What does it mean when the Lord said he would create for Adam “an help meet for him”?

Keywords

Creation, Christianity, Help meet, Marriage, Genesis

Abstract

The Lord, after creating Adam, saw that he was alone in the garden, and declared, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.” (Gen. 2:18.) As indicated in a footnote to Genesis 2:18 in the LDS edition of the Bible (note 18b), the Hebrew term for the phrase “help meet for him” (‘ezer kenegdo) literally means “a helper suited to, worthy of, or corresponding to him.” The King James translators rendered this phrase “help meet”—the word meet in sixteenth-century English meaning “fitting” or “proper.” It might be clearer if there were a comma after “help”—“I will make him an help, meet for him.”

Original Publication Citation

“I Have a Question: ‘What does it mean when the Lord said he would create for Adam “an help meet for him”’?’ Ensign 24:1 (January 1994): 54-55.

Document Type

Peer-Reviewed Article

Publication Date

1994-1

Permanent URL

http://hdl.lib.byu.edu/1877/6437

Publisher

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Language

English

College

Religious Education

Department

Ancient Scripture

University Standing at Time of Publication

Full Professor

Link to Full Text

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