Eve — Tyndale Open Bible Dictionary

First woman, “the mother of all living” (Gn 3:20). The book of Genesis recounts that after God had finished his creation of Adam, he saw that it was not good for Adam to be alone. He decided to create “a helper fit for him” (2:18). The woman is called ezer (in Hebrew lit. “help”), a word that appears elsewhere in the OT in reference to God as Israel’s help. Causing Adam to fall into a deep sleep, God took one of his ribs and used it to fashion Eve (vv 21-25).

Show passage in OET: GEN 3:20

OET-RV GEN 3:20

20 Then the man named his wife ‘Havah’ (Eve) (which means ‘living’) because she would become the mother of all future people.

OET-LV GEN 3:20

20 And_ the_humankind _he/it _called the _name _of his/its_wife/woman Ḩavvāh/(Eve) if/because she she _was the _mother _of every _of living_person.

Show passage in OET: GEN 2:18

OET-RV GEN 2:18

18 Then Yahweh God said, “It’s not good for the man to be alone, so I’ll make a suitable helper for him.”

OET-LV GEN 2:18

18 And_ YHWH god _he/it _said not is_good to _be the_humankind for_him/it_being _alone I _will _make for_him/it a _helper like_in _front _of_him/it.

Show passage in OET: GEN 2:21–25

OET-RV GEN 2:21

21 So Yahweh God caused the man to go into a deep sleep, and then while he was sleeping, he removed one of his ribs and closed up over its place with flesh.

OET-RV GEN 2:22

22 Then Yahweh God used the rib which he had taken from the man to form into a woman, and he brought her to the man,

OET-RV GEN 2:23

23 and the man said:
⇔ “Now this is bone from my bones
⇔ and flesh from my flesh.
⇔ She’ll be named ‘woman’
⇔ because she came from a man.”

OET-RV GEN 2:24

24 So that’s why a man leaves his father and mother, and becomes united to his wife, and the two of them become one being.

OET-RV GEN 2:25

25 At that time, both the man and his wife were naked, but they had no sense of shame.

OET-LV GEN 2:21

21 And_ YHWH god _he/it _made _fall/lie _down a _deep _sleep on the_humankind and_he/it _fell _asleep and_he/it _took one from_his/its_ribs/planks and_he/it _closed _up flesh instead _of_her/it.

OET-LV GEN 2:22

22 And_ YHWH god _he/it _built DOM the_rib/plank which he _had _taken from the_humankind to/for_(a)_woman and_he/it _brought_her/it to the_humankind.

OET-LV GEN 2:23

23 And_ the_humankind _he/it _said this_one at_last is_bone from_my_bones and_flesh/body from_my_flesh/body to_this _(one) woman it _will _be _called if/because from_man this _(one) she _was _taken.

OET-LV GEN 2:24

24 Therefore yes/correct/thus/so a _man he _leaves DOM his/its_father and_DOM his/its_mother and_he/it _clings in/on_his/its_woman/wife and_they _will _be to/for_flesh/body one.

OET-LV GEN 2:25

25 And_they _were both _of_them naked the_humankind and_his/its_woman/wife and_not they _were _ashamed.

Jump to OET GEN 3:20 section.

Jump to OET GEN 2:18 section.

Jump to OET GEN 2:21–25 section.

Eve was given two names by Adam. The first was “woman,” a generic designation with theological connotations that denote her relationship to man (Gn 2:23). The second, Eve (“life”), was given after the fall and refers to her role in the procreation of the human race (3:20).

Show passage in OET: GEN 2:23

OET-RV GEN 2:23

23 and the man said:
⇔ “Now this is bone from my bones
⇔ and flesh from my flesh.
⇔ She’ll be named ‘woman’
⇔ because she came from a man.”

OET-LV GEN 2:23

Jump to OET GEN 2:23 section.

Adam and Eve are pictured as living in Eden, serving God and fulfilling each other’s needs. Then evil entered when Eve was tempted by the serpent to disobey God’s command, which forbade their eating the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Gn 2:17; 3:3). Tricked by the serpent’s subtle persuasion, Eve transgressed God’s will by eating the fruit. Adam did the same when she brought some to him, although he was not deceived as she had been. Both then recognized their nakedness and made garments of fig leaves.

Show passage in OET: GEN 2:17

OET-RV GEN 2:17

17 but you mustn’t eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, because the day you eat its fruit you’ll certainly die.”

OET-LV GEN 2:17

17 And_from_tree the_knowledge good and_bad/evil not you _must _eat from_him/it if/because in/on_day you(ms)_eat from_him/it surely _(die) you _will _die.

Show passage in OET: GEN 3:3

OET-RV GEN 3:3

3 except from the tree that is in the centre. He commanded us to not eat that fruit or even touch it, because if we do, we will die!”

OET-LV GEN 3:3

3 And_from_fruit the_tree which in _the_middle the_garden god he _said not you(pl)_must _eat from_him/it and_not you(pl)_will _touch in/on/over_him/it lest you(pl)_will _die_(emph).

Jump to OET GEN 2:17 section.

Jump to OET GEN 3:3 section.

When God came to commune with them, they hid from him. When he demanded an account, Adam blamed Eve, and Eve blamed the serpent. God told Eve that as a result of their sin, childbirth would be a painful experience and her husband would rule over her (Gn 3:16). Eve later became the mother of Cain, Abel, Seth, and other children (4:1-2, 25 OET GEN 4:1–2 · OET GEN 4:25; 5:4).

Show passage in OET: GEN 3:16

OET-RV GEN 3:16

16 To the woman God said,
⇔ “I’ll sharply increase your pain in childbirth.
⇔ You’ll produce children in pain.
⇔ Your desire will be for your husband
⇔ and he will rule over you.”

OET-LV GEN 3:16

16 To the_woman he _said greatly _(increase) I _will _increase your(fs)_worries/pain and_your(fs)_pregnancy in_earthen _vessel//painful _toll you _will _bear children and_near/to your(fs)_man/husband your(fs)_longing/desire and_he he _will _rule on/over_you(fs).

Show passage in OET: GEN 4:1–2; GEN 4:25

OET-RV GEN 4:1

4 Then Adam slept with his wife Havah (Eve), and she conceived and in due course gave birth to Kayin (Cain). “Yahweh has enabled me to produce a man,” she said.

OET-RV GEN 4:2

2 Eventually she also gave birth to Kayin’s brother, Hevel (Abel). Hevel became a shepherd, while Kayin became a crop farmer.

OET-RV GEN 4:25

25 Then Adam slept with his wife again and she bore a son and named him Shet (Seth) (which means ‘given’) because she had said, “God has given me another son in place of Hevel (Abel) who was killed by Kayin (Cain).”

OET-LV GEN 4:1

4 And_the_man he _knew DOM Ḩavvāh/(Eve) his/its_wife/woman and_she/it _conceived/became _pregnant and_she/it _gave _birth DOM Qayin/(Cain) and_she/it _said I _have _acquired a _man with YHWH.

OET-LV GEN 4:2

2 And_she/it _added to_give _birth DOM his/its_brother DOM Heⱱel/(Abel) and_he/it _was Heⱱel a _herdsman _of sheep and_Qayin/(Cain) he _was one _who_tilled _of the_ground.

OET-LV GEN 4:25

25 And_ ʼĀdām _he/it _knew again DOM his/its_wife/woman and_she/it _gave _birth a _son and_she/it _called/named DOM his/its_name Shēt if/because he _has _appointed to_me god offspring another in _place _of Heⱱel/(Abel) if/because he/it _killed_him/it Qayin/(Cain).

Show passage in OET: GEN 5:4

OET-RV GEN 5:4

4 After Shet’s birth, Adam lived another 800 years and had other sons and daughters.

OET-LV GEN 5:4

4 And_ the _days _of ʼĀdām _they _were after fathering_by _him/it DOM Shēt eight hundred(s) year[s] and_he/it _fathered sons and_daughters.

Jump to OET GEN 3:16 section.

Jump to OET GEN 4:1–2 section. · OET GEN 4:25 section.

Jump to OET GEN 5:4 section.

Eve is mentioned twice in the NT. In his letter to Timothy, the apostle Paul referred to her when discussing whether or not women could teach (1 Tm 2:13). He said that a woman could not teach or have authority over a man because of man’s priority in creation and Eve’s responsibility for the original transgression (see 2 Cor 11:3).