might become sensible that there was none among all the creatures of his nature, and that was fit to be a companion of his; and to him must this be referred, and not to God; not as if God looked out an help meet for him among the creatures, and could find none; but, as Aben Ezra observes, man could not find one for himself; and this made it the more grateful and acceptable to him, when God had formed the woman of him, and presented her before him.

Genesis 2:20 In-Context

18 Then the Lord God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is like him."

19 So the Lord God formed out of the ground each wild animal and each bird of the sky, and brought each to the man to see what he would call it. And whatever the man called a living creature, that was its name.

20 The man gave names to all the livestock, to the birds of the sky, and to every wild animal; but for the man no helper was found who was like him.

21 So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to come over the man, and he slept. God took one of his ribs and closed the flesh at that place.

22 Then the Lord God made the rib He had taken from the man into a woman and brought her to the man.

Footnotes

• [a]. Or for Adam