This essay was submitted on February 2, 2022 for my Bible and Western Culture course.
The articles by Dr. Phyllis Trible and Dr. Carol Meyers bring to light interpretations of Genesis 2-3 that reconsiders common assumptions in Western culture that affirm patriarchal notions. Both Trible and Meyers assert that a closer look at the text actually renders an interpretation that deems the creation of Adam and Eve to be reflective of an egalitarian partnership and the events in the Garden to be indicative of Eve as an active, intelligent character. Trible and Meyers each explore different aspects of the text in order to counter misconceptions that favour misogynistic ideals, fostering a new understanding of the text that feminists can appreciate rather than reject.
Both Trible and Meyers identify translation as a cause of misinterpretation and investigate the Hebrew text of Adam and Eve’s creation in order to uncover the idea of egalitarian partnership. The English translation commonly depicts the initial creation of man (Genesis 2:7) and the secondary creation of woman (Genesis 2:22), whom God had created out of the rib of man (Genesis 2:21) to provide man with a suitable helper (Genesis 2:18). Upon looking at the Hebrew etymology, Trible and Meyers identify that the first human created is denoted as ‘adham (Trible) or ’adam (Meyers), which is best understood as an androgynous, generic member of humankind (Trible 1; Meyers 10). This idea echoes a dominant belief among the Ancient Near East of the origins of humanity: many Mesopotamian conceptions involve a single human being of both male and female characteristics (Meyers 11). The creation of the first human is meant to emphasise the essential distinction between humans, the divine, and the other living creatures, rather than the idea that man is superior to woman (ibid.).
Following the creation of ‘adham/’adam, God wishes to create a suitable companion. Where many have translated the text to relay the creation of a second human to serve the first as a helper, Trible and Meyers note that the Hebrew text does not imply inferiority. The term ‘ezer is used as a relational term, also seen elsewhere in the Bible to denote God as the helper of Israel (Trible 1; Meyers 11). Meyers also considers another translation of ‘ezer that pertains to strength and power, observing that Israelite women had considerable power in agrarian households during the Iron Age (Meyers 12). ‘Ezer is joined by another term, neged (Trible) or kenegdo (Meyers), which indicates that the helper is to be on an equal level as ‘adham/’adam, a perfect counterpart in ways that other living creatures or God himself cannot be (Trible 1; Meyers 11).
As God removes the side of ‘adham/’adam to create woman in Genesis 2:21, man is also identified as what is left of ‘adham/’adam. Meyers speaks of the usage of sela, the Hebrew terms pertaining to the rib or side of ‘adham/’adam that is removed to create woman. A term often used in architectural contexts in the Bible, Meyers illustrates sela as one door of a two-door entrance: one door on its own is merely a door side, not the whole door. This conception of sela illuminates the nature of male and female as two identical halves that combine together to produce a whole human (Meyers 12). The removal of the female sela out of the androgynous ‘adham/’adam thus creates sexuality: the creation of woman identifies the man, and in sexual union they reflect the one flesh that they had once been (Trible 2; Meyers 13).
Turning to the events in Eden, Trible and Meyers highlight an interpretation of the text that illustrates Eve the predominant character in comparison to Adam. The biblical characterization of wisdom as feminine is foreshadowed through Eve as she exhibits intelligence through her interactions with the serpent (Meyers 16). Having a larger speaking part than her male counterpart, Eve displays theological understanding and sensibility as she contemplates the information from the serpent. Her decision to eat the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge is done independently by her own initiative, and it reflects her desire for greater wisdom (Trible 3; Meyers 16). As Trible notes, Adam is conversely passive as he takes the fruit without any sign of hesitation, contemplation, or theological consideration (Trible 3). Moreover, Trible makes the connection that original sin perverts all relationships between humanity and creation, including the relationship between man and woman. As women are stripped of initiative and freedom and men corruptly rule over their God-given counterpart (Genesis 3:16), women subordination taints the once harmonious and equal relationship and characterises the oppression brought on by the introduction of sin into the world (Trible 4).
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