E is for Eve

Eve

khav-vaw’

Eve was named by her husband, Adam. The root of this word is “life” or “living.” Adam gave Eve this name because she would become the mother of all the living.

“And Adam called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living.” (Genesis 3:20, NKJV)

The Hebrew word for Eve, hawa, is very similar to the word we translate as “living.” The LXX (The 70), the Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament translates her name as Zoe, or “life.”

It is interesting to note that this is Eve’s third name. Her first name was given to her by God. God used the same name for her as He did for Adam, which was adam- meaning man or mankind. When God presented her to Adam, Adam called her “woman, “issa” to indicate that she was taken from man, made of the same bone and flesh. This indicated that she was able to be his partner and she could become one flesh with Adam. Of course the name “Eve” was given to her by Adam after the fall.

Eve was created by God because God determined that it was not good for Adam to be alone or by himself. (Genesis 2:18, 20) God made “a helper suitable for him.” (Genesis 2:18, 20) The word that is used to translate suitable is a compound preposition that means “corresponding to” or “opposite” him. This word actually expresses the complementary nature of a person equal to him and able to respond to him. The uniqueness of the husband and wife relationship is found in the fact that this compound preposition is not used anywhere else in the Old Testament. The closest example of something remotely similar is the description of antiphonal choirs that stand opposite of each other and respond to each other. (Nehemiah 12:24)

We are to painfully aware that this perfect relationship did not last long. As a matter of fact, although we have no way of knowing, it seems Adam and Eve did not remain in the Garden of Eden for very long. Quite possiblly they only lasted a few days. Eve gave into the temptation of the Serpent and ate some of the forbidden fruit. She then gave the fruit to her husband who willing ate it.

The result of this disobedience gave sin an entrance into this world. The serpent was cursed, women would forever experience pain in childbirth, Eve was no longer “equal” to her husband, but wast placed in a “submissive role” creating an on-going “struggle for power,” Adam was placed under a curse, and the earth itself was cursed. Death was the penalty for sin. Adam and Eve died spiritually the instant they sinned. They and all of mankind are now subject to spiritual and physical death.

Although some want to make mockery of or deny the creation account of both Adam and Eve, the New Testament accepted this account as accurate and inspired. Paul referenced Eve as a warning to the church in Corinth about the danger of being seduced by corrupted thinking. (II Corinthians 11:3) Paul gave reasons to Timothy and the church at Ephesus why women were not to be “teachers” over men. (I Timothy 2:13)

Eve bore a number of children to Adam. Among those children that have been recorded for us are Cain, Abel, and Seth. We know Eve had several daughters although Hebrew custom did not record their names or number for us. Adam lived for nine hundred and thirty (930) years. No doubt a spectacular number of children were born during this period. These daughters (prior to any incest regulations) were the wives of Cain, Seth, and the additional offspring. Unfortunately we do not know how long Eve lived nor any circumstances of her life or death.