THE FIRST BOOK OF MOSES CALLED
GENESIS
CHAPTER 2
Creation completed—God rests on the seventh day—Prior spirit creation explained—Adam and Eve placed in Garden of Eden—They are forbidden to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil—Adam names every living creature—Adam and Eve are married by the Lord.
1 THUS the heavens and the earth were finished, [ Or the creation of them was completed. One of the first problems defined in Gen 1:2 without form or in chaos; was completed - the world was given form. ] and all the host of them. [ The second problem defined in Gen 1:2, the world was void, unpopulated, now he provides a population for the earth. Joseph Fielding Smith stated: It is reasonable to believe that in the beginning, before the earth was prepared, the Lord would have all things organized from the beginning to the end of time. This is equivalent to the Lord's saying that everything was in preparation to be placed on the earth in its due course when mankind should be placed upon it. Answers to Gospel Questions Vol 5:182. ]
2 And on the seventh day [ Seventh period of time Abr 3. ] God ended his work which he had made; and he rested [ After his six days of creative activity, God “rested” on the seventh day (Heb. shabat in Gen 2:2; and nuakh in Exod 20:11). Elsewhere in the Old Testament God’s “rest” (or “resting-place”) [Heb. menukhah; related to the verb "nuakh"] and is equated with Mt. Zion (the city of Jerusalem), and in particular with the place of the sanctuary or temple (e.g., Isa 66:1-2). Note especially Ps 132:8, 13, 14: “Arise, O LORD, to your resting place [or ‘rest’; Heb. menukhah]; you, and the ark of your strength. . . . For the LORD has chosen Zion; he has desired it for his habitation. This is my resting place [or ‘rest’; Heb. menukhah] for ever: here will I dwell; for I have desired it.” Solomon quotes these words of Ps 132 almost verbatim in his prayer at the dedication of the temple (2 Chron 6:41-42). The intertextual link between God’s “rest” on the seventh day of creation and his “rest” in later the sanctuary/Temple, suggests that God not only rested from his work on that first Sabbath, but entered into his “rest” (or “resting place”), i.e., was enthroned and dedicated the “temple/sanctuary” which he had created. ] on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. [ So man has not be placed into the garden until after God has rested on the seventh day. Does this add any signifigance to the sabbath day for us? See also Moses 3:2. ]
3 And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: [ Made it holy Note that this was done the first time in the very beginning, then given again as a command to Moses in the 10 Commandments Ex 20:8-11. We can see how God sanctified [qadash] the Sabbath in Exod 29:43 where he indicates that he/God will sanctify His tabernacle. How did God sanctify his sanctuary? “the tabernacle shall be sanctified by my glory.” This was fulfilled after the sanctuary was constructed and “the work was finished”: God’s glory filled the sanctuary (Exod 40:34-35). Just as God sanctified time after his creation work was finished, by filling the seventh day with his presence, so he sanctified space (the tabernacle) after its work of construction was finished, by filling it with his glory. ] because that in it he had rested [ Had gone to his sanctified space (his sanctuary/temple) verse 2. So the first thing God did after finishing the creation of the earth was to plant a garden, a holy garden temple which he did as a place where he could rest. There is a ledgen held by The Australian Aboriginals that said this of the creator God “he made his home in the mountain talking with the animals and the men and women whom he had created. There was communion of spirit between them. For the period of rest after the labors of creation were a refreshment to the great spirit. Round his earthly home, the flowers bloomed in profusion." ] from all his work which God created and made.
4 ¶ These are the generations [ Hebrew for generations is (towldah) meaning accounting or story. ] of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God [ Jesus Christ. ] made the earth and the heavens,
5 And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, [ All things were made first in the spirit by God before they were made physically. Mos 3:5. ] and every herb of the field before it grew: for the LORD God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground. [ We were spirit children of our Heavenly Parents first, and there is a fixed number assigned to get bodies here on this earth Artilces of Faith pg 175. We were created long before the earth because we know that the plan of salvation was presented to the spirits or intelligences before the earth was created Abraham 3:22-28; Doctrines of Salvation Vol 1:75-76. ]
7 And the LORD God formed man [ Immediately after forming Adam, God places Adam directly in the garden or the temple, the temple that he, God, “planted” or built so that he, God, had a place where he could dwell on earth. In other words, the first thing God does with Adam is place him in the holiest place on earth, in his temple, where Adam can be in direct contact with God. And this is reinforced in Genesis 2:15. ] of the dust [ The natural elements that make up the earth. Since Adam was to be bound by the laws that were established in the creation for this earth it is only fitting that he be created from the elements of this earth to which the laws apply. It must be important to specify this "created from the dust" as it is found in all references to the creation of man. ] of the ground, [ The physical creation. ] and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; [ “Breath” in both Hebrew and Greek means spirit. The 17 May 1843 in the evening, the Prophet went to hear Samuel A. Prior, a Methodist preacher. At the close of the preacher’s remarks, Joseph Smith offered some corrections that included verses 7-8: Joseph Smith said "The 7th verse of Chapter 2 Genesis ought to read God breathed into Adam his spirit or breath of life, but when the word “ruach” applies to Eve it should be translated lives." (Lyndon W. Cook, The Revelations of the Prophet Joseph Smith). ] and man became a living soul. [ See D&C 88:15 or a spirit in a physical body. The spirit of man is not a created being; it existed from eternity, and will exist to eternity.
Anything created cannot be eternal; and earth, water, etc., had their existence in an elementary state, from eternity. (HC 3:387.) Joseph Fielding Smith also taught that life and matter are eternal: The scriptures plainly and repeatedly affirm that God is the Creator of the earth and the heavens and all things that in them are. In the sense so expressed the Creator is an Organizer. God created the earth as an organized sphere; but He certainly did not create, in the sense of bringing into primal existence, the ultimate elements of the materials of which the earth consists, for "the elements are eternal."
so also life is eternal, and not created; but life, or the vital force, may be infused into organized matter, though the details of the process have not been revealed unto man. (First Presidency, MFP 5:26.). ]
Anything created cannot be eternal; and earth, water, etc., had their existence in an elementary state, from eternity. (HC 3:387.) Joseph Fielding Smith also taught that life and matter are eternal: The scriptures plainly and repeatedly affirm that God is the Creator of the earth and the heavens and all things that in them are. In the sense so expressed the Creator is an Organizer. God created the earth as an organized sphere; but He certainly did not create, in the sense of bringing into primal existence, the ultimate elements of the materials of which the earth consists, for "the elements are eternal."
so also life is eternal, and not created; but life, or the vital force, may be infused into organized matter, though the details of the process have not been revealed unto man. (First Presidency, MFP 5:26.). ]
8 ¶ And the LORD God [ It says here specifically that the garden was planted by God himself in this specific location, it was to be Gods first temple on earth, a place where he could safely dwell, and before the fall there was no sin so it was a place for both man and God to dwell together. ] planted [ The Hebrew word for plant is "nata" it is interesting that Moses uses this same Hebrew verb "nata" or “to plant” to refer to his holy sanctuary on Mount Sinai in (Exodus 15:17, 1 Chr 17:9 also Isaiah 51:16 when God plants the lost ten tribes in the heavens) it reads, “Thou shalt bring them in and plant them in the mountain of thine inheritance in the place, O Lord, which thou hast made for thee to dwell in, in the Sanctuary, O Lord, which thy hands have established.” So, Moses is clearly stating here that the Lord was the one who built his temple in the mountain so that the Lord would have a place to dwell on earth and that God’s people were to be planted in the temple, because it was their inheritance. ] a garden [ Eden and the garden are not the same things. Thirteen times in Genesis 2–3 the space in Eden is called a “garden” (gan), which in context describes not a vegetable garden but a park, or even a [tropical] paradise (cf. the reference to this garden as “Paradise” in Rev 2:7), filled with lush vegetation and teeming with animal life (Gen 2:8-9, 19-20). The references to the portrayals of the natural world in the later sanctuaries seem to hark back to this Eden paradise. There is in the Mosaic tabernacle the seven-branched lampstand in the shape of an almond tree with flowers (Exod 25:33-34; 37:19-20; 1 Kgs 7:49; 2 Chron 4:7). Lily work appeared on the tops of the two free-standing pillars of Solomon’s temple, and representations of oxen, lions, and more lilies and palm trees in the laver (1 Kgs 7:26, 29, 36). Carved in the Solomonic architecture—on the walls round about, and on the doors—were palm trees and open flowers (1 Kgs 6:29, 32, 35). These artistic portrayals seem to be representative of the return to the lost Garden, the earth’s original sanctuary. ] eastward in Eden; [ Which means closest to God, "luxury" and "delight". In Hebrew it is translated as the “Garden of Delights as well as garden of God.” There’s Eden the place, and then there is the Garden “eastward” in Eden. In every reference we have, it says that Adam was placed in the Garden of Eden. Independence, Jackson county Missouri Journal of Discourses 10:235. The word Eden means "luxury" and "delight." Thus Eden connotes a situation of abundance. The Garden of Eden was situated with an eastward orientation just as with the later sanctuaries (Exod 27:13-16; 36:20-30; 38:13-18; and is implied in 1 Kgs 7:39 and 2 Chr 4:10;11 Ezek 47:1). The Hebrew for east means "faceward or frontward"; thus, driving Adam from before his face is part of the continuing east- ward movement (see Alma 42:2). ] and there he [ God. ] put [ So, immediately after forming Adam, God places Adam directly in the garden sanctuary or the temple, the temple that he, God, “planted” or built. So, that he, God, had a place where he could dwell on earth. In other words, the first thing God does with Adam is place him in the holiest place on earth, in his temple, where Adam can be in direct contact with God. And this is reinforced in Genesis 2:15 ] the man whom he had formed.
9 And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food;< [ These were the specific species that were selected for the garden, the ones that were good to smell, look at and to eat. Each of these elements-God's hand in the planting of the garden, his divine presence there, the fruit and herbs designed as food for both man and beast, and the river of water that provided a source of life for the plants-denote a place of abundance and prosperity. ] the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, [ Note where the tree is planted. It is not planted on the edge of the garden, it is not hidden deep withing the garden, but in the midst of the garden - suggesting in the middle, in plain sight. The Hebrew phrase corresponding to “in the midst” means literally “in the center.” and The Hebrew word for “midst”, translated from the Hebrew "betok" is “The precise term for the living presence of God “in the midst” or betok of his people in the sanctuary(temple)(Exod 25:8; Lev 26:12). The Lord had his choice of where to place it certainly. So why place it there? I suppose there is a great deal we can learn about our experience here on earth from a review of it's placement. Lehi taught there there must needs be opposition in all things... 2 Ne. 2:11 So it is that agency, choice is fundamental in our ability to overcome to grow, to become like him. The Tree of Life was in the central most point of the garden that was within the land of Eden, symbolizing that God is the center of all things, or God dwells in the center of his earthly temple. The tree of life in the Garden of Eden (Gen 2:9) recalls the seven-branched menorah in the sanctuary, fashioned in the shape of a tree (Exod 25:31-36). Scholarly studies provide evidence that the temple menorah was a stylized tree of life. In the Mosaic sanctuary and Solomonic Temple, the ark (symbolizing the presence of God on his throne. ] and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. [ The tree of life is opposite of the "tree of knowledge of good and evil" which was also called the "tree of death".( see lngvild Saelid Gilhus, "The Tree of Life and the Tree of Death," Religion: Journal of Religion and Religions 17 (Oct. 1987): 337-53.) The tree that figuratively referes to how and why and in what manner mortality and all that appertains to it came into being - A New Witness for The Articles Of Faith pg 86 Bruce R. McConkie. Explanations have been advanced attempting to explain how both the Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge could share the center of the Garden. It has been suggested that these two trees were actually different aspects of a single tree, and that they shared a common trunk, or were somehow intertwined.
While that may not matter it is interesting to note that it is intentional that both were placed at the center of the garden. The dramatic irony of the story is also heightened by the fact that while the reader is informed about both trees, Adam and Eve are only told specifically about the Tree of Knowledge. Later we will see how Satan exploits their ignorance to his advantage. Trees symbolically represent the concepts of life, earth, and heaven. To Isaiah the temple was the symbol of the center. In ancient Israel, the holiest spot on earth was believed to be the Foundation Stone in front of the Ark within the Holy of Holies of the temple at Jerusalem.
The symbolism of the “sacred center” in ancient thought helps clarify the important roles that the Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge played “in the midst” of the Garden of Eden. The center is the most holy place, and the degree of holiness decreases in proportion to the distance from that center. We can take this in a way to reflect on what our "sacred center" is or what is our most important choice is - God or the world. ]
[ So we have three references to the tree of life. The is first one is here in verse 9, where it is placed in the center of Eden's Garden, it is opposite of the "tree of knowledge of good and evil," which is also referred to as "the tree of death", the tree of life is found in the same context in the very next verse, as the river ]
10 And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; [ We are taught that the river goes from a part of Eden into the garden. So part of Eden is higher than the Garden of Eden as water always flows downhill. This alludes to the presence of a mountain as the river originated in Eden. Assuming that the natural laws of gravitation were in effect during this primordial era, the
rivers of Eden would have flowed downward, suggesting that at least a part of the Eden territory was located at an elevation higher (i.e., a moun-
tain) than the garden. This is further delineated in Ezekiel 28:11-16 where the king is told: "Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God .... Thou
art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God .... Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee .... Thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God" (vv.
13-16)." ] and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads. [ The river goes in four cardinal directions from the garden. Implies that the Garden of Eden was placed on an elevated position, for example, a mountain: the four rivers flow from a common source in four different directions, and this seems possible only if the rivers are flowing down from an elevated or mountain location. This is also symbolic with the phrase ‘the mountain of the Lord’.” So, this association between temples and mountains is ubiquitous in the world. The river splitting into four rivers has significance in the ancient Near East cultures. The number four was symbolic of many important concepts (we will just discuss two of them). First, it was another way to symbolize the center of all things. So, if one started from the cardinal points and drew a line directly from each point towards the middle, the lines would intersect in the very center. In fact, the word “temple” is actually associated with this very concept. In Greek, the word temenos, from which our word temple is likely derived, means “to cut”, and this refers to the cardo, being the north-south line, and the decumanus, the east-west line. In other words, the four rivers flowing from the Garden of Eden emphasized in yet another way that God dwelt in his temple in the center of all things. And if we follow the four rivers back to their origin, we are back to the absolute perfect center of all things and all life, which would be God’s throne.
In the ancient Near East symbolism, the number four also represented geographic totality. Or the fact that entire earth was flooded by the influence of these four rivers - every direction possible(completeness). So when the text suggests that waters of Eden flowed from the center to the four corners was just another way of saying that God’s influence, his light and goodness flowed out from his temple and then covered the entire earth.
Additionally; if the laws of gravitation were in play in the garden then we can assume that the west end of the garden was on higher ground(water runs down hill). Communing with God was a simple matter for man, because
man could climb the mountain of Eden, then the tree of life, and ascend to heaven.(Mircea Eliade, "Yearning for Paradise," 1959: 260.) Which also fits with information provided by 2 Enoch 31:2 which states that in the beginning God gave Adam "open heavens" so that the first man could "look upon the angels." ]
11 The name of the first [ Referring to the river. ] is Pison: that is it which compasseth the whole land of Havilah, [ Gen. 10:29 (7, 29); 25:18; Moses 3:11; Genesis 10:7 And the sons of Cush; Seba, and Havilah, and Sabtah, and Raamah, and Sabtecha: and the sons of Raamah; Sheba, and Dedan.
29 And Ophir, and Havilah, and Jobab: all these were the sons of Joktan. ] where there is gold;
13 And the name of the second river is Gihon: the same is it that compasseth the whole land of Ethiopia.
14 And the name of the third river is Hiddekel: that is it which goeth toward the east of Assyria. And the fourth river is Euphrates.
15 And the LORD God took the man, [ Or Adam; who was also known as Michael BD:Adam. It is only Adam at this point. ] and put [ When Moses first states that God “put” the man in the Garden he does not use the common Hebrew word for “put,” Hebrew: "sim" (used over 800 times in the OT), but rather Moses used the less common verb "nuakh", which literally means “to cause to rest.” This is interesting with the connection of God resting on the Sabbath and our responsibility to worship of God on that day as well (Exod 20:11; 23:12; Deut 5:14), additionally this verb (or its noun form "menukhah") refers to God’s “resting place” or in His sanctuary/temple (Num 10:36; Ps 132:8, 14; Isa 66:1; 1 Chr 28:2). By shifting from "sim" to "nuakh" here, Moses is setting the tone for the worship-oriented interpretation of this verse, with Adam and Eve as priests serving in the Eden sanctuary. So "to put Adam in the Garden of Eden" could just as easily be translated, "God took Adam and put him in the garden temple to rest". Anciently "rest" did not equate to inactivity, to leisure, to doing nothing and has more to do with trust that God is in charge that he has done the work and that all things are under his control. When he finished the creation we are taught that he rested. During that resting period he however watched things and made sure thet they were good. In a way to see if they were trusting in him, in his plan. It is the same for us as well.(Alma 13:6) ] him [ Adam. It is interesting that the cardinal directions in Greek were Anatoli (East), Dices (West), Arktos (North), and Mesembria (South). Symbolized by the square. So if one takes the Greek names for the cardinal points and uses the first letters as an anagram. It spells A, Anatol (A), Dicis (D), Arctos (A), and Mycembria (M). In Greek, the cardinal points are or spell A, D, A, M, Adam. So, Adam is a reference to the four cardinal points, which is a reference to the entire earth. ] into the garden of Eden [ So God places Adam directly in the holiest spot on earth and then he will give him an assignment. ] to dress it and to keep it. [ "dress" (work, to tend) to take care of the garden, to keep it, he gives Adam a stewardship over the earth. 'ab.ad'. It.s. root meaning in Hebrew is connected with the concepts of service and labor, both secular and religious. In a religious sense, the term expressly points to constructing the tabernacle (see Exodus 35:24), repairing the temple (see 2 Chronicles 34:13), and working with fine linen (see 1 Chronicles 4:21).35 According to one Hebrew lexicon, 'iig_afi means "to worship" or "to perform a cultic rite." During the late Second Temple period, the term was also associated with temple worship, but often mentioned in connection with a sacred tree.
Richard Davison and ancient Hebrew and biblical scholar says, “When viewed in this light of their sanctuary context, the paired use of the two Hebrew terms ‘abad’ (avad) ‘to dress or to tend’, and shamar (to keep), to describe the work of Adam and Eve in the Eden garden, becomes highly significant. According to this verse, the first couple were put in the garden to “tend” (avad) and to “keep” (shamar) it. These Hebrew terms literally mean to “serve” (priestly responsibility) and “guard”(the responsibility of a king) respectively(they will later be given named with these respective responsibilities Priest/King; Priestess/Queen), but apply more than the fact that Adam and Eve were entrusted with a responsible stewardship of serving and protecting their environment. Elsewhere in the whole Old Testament, in the setting of the sanctuary, consistently function as a technical expression for the service of the priests and Levites in the sanctuary. Thus, the use of this paired terminology in the setting of the Eden Garden sanctuary clearly implies a priestly function for the first couple in the Garden of Eden.” So symbolically in essence first thing God does after forming Adam, is assign him the responsibility to work in his temple as these are the two assignments that are later given elsewhere in the old testament as specific duties of the priests and Levites as to their role in the tabernacle/temple. If you think about that, right from the beginning of man(adam) God institutionalizes a temple-based religion, a temple-based theology. So the question then arises is this the point that God gives them the priesthood? Because it is here that God is instructing Adam how he wants him to serve what work he is to perform, which are closely related to priestly duties. See Gen 3:21. "The Priesthood was first given to Adam; he obtained the First Presidency, and held the keys of it from generation to generation. He obtained it in the Creation, before the world was formed, as in Genesis 1:26, 27, 28." (Teachings Of The Prophet Joseph Smith pg 157). ]
16 And the LORD God commanded the man, [ First instance here of God himself talking to man(Adam) ie direct revelation through speaking to Adam. This commandment is given to Adam as Eve has not been formed until verse 18. Useage of singular masculine pronouns in the text suggest that Eve is not present when this commandment is given to Adam. God gave humanity the freedom to choose good or evil in the Garden of Eden once a person chooses he isn’t free to decide the consequences. ] saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: [ Adam is given and reminded of his agency. the only creature that God has created with agency. Without the divine power to choose, humanity cannot progress to be like him. Conference Report Oct 1963:5 In essense this was not a transgression of a commandment Answers to Gospel Questions Vol 4 pg 81. ]
17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, [ To enter into mortality with a mortal body, to enter into full agency, and to have awakened in us the light of Christ. ] thou shalt not eat of it: [ Is this more of a warning than a command? Remember that God says "If they yield to temptation we will provide a Savior for them". Or if they choose to go a different direction that what I have recommended. A warning that if you do eat of it there will be consequences. The Lord first needs to teach accountability for action, then he will teach the law of obedience - and until they are under that law there can be no sin. At least if you want to stay in my presence, in the garden of Eden..if you don’t eat all the food on your plate you don’t get desert. Because if you do... Note when this commandment was given - Eve is not present here when the commandment is given. we also know that Eve does know about the commandment so did she learn about it from Adam telling her? so we might ask ourselves - why did God not wait until after Eve was formed to give the commandment? ] for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. [ Remember that 1,000 years to man is but 1 day to God. Adam lived to be 930 years old so he did die on the day that he partook of the fruit. God affixed a consequence to eating the fruit. If he had not, as already discussed, Adam and Eve could not have chosen for themselves--could not have exercised agency--to eat it. Note that the consequence happened--Adam did die spiritually very soon after eating the fruit (was thrust out of the presence of the Lord but could still repent) and physically in the same day (of the Lord's time). Hd much more to do with a Word of Wisdom--note D&C 89:19. Also recommend reading Jesus the Christ, p. 30. "You shall surely die" is מ֥וֹת תָּמֽוּתת (mowt ta-mut) in Hebrew, and is a double-use of the root for “death” that usually implies emphasis or certainly (i.e. you shall SURELY die).
There’s debate over whether the phrase is intended as a judicial pronouncement (punishment for breaking a commandment) or as a (loving) warning of the natural effects of a (necessary) choice. Both are supported to an extend by other instances of this phrase in the biblical text, so it’s an interpretive choice how you take it (I’m sure you could guess which one I prefer 😉 ).
But if we look at the concept from an Egyptian perspective it gets really interesting.
In ancient Egyptian, we see that this word, “mawt,” is the SAME word used for BOTH death and mother. 😮
But more accurately, and importantly, remember that the concept of of death as we have it (i.e. the ultimate end of life) wasn’t really there in ancient Egyptian culture… rather death was merely a transition, a “moving to the afterlife.”
To die is to move from one life to the next—literally (mortal death) or figuratively (think baptism, forsaking your old life…).
To mother is to bring a soul from one life to the next—literally (as a physical birther) or figuratively (as a spiritual birther, or one who teaches wisdom and brings new life to someone’s understanding).
Every birth is also a death, because it requires that we leave behind an old life.
Thus to mother is to birth, but to mother is also to die…
To transcend one life, to seek the next step of progress…
to TRANSGRESS the limits of a stagnant life.
so I wonder if this phrase, “you shall surely die” might actually be more like a promise to Eve, a reminder of her fore-ordination, and her role as Mother of All Living…
In the day that you partake of the fruit you shall surely become the mother of all living in that you shall:
• transgress the bounds of your stagnant state,
• die from this life in the garden,
• be born into a mortal life,
• enable all mankind to “die” from their spirit limits and to progress—to be born—to this new world.
Mother, death, transgression… are any of those words really anything but progression? The next step in an eternal plan? ]
18 ¶ And the LORD God said, [ Second instance of God himself talking to man(Adam), direct revelation through speaking to Adam. ] It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. [ Hebrew: "ezer kenegdo". Help as, KA as, neged opposite and O his. As his opposite. Neged is used in discussions in modern Hebrew. So if you've got a neged, you've got a dialogue partner. someone who you're looking at them face to face is the implication and your equals. You're speaking as equals. And so if you think almost like a mirror image. Eve is his mirror image and a mirror image is similar to you but it's opposite of you. So there's this complementary nature. And ezer is a very powerful word. Don Parry from BYU has done some really nice work on ezer often being associated with the kinds of help that God gives. Ezer means help and then meet. One who meets him. And if we're going to be more liberal now with the idea and it includes some Latter-day Saint thinking in this. “One who does that which he does not or cannot. One who completes.” They complete each other is the idea as equals. So it's a help, a divine help who is his complementary opposite.
Help and meet are two separate words (hence the space between them). According to Webster’s 1828 Dictionary means “to be suited to,” “adapted to,” and “qualified for.”
God didn’t just create Eve to be a “helper.” He created her as a “help” divinely suited to Adam and vice versa. On a fundamental level, they were made for each other. God designed their natures to best help, complement, and inspire one another. He tailored them to the unique strengths, weaknesses, and differences they would both bring to the table as husband and wife. All the animals exist in male and female - Adam or man does not have a female partner yet. meet means that which is necessary see Mos 3:18. Was Eve created second in order to demonstrate Adam’s helplessness before the first tree. We might ask, “Could it be—two people, two trees—that Eve was foreordained to partake first of the First Tree?” Dr Hudson proposes that partaking of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil means “to enter into mortality with a mortal body, to enter into full agency, and to have awakened in us the light of Christ.” She attributes the purposes of the two trees in the Garden of Eden to the different stewardships of men and women. “It is through women that souls journey to mortality and gain their agency, and in general it is through the nurturing of women … that the light of Christ is awakened within each soul.” Every soul born into mortality comes through a woman. Dr. Hudson goes on: “The fruit of the First Tree symbolizes the gift that women give to every soul that chooses the plan of Christ. It symbolizes the role and power of women in the Great Plan of Happiness. It was not, in this view, right or proper for Adam to partake first from the fruit of the First Tree. It was not his role to give the gift of the fruit of the First Tree to others. It is interesting to think that even Adam, who was created before Eve, entered into full mortality and full agency by accepting the gift of the First Tree from the hand of a woman. In a sense, Adam himself was born of Eve.” Where does this leave Adam and his stewardship? Dr. Hudson asserts that Adam and the sons of Adam are given stewardship over the Second Tree, the Tree of Life. They are to administer all the ordinances and covenants that are necessary for the children of God to return home to their heavenly parents. She states, “Just as the veil into this life is guarded by the women, the daughters of God, so the veil that brings us home, is administered and guarded by the sons of God.” There are also two “hearkenings.” “Just as Adam hearkened to Eve in partaking of the fruit of the First Tree, so Eve hearkened to Adam in accepting the fruit of the Second Tree.” (Valerie M. Hudson, transcript of address given at FAIR Conference 2010, accessed at http://www.fairlds.org/FAIR_Conference/2010_The_To_Trees.html January 7, 2012.). ]
19 And out of the ground [ The elements that were placed here in the begininng were used to complete the physical creation. ] the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam [ All creatures obeyed the command of God, so if all of the element obey the commands of God and all of the creatures do as they are commanded. what does that say about us? ] to see what he [ Adam. ] would call them: [ This was one of the responsibilities that Adam was given in the creation presidency was to name the animals. It is important to note that in the Egyptian mind nothing existed until it was given a name, which was it's identity so the names where chosen with intent. Here again we can note that the final name given is to Eve as she is not around when Adam names the rest of the animals. So Adam is still in the garden when he names the animals. He does not just pull names out of thin air, each name has meaning and he understood them. ] and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. [ This is interesting here. We read back in Gen 1:5,8,10 that as part of the creation process God named things like "day" and "night" (verse 5); "heaven" (verse 8); "earth" (verse 10) and here he is now giving Adam the responsibility to do so with every living creature, something to think about. So, for God to give Adam the authority to name every living things would suggest that Adam was in some way a co-creator in the creation process(temple context). Because for Adam to be able to perform this responsibility, he had to have had the ability to discern their true purpose. A professor emeritus of comparative religion at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Dr. Michael E. Stone quotes a fifth century author, Elise, who notes: “Those who are without names are reckoned with the uncreated, as though the created come from the uncreated through that; receiving names. Here the creative dimension of naming is made very explicit. Adam can name true names, which is an act of creation. Adam gave names, which means he created, and because he created, he was a companion, or partner, of God, in creation. Consequently, he was Lord of the creatures he named, and had authority over them.” ]
20 And Adam gave names to all cattle, [ He begins to exercise his righteous dominion. Note that Adam is alone for this task - he has to do it all by himself. Is this to give him some perspective for the decision that he will later have to make - to follow Eves example of partaking of the fruit and getting cast from the garden; which is better than being alone. Does he now begin to understand why he could use some help. JOKINGLY: Or does God not want this process to take another thousand years because they cannot agree on all the names; just let Adam do it - Eve can change them later. ] and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him. [ Means equal - So a campanion with full rights in partnership. This is not "helpmeet" which means "helper or servant or assistant"; but what it does mean is "Help that is vital for him" "that which is necessary, vital or required" see D&C 58:26; Moses 3:18. ]
21 And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, [ "The story of the rib, of course, is figurative" not literal but rather symbolic - to drive home the point that they are bone or my bones, flesh of my flesh, a team working together. Spencer W Kimball Ensign Mar 1976 pg 71. President Kimball talked about the rib. That Eve is created out of a rib. I often ask my students, "Do men have one less rib than women?" And I'll get a third of them to be like, "Yeah, they do." However; On average, women have the same number of ribs as men, which is 24, or 12 pairs. Both have the same number of ribs and that's a figurative story. And we'll talk about that in just a moment but what is figurative and what's literal. Then you say, "Tell me, which is which?" And I don't know. What's important is Adam and Eve were real and there is a Fall. ] and closed up the flesh instead thereof;
22 And the rib, [ (Heb. tsela‘, lit. “side”) It is noteworthy that the word tsela‘ appears most often in Scripture in connection with the construction of the Mosaic tabernacle and Solomon’s temple. ] which the LORD God had taken from man, made [ (Heb. banah) “built” the verb "banah" “build, architecturally design,” also a key term in references to the construction of the sanctuary (Ps 78:69) and the temple (at least 30 occurences of the verb in 1 Kgs 6–10 where the building of the Temple is mentioned). Thus the “rib/ side” used by the Lord as the basis for the “building” of Eve is another of the numerous hints or echoes of the tabernacle/Temple. ] he a woman, and brought her unto the man. [ Note the tenderness in which the Woman(Eve) is presented to Adam - they brought her to him they personally introduced them to each other; the Gods were involved in the details, the emotions of the joining of the two of them. ]
23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: [ Near Eastern phrase for "family or belonging to each other" ] she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. [ Some symbolism there as well not only was Eve taken from Adam figuratively, so is a women taken from man (her family to become part of Adams (or her husbands family). So the idea isn't, oh you've just got Adam, the guy. Now let's make Eve the woman. Symbolically speaking, it's more like there's this composite going on. There's this composite figure... And this isn't literal, this is figurative. But it's sort of like Adam, Eve or as President Kimball put it, "Mr. And Mrs. Adam." And then God's like, "No. That's not what we're looking for." Their power is in two, fully formed individuals and then the symbolism of the rib, I have cleaved you apart but you belong together. And it even says, “When he closed up the flesh, that you can't see it.” So you look at it and you're like, "No, I'm fine." And then God is saying, "No, you need each other." So relationships, marriage, family relationships are all implied here. This text is setting all of that up. ]
24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, [ Notice who is given pre-eminent role - the woman, she occupies the first place in the heart of a man above his parents, and likewise their children. Here we have the institution of marriage first created. “The great and primary objective of this part of the narrative is to set forth marriage as a divine ordinance…He who at the beginning made them male and female
pronounced the divine marriage law that man and wife are one flesh.” What’s interesting is that Jesus expands on this verse in Matthew chapter 19:4-6, and he’s talking here to the Pharisees, and Jesus says this, “Have you not read that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? The marriage between Adam and Eve took place in the garden which we have established was a temple. So, in other words, God married Adam and Eve in his temple, the holiest place on earth, at the top of the mountain, on the summit, by the Tree of Life, or the bush that burned with fire, which represented the fiery glory of God himself. And I also want to point out that from Jesus’s account in Matthew, Jesus seems to say that it was God himself who conducted the marriage ritual between Adam and Eve. ] and shall cleave [ To be closely united, to work together. This is a really interesting phrase here. It set up the rest of the story. They are supposed to stay together, to make decisions together, to cleave to each other and yet what happens. They are separated and when they are separated is when satan attacks. Another interesting point I think is that based on the story that we have, not everything has been explained to Eve, so she is possibly making decisions without the full context. Again another reason for them to stay together and make decisions together. We might ask, “Why is Eve alone with the Serpent?” Well, is that Eve's fault or is it Adam's fault or is it both of their errors that sort of puts her in this position where they cannot make this decision together? ] unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. [ One mentally, socially, sexually, and spiritually. To which they could not fully comply in the garden. If they are to be one then that does not imply any room for the parents to be in the middle of the two of them. This is a divine ordinance here as the sealing is done by God. Where they are two(male and female) they become one flesh. This is also referred to by Jesus himself in Matt. 19:4-6. It is of worthy note that it is here in the garden(God's sanctuary here on earth the the sealing takes place). ]