Genesis 2:20 - Printer Friendly

ESV: The man gave names to all livestock and to the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper fit for him.

NIV: So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals. But for Adam no suitable helper was found.

NASB: The man gave names to all the livestock, and to the birds of the sky, and to every animal of the field, but for Adam there was not found a helper suitable for him.

CSB: 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 corresponding to him.

NLT: He gave names to all the livestock, all the birds of the sky, and all the wild animals. But still there was no helper just right for him.

KJV: And Adam gave names to all cattle, 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.

NKJV: So Adam gave names to all cattle, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper comparable to him.

In the previous verse, God brought the animals to the man in order for him to name them. Whatever the man called them, God allowed that to stand as their name. This is a sign of great honor, since naming something in biblical times was a sign of ownership and authority. God also seems to be taking pleasure in watching man use the intellect and creativity which makes him unique in creation (Genesis 1:26-27). The man gives names to all the livestock, birds, and wild animals.

And then, in this verse, the Bible calls the man by his name for the first time: Adam. Up until now, this unique creature has been referred to as hā' ā'dām, literally meaning "the man." This name reflects the dust from which we were formed: the Hebrew word for "ground" is adamah. Here, however, the first human being is simply referred to as ā'dām, literally "Man," now taking on the nature of a personal name.

The story-sense of verses 19 and 20 is that, as Adam was naming the animals and birds, he was looking for one that might serve as his helper and companion. It becomes clear that none of the animals are suitable (Genesis 2:20). Adam needed someone who would "correspond" to him (Genesis 2:18). The fact that no animal suits this purpose is an important aspect of Scripture: humanity is truly distinctive, and meant for a truly unique relationship with other people.

Genesis 2:15–25 returns to provide details about the sixth-day creation of human beings. After being crafted out of the substance of earth, man is placed in a garden by God. He is then given responsibility to care for the plants and trees there. God's first and only prohibition to the man is not to eat from the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, in the middle of the garden, on promise of death. Man is also charged with naming the animals, an act reflecting his God-given authority. God recognizes that it is not good for man to be alone and makes woman to be his helper, companion, and wife, establishing the pattern of God's design for human marriage.

Genesis 2 begins with a description of the seventh day of creation, in which God rested from His work. Then it returns to the sixth day and describes in more detail the creation of man, the garden God placed him into, and the work God gave him to do. God recognizes that it is not good for man to be alone and makes a helper for him out of his own rib. This woman becomes Adam's companion and wife, setting the original example of God's design for marriage. The two exist in pure innocence, naked yet unashamed before sin enters into the world.

Genesis 2 concludes the description of God's week of creation and then zooms in on the creation of man, his work, his perfect environment, and the creation of woman as his helper and wife. It is our last glimpse of the world before it is ravaged by human sin and death with the disobedience of Adam and Eve in chapter 3. Where chapter 1 gave a full overview of creation, this chapter focuses more on a few specific events. These are crucial to understanding the fall of man.

The book of Genesis establishes fundamental truths about God. Among these are His role as the Creator, His holiness, His hatred of sin, His love for mankind, and His willingness to provide for our redemption. We learn not only where mankind has come from, but why the world is in its present form. The book also presents the establishment of Israel, God's chosen people. Many of the principles given in other parts of Scripture depend on the basic ideas presented here in the book of Genesis. Within the framework of the Bible, Genesis explains the bare-bones history of the universe leading up to the captivity of Israel in Egypt, setting the stage for the book of Exodus.