1) Introduction

For many years, we were taught that woman was created from man’s rib. As a result, she was considered inferior to man and had to perform menial tasks. The reason for this is that most Bible translators were influenced by their culture, their religious views or the primacy of men.

However, we want to make it clear here that women are truly one half of men, i.e. the other half of men.

Genesis 1:26-28: „26 And Elohim [1] said: We will make human being in our image, after our likeness, and they will have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the flying creatures of the heavens, and over the cattle, and over all the Earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth. 27 And Elohim created the human being in his image, in the image of Elohim created he him. Male and female created he them. 28 And Elohim blessed them, and Elohim said to them: Bear fruit, and multiply, and fill the Earth, and subdue it. And have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the flying creatures of the heavens, and over every living that creeps upon the earth“

So Elohim blessed the man and the woman. They were also created together. In the following text, we learn more about the true biblical identity of women and their creation. Elohim frees us from false teachings.

 

2) The visible vis-à-vis of man: „neged“

Genesis 2:18, 20: „18 And YHWH Elohim had said: It is not good for the human being to be alone. I will make for him an help as his vis-à-vis. (…) 20 And the human being called names to all cattle, and to the flying creatures of the heavens, and to every living of the field, but for the human being there was not found an help as his vis-à-vis“

The Hebrew word „adam“ refers to humans as a race. Elohim created these humans as two sexes. A true counterpart was to be created for the man. Earlier translations used the words „a help“ in verse 18 instead of the term „his counterpart“. However, let us take a closer look at the original Hebrew word: the term „neged“ means „that which is visible“, „that which is in front of one“, „vis-à-vis“ [2]. The word „neged“ therefore refers to the being that stands as counterpart.

The Bible thus teaches us that woman is man’s counterpart. She stands before man and is his equal. She is created to speak with the man, to exchange ideas with him. The woman looks at her husband’s face and vice versa. She is not called to look at her husband’s back and certainly should not stand behind his back or anywhere else.

Let us consider the story of Moshe (Moses). Even to his servant Moshe, Elohim said that he must not see his face:

Exodus 33:18-23: „18 And he said: I beseech you, cause me to see your glory! 19 And he said: I will make all my goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of YHWH before you; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy. 20 And he said: You can not see my faces, for there will no man see me, and live. 21 And YHWH said: Behold, there is a place by me, and you will stand upon a rock. 22 And it will come to pass, while my glory passes by, that I will put you in a crevice of the rock, and will cover you with my hand while I pass by: 23 And I will take away mine hand, and you will see my back parts, but my faces will not be seen“

The difference from the relationship between Elohim and Moshe makes it clear that the woman does not have to take the position of a servant or maid towards the man. The two look at each other’s faces.

This was also the case with the apostle John. For he looked upon the face of Mashiah (Christ):

Revelation 1:12-16: „12 And I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And, having turned, I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and in the midst of the seven lampstands one like a Son of human, clothed with a garment reaching down to the foot, and girded on the breast with a golden belt. 14 And his head and hairs white like white wool, and as snow and his eyes like a flame of fire.  15 And his feet like fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace, and his voice like the voice of many waters. 16 And having in his right hand seven stars and going out of his mouth a sharp two edged sword. And his face like the sun shining in its strength“

This face was revealed to the bride (the church) of Yehoshua because the bride is the one that stands opposite her husband – Yehoshua ha Mashiah. When you stand opposite someone, you have no secrets from each other. You see the expression on their face and the emotions of their heart. Just as it is destined for the congregation of Yehoshua Mashiah (Jesus Christ), so it should be between husband and wife: there are no secrets between them.

In 2 Corinthians 3:18, Paulos (Paul) explains: „But we all, with uncovered face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord Spirit“

Incidentally, it is also written of the angel Gabriy’el (Gabriel) that he stands before the face of Elohim (Luke 1 at the announcement of the birth of Yehoshua (Jesus)).

Later, it is also said of Moshe that he asked Elohim to go with his face. Moshe then spoke with Elohim face to face. When one walks with Elohim in this way, one can stand before the people of the world and before the demons without fear.

Since the Hebrew word „neged“ from Exodus 2:18 also means „visible“, it becomes clear that the woman was hidden in the man, or rather, invisible in man. But when Elohim put Adam to sleep and took out the woman, she became visible! Let us now take a closer look at this.

 

3) The side and half of the man: „tsêlâ“

Genesis 2:21-24: „21 And YHWH Elohim caused a deep sleep to fall upon the human being, and he slept. And he took one of his sides, and closed up the flesh instead thereof. 22 And YHWH Elohim built from the side, which he had taken from the human being, a woman, and made her come to the human being. 23 And the human being said: This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh. This one will be called Woman, because from Man she was taken. 24 Therefore will the man leave his father and his mother, and will cleave to his wife, and they will become one flesh“

Until now, women have been referred to as the rib of man. But the Bible does not regard women as a piece of Adam’s skeleton!

The Hebrew word „tsêlâ“, which was originally translated as „rib“ in English (verses 21 and 22), mainly means „side“. In other passages of the Bible where the word appears, it was not translated as „rib“, but mostly as „side“ (Exodus 25:12, 14; 26:20, 26-27, 35; 27:7; 30:4; 36:25, 31-32; 37:3, 5, 27; 38:7; Job 18:12; 2 Samuel 16:13) [3].

Elohim therefore took one half, one side of man, to form woman. The old, macho ideas about woman being made from man’s rib and teachings about the position of women are thus outdated.

It is true that the Bible sometimes refers to „bone“: this expression is often used to describe a person’s origin and identity.

1. When Adam spoke of „bone of my bones“ (v. 23), he only meant to imply that woman is also a human being, just like him.
2. In Genesis 29:14, Laban wanted to express that Jacob was related to him: „And Laban said to him: Surely you are my bone and my flesh. And he abode with him the space of a month“
3. 2 Samuel 5:1: „Then came all the tribes of Israel to David to Hebron, and spoke, saying: Behold, we are your bone and your flesh“

 

Simple calculation:

Maths problem: 1:2 = 0.5

The man and the woman become one through marriage. So each of them is 0.5! 0.5 x 2 = 1

One flesh: The woman is 50% of the flesh and bones, the man is also 50%. That makes one hundred percent = ONE

Human beings were divided into two parts, and from these two parts came a man and a woman.

 

Anatomically speaking, there are similarities between men and women:

Human beings have 24 ribs, i.e. 12 pairs of ribs, so that each side looks the same. The woman, one side of it, is therefore the same, exactly half with the same components.

Every human being has 23 pairs of chromosomes that contain the genetic material, i.e. 46 individual chromosomes. The 23rd pair determines the sex of the human being. In women, this is an XX chromosome pair and in men an XY chromosome pair. If the two have a child together, each of them, man and woman, passes on half of the chromosome. The woman passes on an X chromosome, the man either an X or a Y chromosome, whereupon the child becomes a boy or a girl. We can see, then, that in terms of heredity, both partners are completely equal!

However, there are also gender differences, as each partner has their own function. But that does not mean that one of them is more valuable than the other. For Elohim is a Elohim of balance and justice.

 

4) Summary: A fulfilled marriage

Queen Esther gives us an example of a man showing his face to his wife. At that time, no one was allowed to see the face of the Persian king or seek an audience without being summoned (not even his wives). Only those to whom the sceptre was extended found favour and were allowed to present their case. Esther, trusting in Elohim, broke this rule by seeking out her husband’s face (who was also her ruler at the time) on her own initiative. She spoke with him face to face, found favour, and from that point on shared everything with her husband, the king. This should be an example for every marriage: One must speak face to face and at eye level with one another in order to enter into this covenant.

Matthew 19:5-6: „5 and that he said: For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh? 6 So they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore Elohim has yoked together, let no man separate„.

Many people suffer in marriage because they have not found their right partner. Nevertheless, Elohim does not allow divorce. So before blindly following your infatuation, you should really ask Elohim to help you find your right partner. But once you have chosen your partner, the words „What therefore Elohim has yoked together, let no man separate“  apply. That would be like cutting a body in half with a sword. The body would then die. That is why Elohim hates divorce.

This makes it all the more important that husband and wife are similar, i.e. „cut from the same cloth“ or, in the words of the Bible, „bone of my bones“.

Let us read Genesis 2:23 again: „And the human being said: This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh. This one will be called Woman, because from Man she was taken“

In Hebrew, the man is called “ ‚îysh “ (pronounced: isch) and the woman “ ‚ishshâh “ (ischa).

In the English text, this is expressed by the word „woman„. To become one, you really have to become equal. Oil and water, for example, cannot be mixed. The woman is only one with the man when she is equal to him.

 

EQUALITY –> UNITY

Some may ask themselves: But if a woman is half of a man and equal to him, will she continue to respect him? The answer must be „yes“ because a woman who knows her identity will realise that her husband needs her. She will stand by him and (as a Christian) pray for him.

This does not mean that the woman should become a leader or church leader. Rather, each has their responsibilities and role: woman and man.

In any case, a marriage that comes from Elohim brings balance to society and to the church of Elohim. The two halves together form a magnificent marriage to the glory of Elohim!

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[1] Elohim is the original name of the Creator, which is incorrectly expressed in English with the word „God“.

[2] Explanation taken from the footnote of the BYM (Bible of Yehoshua ha Mashiah Bible of Yehoshua ha Mashiah (BYMEN)).

[3] cf. explanation from the footnote of the BYM.

 

(Summary of a teaching by Br. Shora K)