Adam's Emotional State Before Eve's Creation
The biblical narrative in Genesis describes Adam as the first human, formed by God from the dust of the earth [3, 4]. God breathed the breath of life into him, and he became a living being [8]. This creation of Adam was the final and crowning act of the sixth day of creation, which God declared "very good" [4, 6].
Before the creation of Eve, Adam was alone. Genesis 2:18 states, "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him" (ESV). This declaration by God suggests a state of incompleteness or lack in Adam's existence, even within the perfect creation. While the text does not explicitly detail Adam's emotional state, the divine assessment that his solitude was "not good" implies a deficiency that required remedy.
Adam's activities before Eve's creation included being placed in the Garden of Eden to work and keep it [7]. He was also tasked with naming all the animals [8]. This act of naming demonstrated Adam's knowledge and dominion over creation [9]. However, as he named the animals, "there was not found a helper fit for him" (Genesis 2:20 ESV). This observation, made by Adam in the narrative, further underscores his unique solitude among all living creatures. The absence of a suitable companion for Adam, despite his engagement with the animal kingdom, highlights the specific need for a partner of his own kind.
The creation of Eve from Adam's rib is presented as God's solution to this solitude [5]. The theological significance of Eve being taken from Adam's side, rather than his head or feet, is often interpreted to signify a relationship of equality and companionship, rather than dominance or subservience [5]. This act established monogamy as a divine institution [5, 9].
The chronological order of creation, with Adam formed first and then Eve, is noted in the New Testament as well. Paul writes in 1 Timothy 2:13, "For Adam was first formed, then Eve" [1, 2]. This order is sometimes cited in discussions about gender roles and pre-eminence [10]. John Gill, a Baptist commentator, notes that Adam was formed directly by God, and after his creation and the naming of animals, Eve was formed from him for his "use, service, help and comfort" [8]. Adam Clarke, a Methodist commentator, suggests that God designed Adam for pre-eminence through his robust physical construction, fitting him for public life and exertion, while Eve's structure indicated she was not designed for such public roles [10].
The narrative of Adam's initial solitude and the subsequent creation of Eve emphasizes the importance of companionship and the complementary nature of male and female in God's design for humanity. Adam's recognition of the lack of a "helper fit for him" among the animals, followed by his joyful exclamation upon seeing Eve ("This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh," Genesis 2:23 ESV), suggests a profound sense of fulfillment and relief at the alleviation of his solitary state.
Sources
- King James Version “[KJV] 1 Timothy 2:13 — For Adam was first formed, then Eve.”
- I Timothy “I Timothy 2:13 (LEB) — For Adam was formed first, then Eve,”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Adam — Red, a Babylonian word, the generic name for man, having the same meaning in the Hebrew and the Assyrian languages. It was the name given to the first man, whose creation, fall, and subsequent history and that of his descendants are detailed in the first book of Moses (Gen. 1:27-ch. 5). "God created man [Heb., Adam] in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them." Adam was absolutely the first man whom God created. He was formed out of the dust of the earth (and hence his name), and God breathed into his nostrils the brea”
- Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Adam — a city on the Jordan, "beside Zaretan," in the time of Joshua. (Joshua 3:16) Man, generically, for the name Adam was not confined to the father of the human race, but like homo was applicable to woman as well as to man . (Genesis 5:2) (red earth), the name given in Scripture to the first man. It apparently has reference to the ground from which he was formed, which is called in Hebrew Adamah . The idea of redness of color seems to be inherent in either word. The creation of man was the work of the sixth day--the last and crowning act of creation. Adam was creat”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Eve — Life; living, the name given by Adam to his wife (Gen. 3:20; 4:1). The account of her creation is given in Gen. 2:21, 22. The Creator, by declaring that it was not good for man to be alone, and by creating for him a suitable companion, gave sanction to monogamy. The commentator Matthew Henry says: "This companion was taken from his side to signify that she was to be dear unto him as his own flesh. Not from his head, lest she should rule over him; nor from his feet, lest he should tyrannize over her; but from his side, to denote that species of equality which is”
- Genesis (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Genesis 1:31: 1:31 The Creator declares his work good seven times in ch 1; following the creation of human beings, God declares it all very good.”
- CCEL (Reformed) “Calvin, Commentary on Genesis, Vol. 1 (Gen 1-23), section 28.1: Index of Scripture References Genesis 1:1-6 1:1-31 1:2 1:28 1:29-30 2:1 2:1-25 2:15 2:19 3:1 3:1-24 3:7 3:16 4:1 4:1-26 4:7 5:1 5:1-32 6:1 6:1-22 6:11-16 7:1-24 7:11 8:1-22 9:1 9:1 9:1-29 9:2 9:24 10 10:1 10:1 10:1-32 10:21 11:1 11:1 11:1-32 11:28 12:1 12:1 12:1 12:1-20 12:4 12:4 12:6 13:1 13:1-20 14:1-24 15:1-21 15:7 16:1-16 16:2 16:8 17:1 17:1 17:1 17:1 17:1-27 18:1 18:1 18:1-33 18:19 19:1-38 20:1 20:1 20:1-18 21:1-34 21:15 22:1-24 22:18 23:1-20 24:31 25:1 25:13-16 35:7 48:1 Exodus 6:3 12:40 Leviticus 7:18 17:4 18:25 Numbers 6:2”
- 1 Timothy (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on 1 Timothy 2:12: For Adam was first formed,.... Immediately by God, out of the dust of the earth; and the breath of life was breathed into him, and he became a living soul; thus wonderfully and fearfully was he made; after this he was put into the garden of Eden, to dress it, and all creatures were brought to him, to give them names; and still an help meet or a companion was not found for him. All this while Eve was not as yet formed, but after this, then Eve. She was formed out of him, was made out of one of his ribs; and was formed for him, for his use, service, help and comfor”
- Genesis (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Genesis 2:24: one flesh--The human pair differed from all other pairs, that by peculiar formation of Eve, they were one. And this passage is appealed to by our Lord as the divine institution of marriage (Mat 19:4-5; Eph 5:28). Thus Adam appears as a creature formed after the image of God--showing his knowledge by giving names to the animals, his righteousness by his approval of the marriage relation, and his holiness by his principles and feelings, and finding gratification in the service and enjoyment of God. Next: Genesis Chapter 3”
- 1 Timothy (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on 1 Timothy 2:13: For Adam was first formed, then Eve - And by this very act God designed that he should have the pre-eminence. God fitted man, by the robust construction of his body, to live a public life, to contend with difficulties, and to be capable of great exertions. The structure of woman's body plainly proves that she was never designed for those exertions required in public life. In this the chief part of the natural inferiority of woman is to be sought.”