Won’t You Be My Ezer Kenegdo

In our NRSV translation of the Hebrew Bible, God says, “I will make him a helper as his partner.” (Gen 2/18) Other translations also use the English words “help” or “helper” in translating the Hebrew phrase “ezer kenegdo.” Kenegdo means alongside him, opposite him, or as his match, but helper can be too weak a word to translate ezer. Ezer is used 21 times in scripture, and this helper is never an inferior or servant. It is help as in necessary aid and rescuer and protector and savior as in “God is our help.” Ezer always means a superior or an equal.

Later in Gen 2/23, the man (he’s not named Adam yet.) speaks in poetry the first human words of scripture, “bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh,” and so forth. This is also the man’s evaluation of his helper and rescuer and savior. I like the translation for verse 2/23 that the pastor used at our daughter’s wedding – “and the man said, ‘Wow!’” As I reflect back on my own life in marriage, I’m very happy to have mutually chosen my own ezer kenegdo.

Thank you for playing

for us, with us, within us

connexions to find

John Freal

Note: Our scripture for June 5th was eventually pared down from all of Genesis 2 to only verses 1-8, but I didn’t know that when I wrote this above. Yet I have kept it mostly as it is because it affirms both the man and the woman.