Notes on Genesis | AdventAI

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Apr 2, 1867

Notes on Genesis.

CHAPTER ii, verse 21. “And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept; and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof. 22. And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.”

Eve was taken from Adam, and not out of the ground; that there might be a natural foundation of moderate subordination on the woman’s part, and sympathizing tenderness on the man’s; as a man rules over, yet carefully defends, and tenderly takes care of, his own body. The Lord then conducted her, as his gift, to Adam, that they might be united in marriage for their mutual good; and that he might thus authorize, and give an example for the regulation of future marriages. Doubtless he made known to Adam, perhaps during his sleep, in what manner the woman had been created from a part of himself, to be his companion. The original word translated woman is the same as is rendered man, excepting the feminine termination.—Scott.

22. Made.] Builded. ‘By the many words used of the generation of mankind, as creating, i, 27; making, i, 26; forming and inspiring, ii, 7, and here, building, Moses would set forth this wondrous workmanship, for which the Psalmist so laudeth God. Ps. cxxxix, 14.¹—Ainsworth.

Verse 23. “And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of man. 24. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife; and they shall be one flesh.”

‘How happy must the married state be, where God’s institution is properly regarded; where the parties are married, as the apostle expresses it, in the Lord; where each, by acts of the tenderest kindness, lives only to prevent the wishes, and contribute in every possible way to each other’s comfort and happiness! Marriage might still be what it was in its original institution, pure and suitable; and in its first exercise affectionate and happy: but how few such marriages are there to be found! Passion, turbulent and irregular, not religion: custom founded by these irregularities, not reason: worldly prospects, originating and ending in selfishness and earthly affections, not in spiritual ends, are the grand producing causes of the great majority of matrimonial alliances. How, then, can such turbid and bitter fountains send forth pure and sweet waters?’—Dr. A. Clarke.