October 9, 2025
The story of Adam and Eve is familiar—often read at weddings, quoted in sermons, and referenced in poetry. When our modern ears hear it, we sometimes misunderstand what it truly says. But beneath the ancient words lies a surprisingly modern message about relationships, loneliness, and the way we were created to love.
Then the Lord God said, ‘It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper as his partner.’ So out of the ground the Lord God formed every animal of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. The man gave names to all cattle, and to the birds of the air, and to every animal of the field; but for the man there was not found a helper as his partner. So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then he took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man, he made into a woman and brought her to the man. Then the man said,
‘This at last is bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
this one shall be called Woman,
for out of Man this one was taken.’
Therefore, a man leaves his father and his mother and clings to his wife, and they become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked, and were not ashamed- Genesis 2:18-25
It has always fascinated me that the Bible begins with a wedding—and ends with one. Adam and Eve appear right after creation (Genesis 1–2). Then in the Book of Revelation, when evil is defeated, and everything is made new, how does it all end? With a wedding reception (Revelation 19).
“The Bible begins with a wedding and ends with a wedding.”
I love weddings for one simple reason: no one should be alone. We were made for relationships—for companionship, connection, and love. As Adam walked through the Garden of Eden, he learned some hard lessons in math and biology. Three Dog Night said it best: “One is the loneliest number.” Animals surrounded him, but all of them came in pairs. And if you ever grew up on a farm, you quickly realized why that matters. God saw what Adam saw: “It is not good that man should be alone.”
God saw what Adam saw: “It is not good that man should be alone.”
Jules Verne once said, “Solitude, isolation, are painful things and beyond human endurance.” Director Robert Zemeckis echoed the same truth: “We don't function well as human beings when we're in isolation.” Loneliness is everywhere in our modern world. In the U.S. today, 30% of adults experience loneliness weekly, and 10% feel lonely every day. Even more surprising: loneliness is highest among young adults, not seniors.
“We were made for relationships—for companionship, connection, and love.”
What God says to Adam still rings true today—it is not good for anyone to be alone.
When God decided to create a companion for Adam, the Bible says He made “a helper as his partner.” Now, the word helper has caused confusion for centuries. It sounds like “assistant,” or maybe “sidekick.” As comedian Tim Hawkins jokes, when he got married, he got “a little helper” in the car. (You can probably relate.)
You do get a helper, but that is not really what the word means. God creates Eve by saying, "I will make a helper (or an active counterpart or partner) for him." The word for Eve’s role is one of the most complex words to translate from Hebrew and even harder to explain. It means a compliment, a puzzle piece. They are not the same; they are different, but they need each other to complement and complete one another.
But in Hebrew, that word is much richer. The phrase is 'ezer kenegdo (עֵ֖זֶר כְּנֶגְדּֽוֹ)—and it means far more than “helper.” The traditional King James uses the old word “helpmeet,” while others, such as the English Standard Version, use “helper.” However, “The second term means alongside him, opposite him, a counterpart to him,” explains Old Testament scholar Robert Alter. “Help is too weak because it suggests a merely auxiliary function, whereas ezer elsewhere connotes active intervention on behalf of someone, especially in military contexts, as (it is often used) in Psalms.”
So Eve is not a servant or assistant—she is a counterpart, a comrade, an equal, and an active partner. She is more of a mirror image or a partner in all endeavors, even battle. This union is a life-long union, becoming “one flesh” (Gen 2:24). This is a relationship of balance and collaboration. Two puzzle pieces that fit together, different yet designed to complete one another.
The phrase 'ezer kenegdo carries a military tone—something like “reinforcements” or “the cavalry.” Four of my children serve in the military, and my oldest once described Boot Camp to me:
“The next step in training involves buddy team tactical movement. This forever puts your individuality in the back seat, enabling you to grow as a team member… Your ability to shoot, move, and communicate with your buddy does not always guarantee your safety, but it ensures his. Your survival is no longer in your own hands but in your buddy’s abilities as a team member.”
“Marriage is not about one person charging ahead—it’s about learning to move together.”
That description could just as easily define marriage. We like to imagine the lone hero—Rambo, the Lone Ranger, Reacher, or Bond—but real life is not a solo mission. While there are stories of a single soldier accomplishing extraordinary things, such as Marcus Luttrell in Lone Survivor, the military trains soldiers to move as a unit, not as individuals. Marriage is no different. It is not about one person charging ahead. It is about learning to move together—to shoot, move, and communicate as one team, covering each other in every advance and retreat.
“Eve was not a sidekick; she was the cavalry.”
I loved the buddy cop movies from the 1980s: Lethal Weapon, 48 Hours, Miami Vice, Turner & Hooch (okay, the analogy breaks down after a while). It was an overused trope for sure, but they all prove the point. The message, repeatedly, was this: even when you annoy each other, you need each other to get the job done. And in the end, you would fight for each other and, if needed, sacrifice yourself for your partner.
My wife is a huge Justin Timberlake fan. If there were ever an announcement that *NSYNC was getting back together for a reunion tour, the tickets would be purchased within minutes. A few years ago, I took her to see Timberlake in concert. The arena was packed with women in their forties, dancing as if they had just been transported back to 2002. It was a fantastic show.
But scattered throughout the crowd were the husbands. Some were awkwardly dancing beside their wives. A few were clapping slightly off-rhythm. Others had clearly decided their job was simply to be present and supportive. You could spot them sitting quietly in their seats, glowing in the blue light of their phones.
Now I would not describe Justin Timberlake as a biblical scholar. But he does have a song that, by accident, performs some very good exegesis. The song is called Mirrors. And whether he realizes it or not, he manages to capture something remarkably close to the meaning of Genesis 2.
Here are a few of the lyrics:
'Cause I do not wanna lose you now
I am lookin' right at the other half of me
The vacancy that sat in my heart
Is a space that now you hold
It is like you are my mirror
My mirror staring back at me
Two reflections into one
Whether Justin Timberlake realizes it or not, those lyrics come surprisingly close to Genesis. In Genesis 2:21, most translations say that God took one of Adam’s ribs while he was sleeping and from that rib created Eve.
So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept, took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh.
This is a beautiful image, and it has been part of how Christians have pictured the story for centuries. But the Hebrew word translated as “rib” warrants closer examination. The word is tṣelaʿ (צלע). Some Hebrew scholars have argued that Genesis may not describe the removal of a single rib at all. The word tṣelaʿ usually refers to the side of a structure, such as the temple or the Ark of the Covenant. That means the image may be much bigger than we imagine. Instead of focusing on a small bone, the language points to the side of the man, suggesting that the woman was created as his counterpart.
In other words, the first human was divided so that two corresponding sides could stand face to face.
Early Christians also noticed the symbolism. Augustine of Hippo observed that the woman was created from the man’s side to show that she was meant to be his partner rather than his servant. Another early Church Father made a similar observation. John Chrysostom pointed out that the location of Eve’s creation tells us something important about marriage.
God did not create the woman from the man’s head to rule over him, nor from his feet to be beneath him, but from his side to stand beside him.
Genesis continues with Adam’s response when he first sees Eve:
“This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh.”
Adam immediately recognizes her as his counterpart. She is not a lesser version of him. She is the one who corresponds to him.
The word ezer is also often used of God himself as the helper or rescuer of Israel. The phrase kenegdo means “corresponding to” or“standing opposite.” Together, the phrase describes a partner who matches and corresponds. In other words, Eve is not beneath Adam or behind him. She stands face-to-face with him.
The architectural imagery of the word tṣelaʿ reinforces the point. The word appears elsewhere in Scripture when describing the construction of sacred spaces. For example, the word appears in the description of the Ark of the Covenant.
“He cast four rings of gold for it… two rings on its one side and two rings on its other side.” (Exodus 37:3)
The Ark was carried by two poles that passed through rings on each side. You could not carry the Ark with only one pole. It required two people working together to keep the Ark steady and balanced. In the same way, the creation story presents man and woman as two corresponding sides of the same humanity. Neither stands alone. Together they carry the weight of the calling God has given them.
Seen together, these images begin to converge. A mirror reflecting another face, two sides of a structure holding a house together, and two poles carrying the Ark all point to the same truth: humanity was created to stand side by side. Marriage was never meant to be domination or competition. It was designed as a partnership. Two lives sharing the weight of the calling God has given them.
Which means Justin's lyric may be closer to Genesis than most people realize.
“I am looking right at the other half of me.”
This yearning for connection is more than romantic—it’s spiritual. Marriage, throughout Scripture, is one of the clearest metaphors for God’s relationship with His people.
Do you and your fiancé have a love song? Maybe it was your first dance, or the one playing during your first drive together.
For me, songs by Journey, Boston, or Bon Jovi always remind me of my wife. Sometimes I get out of the 80s and think of Rascal Flatts or Ed Sheeran. When I was a teenager, the ultimate sign of affection was making a mixtape. My playlist probably included:
But the very first love song ever written came straight from the Garden:
“This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh;
this one shall be called Woman, for out of Man this one was taken.”
Most often, translators recognize this part of the passage as poetry. It is a love song. And having it is this story makes this the very first love song. Justin Timberlake could not have said it better himself.
Love Is God’s Best Answer. The story of Adam and Eve is more than ancient history—it is the blueprint for love itself. Whether in life’s joys or its battles, the truth remains the same: It is not good to be alone.
Love is not just God’s gift—it is His best idea.
Main Image: Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash
Podcast Album cover image: Image: AI-generated (DALL·E).