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Introduction to the Concept of Helper in Genesis
Welcome back to Bible Student Languages. Genesis 2:18 describes the woman Eve as a helper to Adam. What does this word helper mean? Does this mean that the woman is inferior to the man in the household? Well, let’s take a look at the original Hebrew. We’ll take a look at some original New Testament Greek on our next slide, and we’ll take a look at what these terms mean.
Examining the Hebrew Text of Genesis 2:18
And so they say, Va ויאמר, “And said Adonai Elohim, the Lord God.” So said the Lord God, “Lo לא, not tov טוב, it is not good, heyot להיות, should be ha ה the Adam, the man or Adam. It’s not good that the man or that Adam le to bed לבד, alone of him, for him to be alone.” It is said, “I will make lo לו for him as there a helper for him.” And so, I will make him a helper as there.
Now, a helper typically is not to be a second person who is inferior, kind of like a maybe a manager and an assistant manager. Is that what is going on here? Does helper here mean that the woman is inferior to the man or that the woman can only help with what the man is doing in a lesser way? Well, let’s take a look at Deuteronomy 33:26, which says,
God as Helper in Deuteronomy
“Ain אין none ki are like El אל God. Yesheron יושע of Jesheron. רוכב Rokev who rides Shemime שמים on the heavens. Now take a look at this, but in azer עזר in the help ha ה of you, in your help.”
So how does God describe himself? He describes himself as the help of Israel. So would he be describing the woman as a helper in a negative sense while also, in the same authorship of the first five books of the Old Testament, be describing himself in an inferior way as a helper? No, I don’t believe so.
Paul’s Teaching on Submission in Ephesians 5:22-33
Now, let’s take a look at what Paul says in Ephesians 5:22. It says this,
“Hey ה the Gnaeches נשות the wives, toys to Idios to your own Andresan husbands, Epotasus submit yourselves.”
Now notice something, is this submission something that is bad or exclusive to the woman? Absolutely not. One of Paul’s key themes in the book of Ephesians is that we are to submit ourselves to one another as a church body, just as we submit to Christ. Notice also this does not say for the husband to cause the wife to submit but instead to submit herself insofar as she is able.
Now this is typically, especially in the West, thought to be a very hurtful verse or very hurtful passage, and that’s because authority, especially in the household, is often seen with suspicion. The idea is that if a woman is going to submit herself fully to her husband, that her husband is going to inevitably abuse that power. But if someone was following in Ephesians, that would not even be possible with what we’re going to take a look at as the responsibility of the man.
The Responsibilities of Husbands
It says, “Hosts, as so, to carry you the Lord.” So she’s to submit herself to her husband because her husband, just as the Lord, is called to do something for her. It says,
“Hoy ה the Andres, the husbands, agopate, love Tas τις the Gnaeches the wives, he had own your own wives kathos καθως just as chaos χοσ so ho ο the Christos, just as also Christ Agapasen loved saying the Ecclesion the church Kκαι ηγαπησεν and he had own and himself Paradoκαν gave he pair for a place her.”
How did Christ love the church? So the woman is supposed to submit herself to the man. What does that mean? It means a man ultimately is responsible for his household.
The Sacrificial Love Required from Husbands
Now why does he just get that responsibility scot free? Well, he doesn’t. It says right here the man is supposed to care for his wife in the same way that Christ cared for the church, which, as it says right here, he gave himself for the church.
What does that mean? Well, of course, he gave himself on the cross to death. It says right here a husband is supposed to die not only to himself but maybe even physically—I think that could be argued—but a husband is supposed to at least die to himself in order to lead his wife well.
Conclusion: Helper is Not a Term of Inferiority
So is this a place of inferiority? Is this a place of putting down the woman? Absolutely not. Hope you enjoyed the video. Let me know your thoughts down below, and I hope to see you next time. Here are some more videos, YouTube things you’ll enjoy. And hey, if you made it all the way to the end, consider subscribing, leaving a like, or letting me know your thoughts down in the comments below. Can’t wait to see you next time!
