Eve's Role in the Bible
Eve’s Role in the Bible
Eve, she was said to be the wife of Adam at the beginning of Genesis. Eve was created in the Garden of Eden to be the wife of Adam, as he was lonely. As a result, God decides that, "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him. And God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; And the rib, which God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man (Genesis 2:21–22).
According to Genesis 2:18 and 2:20, Eve was created to be a 'helper' for Adam. Did the biblical author intend Eve’s role to imply the subordination of women to men? Reading the Bible with all it’s many versions can lead one to think one and then to want to reread to make sure it’s what we read or grew up with. Being a student always interested in history, I found that there could be many versions told of an event. Eve’s role in the Bible is one of them that intrigued me because according to older versions of the Bible, Eve was not the first. So reading the new account in the King James Version gave me a sense of where the author was going with her role.
By reading, it can be hard to tell if someone is actually implying verses trying to teach the reader a moral or story. Personally, I believe that the author may have implied that women were to be submissive because of a previous story he had heard regarding Adam and Eve. In this essay, I want to reflect the various authors, scholars, and history that may go in the favor of my thoughts on the matter.
One of the most prominent stories told to state that Eve may have been a submissive option was due to the story of the Lilith. Lilith has many origins. In one version of the bin-Sira version of the Bible, Lilith is the first wife of Adam (before Eve) and was created at the same time that god created Adam. Soon, they began to quarrel with each other. She said to him: I will not lie
Eve, she was said to be the wife of Adam at the beginning of Genesis. Eve was created in the Garden of Eden to be the wife of Adam, as he was lonely. As a result, God decides that, "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him. And God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; And the rib, which God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man (Genesis 2:21–22).
According to Genesis 2:18 and 2:20, Eve was created to be a 'helper' for Adam. Did the biblical author intend Eve’s role to imply the subordination of women to men? Reading the Bible with all it’s many versions can lead one to think one and then to want to reread to make sure it’s what we read or grew up with. Being a student always interested in history, I found that there could be many versions told of an event. Eve’s role in the Bible is one of them that intrigued me because according to older versions of the Bible, Eve was not the first. So reading the new account in the King James Version gave me a sense of where the author was going with her role.
By reading, it can be hard to tell if someone is actually implying verses trying to teach the reader a moral or story. Personally, I believe that the author may have implied that women were to be submissive because of a previous story he had heard regarding Adam and Eve. In this essay, I want to reflect the various authors, scholars, and history that may go in the favor of my thoughts on the matter.
One of the most prominent stories told to state that Eve may have been a submissive option was due to the story of the Lilith. Lilith has many origins. In one version of the bin-Sira version of the Bible, Lilith is the first wife of Adam (before Eve) and was created at the same time that god created Adam. Soon, they began to quarrel with each other. She said to him: I will not lie
References: Harris, S.L. (2007). Understanding the Bible (7th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill. Holy Bible: King James Version. Lilith. Retrieved from the Lilith Gallery on August 2, 2008 from http://www.lilithgallery.com Lorenzini, D. Massimiliano. (2006). The Role of Women in Church. Retrieved from Frontline Ministries on August 2, 2008 from http://www.frontlinemin.org/women.asp